09 | 26 | 2012
It’s not always what it seems..If you’ve been shopping for new kitchen cabinets lately you have noticed there are many different cabinet companies represented at many different showrooms. This wide range of choices and pricing is undoubtedly an advantage to the consumer. It allows for the perfect match between style and price. With that being said, it can also cause considerable confusion…
Here is a little advice to help keep you grounded through the process..
The absolute first step for you to tackle should be the design or layout. This will become valuable when comparing pricing between competitors. Try to leave out all the little bells and whistles until near the end of the process. Why? well because if you tell one designer you want cutlery trays, wastebaskets, etc., and you don’t relay that information to the next showroom you will get the impression the first showroom is expensive.
Next you would want to narrow down the wood type, finish, door style, and cabinet construction. Take good notes so that you may relay all this information to the other competing showrooms. For instance, select a Maple door at the 1st location and Cherry at the next you will not have an accurate comparison. Likewise if you select a plywood cabinet at one and a particle board at another.
The ideal situation would be to compare the same manufacturer at each location as well. If you are comparing the same layout, wood species, finish, door style, and cabinet construction by the same manufacturer you should see a minimal price difference. If all things are equal and you see a large discrepancy there is a need to dig further because somewhere there has been a change.
Not all showrooms offer the same cabinet lines so an apple-to-apple comparison may not be possible. In this instance the best you can do is to match as closely as possible to the other manufacturer. At that point you should ask the designer to describe the advantages to their line as well as the typical construction. Try to make more of an educated decision based on what information you have been provided and then select the showroom you feel has the best value for the product offered (It’s also a good idea to google each showroom for reviews!).
Once you have selected a winning showroom you can add all the bells and whistles that fit your budget!
Following these steps you will be less likely to find yourself presented with several different quotes on several different layouts and some confusion as to who was offering what.
Best of luck!!