Cabinets Up! Appliances In!

That's right...the cabinets are up and the appliances are in!   The kitchen is almost usable!

It's been a long road getting to this point but we are excited to finally (well almost) have our very own kitchen again...even if it is really for someone else!  The kitchen is the heart of the home and obviously the most important and most expensive room to renovate in any house.  The good news is that if you spend your money wisely it will pay off in the end.  Buyers today know they want three things in a kitchen; Granite, Stainless Appliances and Upgraded Cabinets.  They often don't realize it but they also want upgraded lighting, new flooring and an open layout if at all possible.  I've seen buyers get more excited about new lighting in a kitchen than new appliances.

The amount of money you put into the kitchen itself depends on how much you will be asking for the property and more importantly what the market demands.   When you are flipping a single family house it's very important to not only know the price of your comps but also the condition and upgrades within those comps.  If everything around you is selling with white appliance well then maybe it doesn't' make sense to put in top of the line stainless appliances.   I do stress to everyone I talk to please make sure your appliances match.  Meaning not only are they the same brand but also the same line.  In this kitchen here for example, if the fridge, stove and microwave all had different handles and different styling it would reduce my "wow factor" dropping the value of those appliances.  The location and market conditions for my current property demand that my kitchen come with  the trifecta - Granite, Stainless and new Cabinets.    I'll talk a little about the appliances and the cabinets but save the granite for the next post.

My wife and I know far too much about appliances than we ever would need to.   Sifting through all the different choices can be challenging and deciding which options are worth it and which you can live without is a difficult job.   The best thing would be to decide on a price you can afford for the entire appliance package, wait for a holiday weekend and then head out to your local appliance store.  When you talk to the sales person find out if they work on commission and then be upfront with them on what you are doing.  Tell them you are flipping the house and you need the wow factor from your appliances but can't break the bank.   I don't mind working with sales people who are on commission but be careful and don't let them over sell you.   As you can see from the pictures and from the previous houses I've done I typically go with all matching stainless steel appliances with a French door fridge, gas range and matching OTR (over the range) microwave and dishwasher.  I was only able to put in a bottom freezer single door fridge in this house due to space and location limitations...you can't put a French door or even a side by side next to a wall (you can only open the door a certain amount making the drawers inside not able to fully extend.)  There is always the option of doing a different type of dishwasher, whether it be a Bosch or double drawer but I find you most likely won't get the extra money for one of those back.  I tend to lean towards the LG line of appliances because they look great and have the ratings to back up their functionally.    If at all possible it is crucial to wait for some sort of holiday weekend and buy them all together to get the best price on all your appliances.  Most places will give a growing "package" discount with the number of qualifying pieces you buy.  Even if you won't be ready for the appliances for another month most places won't mind waiting to deliver them.

Cabinets can be even trickier than appliances and come with just about as many options.  Usually when you are flipping a house you can't wait the 6 weeks it takes for most places to get you cabinets and nor do you want to pay the high price attached to them.  I've used stock cabinets from the big box stores in the past and they are ok but usually made from particle board and won't hold up over time.   They also limited with their sizing options.  As soon as particle board gets wet it becomes "fall-a-part-icle" board, and if the side of your cabinets fall a part that's not good...especially if they are holding up a 500 pound slab of granite.

I have found that there are an increasing number of RTA (Ready To Assemble) cabinet wholesalers out there that are offering quality cabinets at affordable prices.   I have used two different local suppliers and have been happy with both.  The sides and backs of each cabinet is made out of finished 3/4 or 1/2 inch plywood with the inside and outside of each box matching the front.  When put together properly, and it's not very hard, they are very strong  you would never know they weren't 6 week special order cabinets.  Be sure to check out the drawers of the RTA supplier though.  Some offer screw together drawer boxes and some offer the dovetail drawer boxes.  I would stay away from the screw together boxes and stick with the dovetail.  It looks nicer but is also alot stronger.  Most of RTA's come with full extension drawers just like the 6 week special order cabinets which is a very nice upgrade from older cabinets.  My newest find came with an option I don't usually splurge for...soft close drawers.  Every house I show, no matter what condition, one of the clients opens a kitchen drawer and then closes it.  And every time they surprisingly find a soft close drawer you'd think it was Christmas morning.  Hopefully my new find will pay off!

 

Let me know what you think - I love comments!!!

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