subject: Kitchen Remodel, Dream Or Nightmare [print this page] Kitchen Remodel, Dream or Nightmare? Kitchen Remodel, Dream or Nightmare?
Every improvement in life begins with a dream or vision of something better. Unfortunately, not all dreams become realities; some end up becoming nightmares. Remodeling a kitchen is no exception.
According to the Consumer Federation of America, home improvement projects generate more complaints than any other segment of the economy and no home improvement project has more potential for disaster than a kitchen remodel.
Who hasn't heard horror stories about kitchen remodels that dragged on month after month while the homeowner's family suffered?
The reason for this has little to do with the brand of cabinets and countertops used and not that much to do with the ability of the installers. It is primarily the result of poor organization and a lack of process management on the part of the remodeling company.
When homeowners purchase new kitchens they are paying not just for the products that make up the kitchen but for the entire process of designing and constructing an aesthetically pleasing new kitchen that optimizes space, time and money.
In order to accomplish this the remodeler must communicate effectively with the client, suppliers, employees and sub contractors. Then he must schedule efficiently the sequence of events and check time and again to be sure that things go as planned.
Since things rarely go as planned he must be prepared to act immediately when unexpected interruptions or problems occur in order to get things back on track as swiftly and inexpensively as possible.
This is precisely where things go wrong. The contractor fails to communicate something to the client or fails to document something the client has communicated to him. Perhaps something was ordered incorrectly and then the kitchen was taken apart before everything necessary to re-build it was on site. Maybe the installer has a job of his own going and only works on the project 3 hours a day.
All of these problems and many more could be minimized or avoided all together if the entire process were being managed by someone qualified and responsible who was willing to devote the time and energy required. This type of commitment however, is sadly uncommon today which accounts for the volume of complaints regarding home improvement projects and kitchen remodels in particular.
If a kitchen remodel is in your future be sure you invest the time necessary to learn who will be the qualified, responsible party managing your project and check as many past clients as possible to see whether their experience was a dream come true or their worst nightmare.
