it's finally happened. i have sticker SHOCK.

11 years ago

i know what things cost. i know the highs and lows, the good, the bad and the extremely ugly. before we did our very first kitchen after my husband and i were first married (18 years ago tomorrow!) i wrote down the amount i thought it would cost on a piece of paper, sealed it in an envelope and gave it to him to hold onto before the bid came in. i was off by $30. he was awed.

but now, all of a sudden i am clueless. i breezed through our appliance selection without batting an eye, interviewed seven cabinet makers and reviewed every bid without surprise. yet now, as we are about to turn the final corner on the kitchen of our new build i am paralyzed. i can't for the life of me figure out WHY WHY WHYYYYY a drawer pull needs to cost over $22! i can intelligently state my case as to why we must have a wall oven that costs over $5K. i can even make my darling husband see the merits of a sink made in the UK that costs four times as much as our old sink in our previous kitchen. hell, i can even talk him into LOVING the stunning polished nickel faucets, soap dispensers and outrageously priced instant-hot dispensers that i HAD to have. but now, here i am wondering how on EARTH i will convince him that we need hardware that will cost over $1200 -when i can't convince MYSELF. i'm thinking this is ridiculous. i'm probably just feeling the stress of the final months of the project ...but i am SICK over the cost of the hardware! i know we all call it the "jewelry" of the kitchen but i have to say, i have some pretty nice jewelry and i STILL can't justify the cost. the majority of the pulls i selected are over $22 each yet the second and third runner up pulls are under $9 each! ok. i think i'm done. i'm supposed to just bite the bullet and get what i want because it's what i want and i've come this far and if i choke now i'll spend every day looking at the drawer pulls i DIDN'T want but instead SETTLED on and forever regret the choice to save some costs. RIGHT??

talk me through this, please. i just need a little push but i need 27 of these ALONE. they're so pretty though ...and weighty and solid ...just like i wanted. i'm rambling now. and if not these, then WHAT?

either tell me it's okay or just someone just pick something else that i will fall in love with. and i can't wait for this chapter in my life to end. i really thought this would be a LOT more fun. sigh.

Here is a link that might be useful: schaub & co. traditional hardware

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Comments (12)

leela4
11 years ago
Oooh-those ARE nice.

It's only money, after all . . . (lol)
bayareafrancy
11 years ago
Well, in a high budget remodel, I'm not sure 1200 is a big deal. (I'm a very low budget remodeler, so I'm just guessing here.)

However, check out this site where they appear to be 14.00

Here is a link that might be useful: beautiful pulls for less
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marcolo - you obviously have some pent up frustrations left over from your bluecollar childhood. You also have no clue about how the industry works either! A GC can be a project manager or not. Can be a sales man on not, can, and often is, both. He or SHE might have employees and might not. That $40 an hour to a sub doesn't just go into that plumbers pocket ( less uncle Sam's cut) like your "salary" does. (S)he gets to pay our uncle just like you but, many get the privilege of sending a lot of that money in ahead of time in quarterly estimated payments, not taken out of a paycheck every two weeks like most people on salary. You should try paying your tax bill in advance - you'll love it! Out of that $40/hr comes professional fees an licenses and overhead like a phone or two, and a vehicle that gets outasite gas mileage and some have offices believe it or not, and then there is workman's comp insurance so if he steps on a nail at YOUR house you are protected, and many even have something like obamcare too, and lets not forget one of the biggest - Liability Insurance - you want your slave.... I mean contractor to have that , right marcolo? I mean you don't want him accidently cutting a water pipe and flooding your house and then leave you with the bill simply saying "sorry maser, I dinnen mean ta , I guess ya can whip me." So, what do you suppose all that is worth? Would you like to pick up some of you're job's overhead like contractors do? You can easily give your employer back $$$ for use of the phone & pay ALL of your health care costs, and buy your own computer and pay for the internet out of your salary - sound good? While your at it why not round up and pay him for your desk/chair and pencils, pens and all the reams of paper you use? Another thing none of you math wizzes have taken into account in the scenario is that the bid @ $40/hr include some material, drywall, paint, cost $$$ and should be deducted BEFORE you start computing labor scenarios. So, now we are really talking about less than $40/hr or $80k/ year , which really isn't - see weismann's explanation. To all of you that think the "hidden conditions" is just a scam - grow up. If contractors included everything that might happen in your job's bid you'd soil your pants when you saw the estimate/contract. You'd also never do the job because it'd be too expensive. The vast majority of people that did decide to move forward would be overpaying especially when no asbestos laden corpse or flesh eating mold was found in your walls or it turns out you really didn't need an all new electrical system. You'd be obligated under the contract to pay for that stuff whether you needed it or not. -OR- Do you folks think the contractor is going to assume all the risk for what might be there AND only charge you if it actually comes up? Get a clue gang. - AND / OR _ You'd all then be complaining that remodeling prices are ridiculous (even worse than in this conversation) and the threads would be about "how can I lower/ afford my remodel" And- why isn't a plumber or carpenter with 20 years experience worth $80k? Is your broker that just yaks on the phone all day, tells you to buy COKE and sell DOW and buy as much Fannie Mae as you can - "it's going through the roof" AND who is WRONG more often than not, worth $150-$500k + bonuses a year and deserving of that Maserati? Or what about the Calif. prison guards that takes home $122k a year, or the actor on the silver screen that get $10 -$40 million for 6 months work? Oh, he's worth it , cause "he's dreamy". Even better is the one whose only talent is she's recognized all over the world often gets $1milion an appearance - can't even tell the difference between cocaine and bubble gum. That's certainly a trait more valued by our society than making sure you kitchen floor is level or that hot/cold water flows to your sink for 30 + years without a problem or the lights work and don't burn your house down - so now I'm probably the one who has no clue. Oh, what about that mechanic at your Ford or Honda dealer that is charging you $90/hr? he even gets to work in a climate controlled building. Sure stuff is expensive - and I'm not saying that the OP should accept those two bids, but this is a two way street. Just because you you only have or are willing to spend $24,635 doesn't mean you can get a new kitchen in YOUR house - especially the one you really really have been salivating about. BTW marcolo, what do you think is fair for the nail driver to earn a year. What would you really like to pay him? How about: 1.your auto mechanic 2.your broker/financial planner 3.your minister/rabbi/priest - they should prob. do it for nothing? 4.the TSA worker at the airport 5.your kid's teachers 6.your accountant 7.your Gen. Practice doctor
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fabbric
11 years ago
The $14.00 ones are satin nickel, not polished nickel.
kateskouros
Original Author
11 years ago
bayarefrancy: YOU ARE MY HERO. i admit, i haven't had time to shop around but O.M.G. thank you so much! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!
janet_425
11 years ago
OK -- the reason those are expensive is because they're solid brass. My guess is the ones that are half the price are zinc underneath.

Now that you have a logical reason they're so expensive, are you at peace or still apprehensive?

If you're still apprehensive, move on and save the money, but take a few days off before you finalize your selection among your backup choices. Approach the problem next week with a fresh mind (and only look at less expensive materials).
bayareafrancy
11 years ago
Of course, the also come in polished nickel. :-)

Now go shopping RIGHT NOW!
shelayne
11 years ago
Seems to be the same pull--here's the skinny on the less expensive one--

Description
Solid Brass
Center to Center of screw hole = 6"
Overall Length = 7-1/2"
Projection = 1-1/4"
Base Diameter = 1-1/8"

I found a wide range of prices on my pulls as well, from $20 all the way to $10.79, which is where I said, "SOLD!" They were the exact same pulls with a huge variation in price.
dianalo
11 years ago
Not to be a fuddy duddy, but what kinds were your 2nd and 3rd choice pulls? If a search could save you $8 each on your "$22" ones, maybe your $9 ones would be even less with a little research too.
As much as we all want what we want, I don't think one needs to spend more than they want to (despite wanting each favorite item). It is so easy to upgrade here and there and justify spending the extra by saying I don't want to always think about what I'd rather have had. At some point, we all have to pay the piper and all those small decisions can really be a burden. I have seen more houses than I can count that are currently short sales or in foreclosure, where the people put in recent money into new kitchens, bathrooms, expensive fixtures, prof landscaping, stoops, decks, etc... and yet they are now without a house. I looked at a hot tub the other day at one and wondered how many payments that could have covered.
It is very easy to get swept away, especially here where there will always be someone with the latest and best, but that does not mean we need to have everything at the high end of the scale nor even many things to have a wonderful kitchen (and life).
I learned long ago, someone else will always be skinnier and richer, so to appreciate what you have and work for what you need/want. Getting a new house/ new kitchen is a great thing and will not be forever spoiled if you went with cheaper pulls. $1,200 is a big number no matter how you slice it. Saving $8 a pull x 27 = $216 which still leaves $1k to lay out in just pulls and knobs.

If you really want them after tallying up your total expenses, you can always choose them then. I'd sit down with paper and a calculator and your receipts and estimates. If you are where you want to be after adding that all up, then order the now $14 pulls. If not, this is a good time to save some money. You saying that you are losing your joy in this process is a sign you may be off track in your gut.
dianalo
11 years ago
One other thing to keep in mind, it does not matter what the pulls in my current kitchen were made of nor how much they cost. They are going in the garbage (or given on freecycle) as soon as we start work on the house. The seller could have busted their budget to buy them (I doubt it, lol) but they have no value to me. The pulls that you see such a value in may be easily recreated or bought in a lesser format and no one but you would be the wiser.
Now, if you said that you were so careful everywhere else and came in at, or below, budget all along, then I might say to cut loose and splurge. Because you said you went over on your oven, sink, soap dispensers, hot water dispenser, etc... this may be one thing too many. It is easy for everyone here to cheer you on, but it is your money and the bill will be on you.

What does your dh say about it? If you have to do a ton of convincing, then it may not be worth the battle.
caryscott
11 years ago
It seems like self inflicted punishment to me. You don't have to look at the compromise pulls and think "I wish...". The easy answer is don't do that. If that's the way you roll then you better just get them.
kateskouros
Original Author
11 years ago
i feel MUCH better, thanks to bayareafrancy. no problems at all with the cost. these things are heavy and we plan to be in this house for a long time. just going over the final count and i'll order this week. no battles, no punishment. the cost is completely within reason at $14 each. not the cheapest, but could have been a lot worse. and definitely NOT worth going for the second runner up. i have always depended on this forum. it has been a life saver in times of freak-outs!
julie94062
11 years ago
Kate,
I had my "inspiration" pulls picked out soon after I saw them in a kitchen on this site. Then I tried to find something cheaper (spent soooooooo many days/weeks on it). I ended up with what I wanted in the first place (about $12). And I have to say...they are the one thing I LOVE, even after the kitchen has been done almost a year. Every time I open a drawer or cabinet...I think about how good they feel. Seriously...still...love them!

it's finally happened. i have sticker SHOCK.

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it's finally happened. i have sticker SHOCK.

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