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       20 Questions You Should Ask Before Buying a Kitchen


STEP 1Ask yourself and or your Planner any of  the following Questions that apply

  DESIGN AND PLANNING MRP
1 Is the planner listening and incorporating your personal needs and wants? √
2 Does your planner consider resale value so you are not spending more than you need to, without "short cutting" and thereby hurting the value of your home? √
3 Will your planner create a layout that works well for entertaining guests? A truly great kitchen isn’t just for yourself, it helps you serve others. √
4 Is the layout family friendly and conducive to good conversation? √
5 Are work areas, Traffic flow, and Task flow being optimized to reduce the number of steps without creating traffic jams? √
6 Does planner understand your appliance needs, and assist you in obtaining those appliances? √
7 Is the planner creating Balance, such as the number of doors and their sizes?  This pleasant harmony can be accomplished with little or no extra cost. √
8 Is the planner incorporating Aesthetics? Artistic elements add beauty and increase your enjoyment of your room. √

"We were apprehensive about having someone remodel our kitchen, because of a bad experience with another contractor. ...we were torn up for a ridiculous amount of time, we had dust everywhere... [The contractor] had severely underestimated the project which cost us considerably more than we budgeted.
...[MR Planners] workers kept our job site immaculate, and got the work done on schedule. You took the time to... make sure we were getting what we wanted without price gouging or over-charging."    Read More

  
  COSTS and CHOOSING MATERIALS
  
9 Is your planner taking the time to truly seek out the details that will best suit you and your project? (as opposed wasting your time with burdensome sales tactics) √
10Will quote be itemized? This lets you decide, and have control of individual features.
11 Will quote include all cabinet materials? Some quotes contain only bare minimums, leaving you to purchase important design elements separately, like moldings, toe kicks, decorative hardware, storage conveniences etc. √
12 Will the Labor quote include ALL your needs? This is especially important when you are remodeling. A short quote will leave you with many unconsidered jobs to get done or get hired done (like demolition, re-construction, sink and appliance hook up, venting of hood, etc). √
     
  PROCEDURE  
13 If you are remodeling, will your planner co-ordinate the schedule with all contractors included, so your home has the shortest amount of disruption? √
14Will your cabinet provider do a multi-point inspection on each cabinet before you get them?√
15Are the installers experienced in carpentry and remodeling as well as installation?√
16Do they use their own employees to insure your final satisfaction, or will they leave you to deal with subcontractors?√
17Do they sand countertops to fit them tight to the wall?√
18Do they take the time to set cabinets Plumb, Level, Square and True? (as opposed to just going with the flow) and are they secured at multiple points to insure alignment?√
19Does their cabinetry have precision joinery and individual structural integrity for strength & dependability? This is critical especially if you are getting any kind of stone or solid surface countertops.√
20Do they offer high-test finishes on their cabinetry for lowest maintenance/ longest life?√
STEP 2Rate your Questions from 1 to 3 according to priority
STEP 3Use a system to score each Answer from 0 to 100%. 100 being "best"
STEP 4If you end up with an average score of less than 80%overall, or less than 90% on any of your #1 priorities you really should seek other professional Planning
  For help in taking the next step call 260-724-7520 for a FREE consultation  
  258 N 2nd St.  Decatur, IN 46733   
 .................. Copyright ©  John Eisenmann