Cabinets can make or break a kitchen. Countless hours of research, many trips to the store, phone calls and appointments with the professionals, have all yielded valuable information that could possibly save you hours, even weeks or months of research. I know for the busy real estate investor, time is money, so consider this my gift to you.
Unless you have a strange configuration that would require going with custom cabinets, I would strongly suggest using only In-Stock cabinets. Say you order a non-stocked, 4-6 week lead time cabinet, and after it arrives you discover that either you have measured wrong or they shipped the incorrect item. Either way, you will have to wait for the replacement to come in. Not only will this eat heavily into your timeline, but you can bet that if the error was your fault, the vendor may take the full 4-6 weeks to process and reorder.
The delays only help to make the problems snowball because the completion of the other items (namely the counter-tops), are dependent first on the completion of the cabinets. You cannot even measure for countertops until the cabinets are in and placed. If you will be using tile, you can figure supplies mathematically, but in the case of solid surface tops like Corion, granite, quartz and the like you must have your cabinets placed and set before they will even measure, much less start the order. These are the kinds of problems you don't want to experience. So, I have found that using only In-Stock products helps to eliminate the problem.
Another great reason to go with stocked product is that many times the ?goof ups? (incorrectly ordered cabinets) can be returned for full value and another picked up in its place, regardless of whose fault it was. This amounts to a huge savings if you compare ?In-Stock goofs? only cost you time whereas special order goofs can cost you big money. Not only will you need to pay for replacement costs, but freight also. Sometimes, In-Stock can be an even exchange or even get a full refund if the difference is in your favor.
Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a nice maple, raised panel cabinet on the shelf and comes already assembled─the best value in my opinion. The cabinets are not the quality of the Contractor's Warehouse cabinets mentioned in Part II of this article, but you can't beat the price and the fact that they are in stock is a must.
Contractor's Warehouse on the other hand, is one of the best in stock resources for a better quality cabinet, and the increased options of things like spice racks and decorative details is a big plus. They even stock the crown molding (if you are using it), which I would highly suggest in giving a finished look to your kitchen project. They offer a beautiful maple, white and an awesome higher end cherry wood product straight off the shelf. This is more of a do it yourself place so don't count on the service you might get at some of the big box stores. You will have to figure out your needs and make sure, if you do have to return something, that is hasn't been touched (meaning installed). They are not quite as easy to work with as the other larger stores, but the products offered are exceptional in certainly most, but not all, cases.
Home Depot offers an In-Stock product as well, but it comes KD (knocked down) so I avoid it altogether. If you are super handy and plan on doing it yourself, go for it since the price point is a fair amount less than all the other options. However, the time it takes to assemble eats into the precious timeline for the completion of my project, so this is not even an option for me. One thing that inherently seems to happen with the KD products is getting pieces where the holes don't line up.
Read Part II of this article for The Real Bonus.
Hope this information was helpful and remember, that when you ask someone who knows, you save yourself countless hours of research and time. Our aim is to provide you with profitable resources and a wealth of knowledge giving you instant access to abundant wealth.
In Part I of this topic, specific sources and the best value in kitchen cabinets for a Fix and Flip project were discussed. I gave real estate investors the low-down on how to get the best options going for kitchen cabinets and supplies. I also offered specific details on who offers what, and how important it is to use in-stock items. In Part II, the value in a professionally designed kitchen layout will be discussed, and tips for saving a mint on mistakes will be shown when you take the time to draw the layout beforehand.
But here is the real bonus: If you make an appointment with a kitchen specialist at many of the big box stores, they will layout your whole kitchen project for free! I like using Lowe's Companies, Inc. because of their In-Stock maple cabinets, but many stores will do this. Let them know that you are weighing the difference in price of ordering special vs. getting the in-stock cabinets, and they will do your whole kitchen layout for you using their Computer Aided Design (CAD). Do make the distinction that you haven't yet decided because they may not be willing to do it just for the in-stock products. It is good also to see the variation in price of the stocked vs. special order cabinets.
Did you know that many big box stores will come to the location and do field measurements, and I believe the charge for this will be included in your final purchase? If they don't do a field measurement, you are free to bring in your kitchen dimensions and present your information to the kitchen designer, and they will work with what you have. You must provide them with complete measurements, and because you are using their in-stock products, it's a good practice to not waste their time on scheduling a field measurement. By the way, when you take your own measurements onsite, have someone else go over them as well for verification. Mistakes in this area can be costly, but take some comfort in knowing that they can generally be returned if you use in stock items.
Drawings made will be used many times such as at time of pick up or delivery for verifying products, finishes, etc. The drawings will also be used on site for installers, plumbers, electricians, and can even be used for the city when obtaining permits for changes in electrical, plumbing and gas lines. Trust me when I tell you that you will be ahead of the game if you communicate with city officials with these drawings specifying dimensions and before-and-after renditions. You will look like you know what you are doing because you have answered all of the same questions the city wants answered while sitting with the kitchen representative. Many stores offer this feature; just know that the service is often available for free only at the big box stores.
You get a great deal of value and professionalism, and they get a loyal investor as a customer who keeps coming back for more. The only downside of the In-Stock products: Generally they don't stock the crown molding, and the cabinet sizes available are limited. They do stock fillers and quarter-rounds, but the crown will have to be ordered and is somewhat pricey. As I recall, they stock maple and oak. White is a special order.
By the way, I did spend a lot of time getting quotes from local cabinet makers and found that they always came in much higher, sometimes even double the price that I could buy the materials from one of the previously mentioned sources. I'm sure there may be exceptions to this rule, but I found it wasn't worth my time only to come up with the same conclusion each time. As much as I like supporting local business, I like businesses that support my bottom line. So, I go with the sources that make my business most successful. When you establish these relationships, even the big guys can be personable and are sometimes able to offer resources and discounts not available elsewhere.
Hope this information was helpful and remember, that when you ask someone who knows, you save yourself countless hours of research and time. Our aim is to provide you with profitable resources and a wealth of knowledge giving you instant access to abundant wealth.
Michelle Rene Garcia has sinced written about articles on various topics from Property Guide, Kitchen Home Improvement and Property Investment. Michelle Rene Garcia is the Founder of Real Estate Investing Roundtable, an investment training company that provides informational resources on a variety of topics for real estate investors looking to protect their wealth and make wise investment. Michelle Rene Garcia's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.