Fear is a big part of what drives the interest in many of the renovation shows on the television as of late. Why? Because fear is an effective way to grab someone's attention, as well as a way to show you someone who can do away with whatever scary situation is put in front of them.
There's always going to be concern when spending your hard-earned money on a project that you're spending it with the right person or group of people. If you don't have someone on your flatscreen telling you that they're the best person for the job, how will you know? Here's what we think is important to consider if you're purchasing kitchens, or any other big-ticket item:
'Bricks and Mortar' location: When a company has a showroom or other place of business, it shows you that they're willing to invest in themselves and invest in you as a potential client. They're proud of what they offer and want to show it to you. Without that, will you really know what you're getting?
Length of time in business: If a company stays in business for a long period of time, it usually means that they're doing more than just a few things right, but it takes time for that to bear fruit. You can be sure that in the kitchen business word eventually gets around and friends of friends don't recommend companies that don't perform. But when a company is able to 'rob Peter to pay Paul,' it can take years for the other shoe to drop. The longer a company has been around, the better value it usually offers.
Communication: Find someone you can talk to, someone who understands what you're really looking for. When spending large sums of money you really don't want it to feel like you're throwing darts at a board blindfolded and hoping for the best. Get to know the person wanting to provide you with their product and/or service and make sure that you can establish a good relationship with them.
Reasonable pricing: Everyone's in business to make a living, and pricing will vary from company to company. If you're just looking for the lowest price, you can probably expect other areas of what you're purchasing to be on the lower end of the scale as well; on the other end, a high price does not beget the best quality either. When buying big-ticket items that can sometimes be surrounded by some serious flashy marketing, make sure that the basics are still sound and the service is what you expect...nothing worse than spending extra money and still not getting what you want.
How does it feel?: This can be an important one. Trust your gut. If it feels right based on the above criteria, you're probably in good hands. If there's something bothering you about the process, step back. You want someone you can trust to do a good job for you, and you want to be comfortable with the whole process.
Of course, we here at Reynolds feel we score pretty high on the above list when it comes to kitchen design, but that's really up to you to decide. Pay us a visit, get to know us, what we do, and what we can offer you. You'll be glad you did.