Several months ago I decided to upgrade my kitchen. My plan is to sell my home several years from…read morenow and know my home needs to be move-in ready.
I started with the installation of a new floor and quickly realized I needed new countertops. At this point I decided to enlist the assistance of McDaniel's Kitchen and Bath. I was introduced to Kelly who scheduled a time to come to my house, take measurements, pictures and make recommendations. Kelly's time and effort, of course, cost a nominal fee. My idea for new countertops quickly morphed into a complete kitchen remodel. My friends and family pestered me to remove the wall between the kitchen and dining room, which would open up my already open floor plan. When Kelly and the contractor I chose for the remodel suggested the same, I decided it was time to remove the wall and replace everything in the kitchen. Best decision I've made in a long time.
Kelly and her co-worker Tracie worked diligently to find cabinets and countertops to match the existing kitchen floor and hickory floors from the dining room. It took many trips back and forth between all of us with countertop, cabinet and flooring samples before making a final decision.
Decisions were made and dates set for the beginning of the project. I was told by the contractor, the process would take approximately six weeks. I think in a perfect world, this could be an accurate estimation of time, but something always happens to delay a project. Vacations, illnesses, change orders, material delays, etc. With a project of this magnitude, my expectation was perfection. Two of the cabinets delivered were the wrong size. I'm not sure of the origin of the problem, but Aaron from McDaniel's had replacement cabinets delivered by the next week. When the appliances arrived, the contractor pointed out the oven/stove top was not dual fuel, as I had requested. A miscommunication resulted in me getting an electric oven/stove top. I signed off on every single page of ordered material; therefore, this was partially my fault and one I would have to live with. Nope! Aaron worked with me to get the dual fuel oven/stove top I wanted. Once again, perfection was expected and met.
Several thoughts and suggestions for going through a remodel process:
Carefully read every page of your order before signing or initialing. You're going to be excited to get the process going. Make sure you're getting what you want.
Be patient. Your house is going to be a mess and in disarray for a while. Even though your contractor will put up visqueen to separate the remodeled area from the rest of your home, there will still be dust.
Be present or have someone you trust present during the process. There will be questions, some of significance, which require immediate answers.
Time lines are only estimates. More than likely your project will take longer than estimated. There are a number of people involved in the process (electricians, painters, plumbers, deliveries), all of whom can cause a hiccup.
Get to know the designers working with you. You don't need to be best buds, but knowing them and them knowing you helps with design decisions.
I highly recommend McDaniel's for kitchen or bath remodels. They have knowledgeable and friendly staff. There are a multitude of displays. There are many samples of countertop materials, backsplash materials, flooring, hardware, etc. If they don't have what you're looking for, they don't hesitate to recommend other resources such as Builders Plumbing and Heating Supply and Builder's Hardware.
