As a kitchen remodeler and kitchen designer for the last 14 years in the Philadelphia area, and more recently in Chestertown, Maryland I believe it is best to hire one company to do the remodeling and the construction of your kitchen. Why? Let me tell you the ways.
First, let me be clear on what I define as a kitchen remodeler, kitchen designer, kitchen contractor. A Kitchen remodeling company is one that does both the design and the actual remodel. This could be a design build firm where the designer and the contractor work for the same company or it could be a kitchen design firm that hires its own outside contractor. Usually the design firm will only use a few carefully selected contracting firms. This is what Teknika Kitchens and Baths does. We have three firms that we choose from when our clients want us to do and oversee the construction. We know how these firms work and it is in their best interest to make sure that our clients are ecstatic with their work creating the perfect kitchen. If a kitchen design firm will only do your Chestertown kitchen design, you will need to find and hire your own contractor. A kitchen contractor is the one who does the actual remodeling work in your home. They take the kitchen plans and execute the designer’s vision.
Five Top Reasons to Have Your Kitchen Remodeler Be Your Kitchen Designer
I like the team kitchen remodeler / designer model the best for 5 reasons.
- Kitchen Designer as the group leader. When the kitchen designer and the kitchen remodeler are part of the same company the kitchen designer will be the team leader. This is a great thing for the client since the kitchen designer will usually be the pickier person. They want to be sure that the vision they and the client developed is accurately executed by the remodeler. The kitchen designer will be there looking over the contractor’s shoulder.
- Being part of the same team makes communication easier. When the kitchen designer and kitchen remodeler frequently work together, it is so much more likely that if the contractor has a question, they will pick up the phone and ask. If the contractor has never worked with the designer before it is human nature that the contractor will make an assumption about what the designer wants. This can lead to the vision not being finished the way the client and the designer wanted.
- The possibility of more work makes for better work. Both Kitchen designers and remodelers often depend on word of mouth referrals for business. However, if a large percentage of a contractor’s business is from one source, the kitchen designer, they will make sure that the homeowner client is happy so the kitchen designer client will have no qualms about hiring the contractor for future jobs.
- The contractor disappearance is less likely. For every kitchen remodel there is a lull after the countertop has been measured, while the countertop is being manufactured. It is at this time many contractors disappear to other jobs and it takes forever for them to come back and finish. With the kitchen designer and kitchen remodeler working together this does not usually happen. The contractor will do smaller jobs so they can be available when the countertop is finished. They can then do the tile and finish off the punch list so the homeowner can get back into their kitchen as soon as possible.
- No misunderstanding or finger pointing. Every kitchen project has issues. There are just too many fingers in the pie to make everything run smoothly the entire time. If you have a great company doing the designing and the remodeling, the homeowner might not recognize or be aware of the issues that arise because they can be resolved more easily amongst coworkers as opposed to those working for different companies. If issues arise between companies, the issues often devolve in finger pointing and not my fault it is their fault accusations. It is then up to the homeowner to mediate. No one wants to do that that while they have no kitchen.
Teknika’s Team of Kitchen Designers and Kitchen Remodelers Offers a Smooth Remodeling Experience
To talk about further about the advantages of combining your Chestertown area kitchen designer and kitchen remodeling company please contact Teknika Kitchens and Baths.
