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Kyocera Ceramic Coffee Grinder $36.14 This ceramic coffee grinder features a ceramic grinding mechanism that will never alter the flavor of the grinds, resulting in fresh, flavorful, and pure coffee. The grinding mechanism is made from an advanced ceramic close in hardness to diamond that will never rust providing ultra long-life performance. The grind adjustment allows for fine to coarse grinds and the non-slip base ensures stability… |
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Hario Coffee Dripper V60 Size 02 White Ceramic $18.99 In Japanese, HARIO means “The King of Glass”. Since its founding in 1921, this Japanese company has been manufacturing glassware of the highest quality for general consumers and for industrial uses. This cone pour-over is designed to work with their cloth and paper filters to produce a superior cup of coffee…. |
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HIC Porcelain No. 4 Coffee Filter Cone $10.99 Whether you drink a little coffee or a lot, the Harold Import No. 4 Porcelain Filter Cone will save you time and money. Keep those hard earned dollars in your pocket. Save precious counter space. You don’t need expensive and bulky coffee machines to have great coffee at home. With the Filter Cone, fresh brewed coffee is quick and easy. Simply place coffee filter in cone, add ground coffee, place c… |
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Melitta Porcelain Gourmet 6 Cup Coffeemaker, $35.89 Elegance, convenience and fresh brewed taste is all included in this Melitta tradition. Our Porcelain coffeemaker prepares six cups of coffee, with that fresh brewed taste, using Melitta number 4 filters…. |
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The Sevres Porcelain Manufactory: Alexandre Brongniart and the Triumph of Art and Industry, 1800-1847 (Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design & Culture) $100.00 The tumultuous years of the French Revolution left France’s prestigious decorative arts industries poised on the brink of ruin. It was not until after the fall of the monarchy and the ascendancy of the Consular and Empire under Napoleon that they began to recover so that by the middle of the nineteenth century they stood at the pinnacle of their achievement. This book is the first in-depth study o… |
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Painting French Dolls With China Painting Techniques $13.00 At last porcelain doll makers, both those who make reproductions and originals, have a detailed face painting manual and visual guide to aid in painting those all important doll facial highlights. Using prize-winning French dolls made by the author, doll makers see precisely recreated French faces with a variety of styles. The incredibly detailed color photographs will be a guide to every brush st… |
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How Do I Choose A Good Contractor?
Choosing a contractor is not often easy, and many times fear of commitment holds homeowners back. One of the best ways to find a good reputable contractor you can trust is to ask friends and neighbors for referrals. It’s even ok to stop at an ongoing job, but be careful to stay out of the way and speak directly with the homeowner. For the most part people are flattered that you noticed their project and they are proud to show off what they are having done. Strike up a pleasant conversation and you may even be invited back to see the progress.
The remodeling industry is frought with nightmare stories, so it’s also important to be able to weed out the truth, the homeowner may have had a bad experience yes, but it’s possible that it had nothing to do with the contractor.
One of the most daunting things about remodeling is the cost overrun factor. If you ask a neighbor who just had their kitchen remodeled and they exclaim “my kitchen was supposed to cost $50,000, but when I was done paying for the extras it was closer to $70,000…I love my new kitchen, but I won’t recommend the contractor because of how the price went up.” Hmmmm, what can you make of that statement, it comes down to what were the extras? Was it that the tile, which the homeowner said went completely under the cabinets really only went two inches under them?…and now with the new cabinet layout the entire floor needed replaced, and while selecting the material, the homeowner fell in love with an exotic marble tile and thought it made sense to add radiant heat, and continue the floor to the foyer?
That’s a big change, they just added work and material to include:
- Rip out and removal (contractors pay to dump waste) of the exisitng floor
- Expanded the job to the foyer not just the kitchen ($50,000)
- Radiant heat (will invlove either plumber or elecrtrician depending on the sysytem)
- Labor and material for Marble floor install (more expensive than ceramic/porcelain.
This change could easily add $10,000 to the bottom line on a job. If the homeowner was warned that uniform flooring throughout was key reusing the exisiting floor in a new layout, and advised of the costs of a potential new floor, gave the go ahead, then the contractor was completely upfront and the homeowner just has remorse over the expense. The homeowner picked beautiful natural stone and wanted warm feet, no wonder they love their kitchen! Give the contractor a break here, he was doing his job.
Now take the same floor, same homeowner, they told the contractor the tile only went under the cabinets by two inches and they wanted to replace it with marble throughout the foyer and add radiant heat since the tile was cold in the winter. The homeowner still ended up with almost $8,000 in additional flooring costs, then you would look at the allowances the contractor included for labor and material, were they enough, did they include the foyer at all?? Probably not or at too low a rate, in this case the homeowner has a right to feel upset.
Unforseen conditions and exposed code violations have to be brought up to code at the homeowners expense. If you bought Pandora’s box, it’s unfortunate, but it’s yours. In this case, the key to a good contractor is that he helps you through the process, with the right subs, and getting the work done quickly and inspected so you can put the situation behind you and your mind at ease.
Remember if you told your contractor your entire wishlist and that you wanted to spend $50,000 on your kitchen, you have to carefully read the contract that everything you want is included at your number. Full disclosure is they key to an honorable home improvement contractor. Ask for a list of what is not included in the job, or what is covered by an allowance, how much is it, and can you go to any store? What good is a $750 allowance for an Exterior French Door, when the least expensive one they sell at the approved vendor is $2000? Well, it $750 worth of good, now add $1250 to your personal bottom line.
Items typically covered by an allowance only or not included:
- flooring material
- cabinetry upgrades (premium woods, finishes, drawer glides, plywood const.)
- faucets
- appliances
- specialty windows
- exterior doors
- exotic granite
Remember it IS reasonable for the contractor to cover these items by allowances, after all, you don’t want to have the cost of Blue Bahai Granite built in to your kitchen when what you want is a Blue Sapphire or Blue Opal. If you know the stone you want ahead of time, you can ask that it is specifically included in the contract to avoid questions later. When it comes to a kitchen faucet you could spend anywhere from $120.00 to $1200.00, if the contractor offers you a credit to supply your own, believe me there will be noisy days you won’t want to be at your house, and they will be perfect for faucet shopping!
Three reasons not to base your decision to hire a contractor:
- He/she said we didn’t need permits or contracts because my project just direct replacement etc.
- He/she looked the most professional.
- He/she stayed for hours going over the reasons we should hire them.
You may feel more comfortable and friendly with a contractor who doesn’t want to deal with paperwork, let call it a “handshake deal”, but the truth is, a contract is to protect everyone and your state has laws by which the contractor must abide. This is important for both parties, and it should clearly outline all of your project specifications, allowances etc as well as your obligations for payment and cost overruns. A well written contract can save the project for all involved. With regard to permits, allow the town to tell you they aren’t needed, even if you are just upgrading from electric cooking to the evermore popular dual-fuel range, you will need a plumbing inspection. This is in your best interest to get.
It’s fine and good to clean up and present well after a day on the jobsite, but when a contractor sits in your home for 2-3 hours in a pressed shirt and slacks and says “you know how I know all this, it’s because I make this presentation to homeowners four times a day.” Now ask yourself, if that is the case, when will he/she find time to be on my job. You are talking to a professional salesman. If he really does this schpeel that many times a day, how would he ever find time to manage or supervise your project? BEWARE.
This “contractor” who took 2 1/2 painstaking hours selling you on the reasons to sign with him/her surprises you and then jams through the paperwork so quick you don’t remember what you bought. Now should now sit down and read the paperwork before your time to ask questions is up. Often under the sense of relief that the commitment is made and the process is underway, homeowners tuck the contract in a drawer, unfortunately the next time they pull it out is when they face the first unexpected add-on of something they thought was included
Lastly, online contractor referral services, they are paid for and supported by the contractors. Not all the feedback customers post remain online for your eyes to see. These services are not necessarily bad, just make sure you check references carefully. Always consult the Better Business Bureau, local trade associations, ask for references, speak with the subs if possible, meet directly with the kitchen designer and go see at least one job!
I wouldn’t like to make it sound like one industry has it tougher than another, but if the landscaper scalps your hedges and they look terrible, you can still take a shower and sit down to a home cooked meal. A troubled home renovation can affect how you live for many months so take the time to make a wise choice, you will be happy you did!
About the Author
I have 20 years experience in Home Furnishings and Interior Design, specializing in Kitchen and Bath Design since ’02. I have a passion for learning and love the opportunity to collaberate on projects of all sizes. My strengths in the field begin with my design background, use of color and texture to bring interest to a room, spatial relationships, organizational skills, innovation, decisiveness, and planning. I have had the thrilling experience of helping hundreds…?maybe thousands of people with their projects, and what I love is it never gets boring, and no two are ever the same. Thanks for reading.
Follow my Blog at http://www.kitchendesigntrends.blogspot.com
Hire me to design your kitchen at http://www.thekitchendeziner.com
