We're not in a place of business where convention forces politeness for the interaction. Obviously. Pros are allowed to be real people with real opinions that might differ from their professional public behavior.

Just think waiters in the kitchen howling over the pretentious but cheap customer who has no idea what he just ordered for his date. Everyone in a service industry blows off steam about customers. So many are just general tools when they think they are superior because they have money in their pocket. True respect is earned---or it's faked, and you don't want to know what's in your soup.

Saw this on my FB page and LOL thinking of this thread.

I am well aware of the service industry as it is my career as well, just a different field. And while complaining about your customers to other colleagues is perfectly fine, insulting people who could be customers in public is certainly not professional. I would never hire someone who behaved in such a way to make the entire field look bad.

Sure, when there are only 30 box choices in cheepchinesecliq crapola, it's easy to pound a square peg into a round hole and get a price in 5 minutes. Some people prefer to find a round peg that fits a round hole exactly, and looks exactly like they want it to look, without the limitations that 30 boxes will impose. McDonalds made a fortune by training customerss to the way that it was easiest for them to do it.

Wouldn't you really like to know what the waiters are giggling about in the kitchen? You're getting unfiltered thoughts here. On both sides. But, only half of the room is getting chastised and finger wagged.

So basicly KD's don't want to bother with lil ol me. Got it. My kitchen is small, 9x6, my house is small 900sq ft. I gave #1 fair warning. He didn't heed it. #2 & 3 also knew it was small before they came out. No one questioned me about my budget at all. No one talked budget at all except me. If my house is 900sq ft, value abt 120k, what do you think my budget should be? I don't think it's an issue of average is x amount. I think they don't want a small job, but are hoping to sign me up for more than I should spend. How does not calling me back equate to me not listening? Is that professional? I told them the size of my kitchen before they came. They could look me up on zillow. I am the one doing essential communicating here, not the so called professionals. Yeah, I really want to make another KD appointment, NOT.

If the waiters are giggling in the kitchen about a customer they thought was dumb, then I would consider them immature. If they are saying nasty things about someone they think is dumb then they need to be fired.

That doesn't mean if a customer is mean that the waiter can't walk away.

At this point I feel like I'm just waiting for Godwins law.

If $55K is an average kitchen and $25-$30K is *sniff* small, then I would say that the KD is ripping off the client either intentionally or by ignorance. There are several semi-custom lines that are not "box choices in cheepchinese crapola" that can make a very nice, functional kitchen renovation in the $15-$18K range and of course more if you want all the cabinet interior geegaws, turnings, stacked crown moldings and so on. Dynasty and Brookhaven are two rather well known lines.

The economy must be improving. The majority of cabinetry costs being referenced in Garden Web kitchens up until 2007-2008 was $30-$50K. Under $20K was more often referenced for the following 4-5 years, though there was much less being posted about full renovations at all. The catalog retail pricing was not being cut during those years. Nope. KDs apparently just had to get more realistic if they wanted a sale.

The condescending response to kaethyshouse - essentially that she is too cheap for a KD to waste time on and she has to pony up if she wants a KD to deign to keep and appointment with her sums up why many of us do not want to be taken advantage of by KDs.

55K is an average kitchen project. 20-30K would be a small project. 40-50% of a budget should go to cabinets, which would make 25-30K right in line for cabinets only, if that was what was being quoted, with nothing else. That's the trouble with the unclear info shared. I assumed a whole project, you assumed cabinets only.

When you give vague terms to a question about your budget, like ''small'' it's not surprising that your lack of clarity gives results that don't work for you. The bigger issue is that the KDs that did all of the work without having a number. They'll learn. The ones that disappeared have already learned to not waste time on customers that they won't get a sale from, but haven't learned how to communicate that to the customer. ''I can't give you a design in that price range with the things that you say that you want, without compromising on some of those wants. What would you be willing to compromise?''

"insulting people who could be customers in public is certainly not professional."

........and insulting those same professionals by potential customers IS acceptable ?

Hmmmm.

Gem, you go way back with that Goodwin ref.

Insulting people is not acceptable. I have not seen any nasty rude comments from the customer's side, in any case if you feel slighted then the appropriate response is not a snotty one. Perhaps your mother didn't teach you that.

I'm sure pros are frustrated from time to time by uninformed or difficult clients. And customers are put off from time to time by condescending or difficult KDs. But in the majority of cases everyone gets along pretty fine and people get lovely new kitchens out of the interaction, whether they start the process with an appointment or just walk in. Let's not lose sight of that.

As for what could make the process better. Sure KDs could try to encourage people to make an appointment and they could try to accommodate easier hours or drop ins. But I think the real issue is not whether or not an appointment is made it's about sticker shock.

The reason customers might be reluctant to make an appointment is that they are concerned that after spending time with the KD, they will get an estimate back that is way more than they can afford. And then they will feel badly that they wasted the KDs time (and their own). The KD's solution is to ask the customer what their budget is, but the customer doesn't always know or doesn't want to commit to a number. And that seems to be the problem in a nutshell.

For those of us on this forum, it's probably less of a problem because we tend to be researchers. We look things up, ask questions and spend time gathering information information and we're less likely to get blindsided by sticker shock.

Perhaps the Homewyse website with all of its estimating calculators could be added to the "New to Kitchens" thread and we could all encourage people to look at these costs prior to making an appointment with a KD or a contractor.

Sophie said that the average kitchen project runs about $55k. I pulled up the "Average Kitchen Reno" calculator and came up with this:

With these details:

I think that's pretty close and with only a couple changes it would easily be $55k. There are tons of these calculators on Homewyse, including ones that will estimate cabinetry.

We have answers to two questions. First, people who want a ball park figure just got that. 50k average, 25k small.

Second, this is why people don't want to make appointments, they might be stuck talking face to face for an hour or more with someone turning their nose up at the clients hoped for budget range. This despite the size of the kitchen, or the size of the house, or the neighborhood it's in. All factors easily determined before said appointment.

I did call one company that turned me down. The guy said we usually don't do projects of that size and our calendar is full. I was not offended. I want the people I talk to to take into consideration the size of my kitchen and house.

My kitchen is small, 9x6, my house is small 900sq ft. I gave #1 fair warning. He didn't heed it. #2 & 3 also knew it was small before they came out. No one questioned me about my budget at all. If my house is 900sq ft, value abt 120k, what do you think my budget should be? How does not calling me back equate to me not listening? Is that professional? I told them the size of my kitchen before they came. They could look me up on zillow. I did not tell #2 or #3 that 25k was too much, I was simply waiting for them to tell me what they could do for me.

I'm retired, I live alone, I have no deadline. That means I can shop around.

Up my budget to what? Your average for your jobs in your area? How about taking my home and location into consideration?

How about this? "We dont normally do kitchens of your size and budget. But here's the number of someone we can recommend"

I understand a kitchen remodel pays back on resale value more than anything else. But if my house is currently at 120k, I shouldn't spend 50k on my kitchen. If I just reface the cabinets that won't affect resale at all. I need to find the sweet spot in between those two extremes. That sweet spot is not necessarily your average remodel price tag, so the difference would need to be resolved. BTW, I actually could pay cash for a 50k remodel, but I'm not going to, because I'm not stupid. So far, not one of the 4 KD's have assisted in helping me find that sweet spot. As I said in my last post, none of them discussed budget with me at all, despite me initiating the topic by saying small kitchen, small job before the appointment. That's 0%. Seems like they should talk budget, averages, averages for homes similar to mine, and resale value improvement. This experience has been a 100% failure for me. I followed the industry practices, made the appointment, was willing to listen to advice given. Got sticker shock. Got ignored. And on here, I feel offended.

People don't want to make appointments because they don't want sticker shock, and then to feel embarrassed, or insulted, or to be ignored, or or. Or they don't want to be stuck talking to someone with this kind of attitude for 2 hours. Myself I'm not embarrassed, I'm just disappointed. My house is my house, and I need to plan accordingly.

Saying I have a small kitchen and a small job is not vague. Its an opening for the budget discussion. No one took me up on it. I can't believe you keep looking for ways to blame me. I made appoinments. I offered pertinent info, I listened, I waited patiently.

Does it say stupid on my forehead?

I had to get my sewer line dug up recently. First estimate from a large well known company was $9300, without using a camera to diagnose the problem. Second estimate, using a camera, $3200. First company got a review from me on Angies List, he was sorry.

Virtual bait and switch from KD. This thread has been about KDs, appointments, or not, and kitchen cabinetry. Now we hear that the $20K-$30K cost is for an entire *sniff* small project and $55K is for an ordinary project. Why is a KD who is acting within the scope of their training and experience in designing and selling cabinetry now saying that the quoted costs were for an entire project? None of the posts here have been referencing the entire cost of a "project". Who is expecting a KD to get involved as GC for their kitchens? Kaethyshouse wasn't looking for that. I wasn't. No other poster on this thread was until the KD back tracked and said "entire project" and someone brings up Homewyse. A KD wants to know if you can afford [their] estimate for an entire "project" before deigning to allow an appointment? Then post a large sign at the entrance stating, "DO NOT ENTER UNLESS YOU HAVE A MINIMUM OF $30k TO SPEND ON A SMALL KITCHEN DESIGN". Otherwise, you are wasting my time, and yours.

And P.S. If $20k-$30k is the PROJECT cost for a small kitchen which the KD now says was the subject of her figures, and cabinetry is 40-50% of that, then the cabinetry cost should be $10k-$15k. In fact, a scrupulous KD could do a nice, basic functional kitchen in that range with Brookhaven or Dynasty and for only a few thousand more jazz it up quite nicely, though not with pricey corbels, turnings and multi-stacked crown. That is, it can be done if the KD really wants to help a client with a modest budget who wants good cabinetry. (I have seen the super secret binders BTW.)

And FURTHERMORE many semi-custom lines end up being less costly than big box store lines because many customizations have no upcharge and almost any customization in a big box, when available, is an upcharge. I suspect that rather than stay within a decent cost for semi-custom some KDs would rather bash the quality of big box or cheepchinese.

And I obviously identify with kaethyshouse, "Saying I have a small kitchen and a small job is not vague. Its an opening for the budget discussion". That was me, too, though I even had a basic design which I thought would be a time saver for getting a general estimate. How am I supposed to have a budget when I have no idea what cabinetry might cost?

If I had seen that sign "DO NOT ENTER UNLESS YOU HAVE 30k", I would still have my old kitchen. No precious KD time wasted on an appointment.

Yes, let's try to keep things friendly here, too. No need for all caps or blaming others on this thread.

Quite honestly, I find the "average kitchen remodel costs 55K" a bit suspicious, considering that median annual household income in the US is 52K and 72K of all home buyers, slightly under 60K for first time buyers.

And then we have this from Homeadvisor, "Nationally, the cost of a kitchen remodel is $19,666, with most
homeowners spending between $11,018 and $28,389. This data is based on
actual project costs as reported by HomeAdvisor members."

And here according to a Houzz survey,
Nationwide 27K (in 2012)

Mountain region: the lowest cost, at an average of $20,800
South Atlantic region: just shy of the national average, at $25,400

Pacific region: an average of $33,600

New England: the highest cost, at an average of $35,100

And those are averages, for average size kitchens. They are not for a 9x6 kitchen, because that's small, not average size. According to Homeadvisor then, I should expect to pay between 12K to 20K, not because I'm cheap or want crap, but because my 9x6 kitchen is not going to cost what a 10x12 for example kitchen would cost.

I agree, that's why I posted the details on the homewyse calculator, so that you could see how many variables there are. The one that I pulled up is for 140 sq. ft., value grade, licensed and bonded contractor, U shaped and includes all the project options in the graphic including granite countertop, wood flooring, semi custom kitchen cabinets, addition of a prep sink, etc. It also included electric range and cooktop. If your specs had higher end appliances, it would easily be more. But maybe you don't need to remove and add wood flooring or maybe you're going to do the painting yourself.

A partial or DIY kitchen is going to be a lot less. That's why I think spending a little time playing around with a calculator or figuring out costs on your own is more helpful than just a national average.

Cute-ness Break!!!!

Very cute!!! :)

It's a simple choice.....do you believe supply creates its own demand? Or demand creates its own supply?

Choose, but choose wisely, especially if you're the supplier.

A KD (or any business person) has to make this decision. It's basic economics.

Do you think you have enough control in your market to set your hours, prices, options, etc. that the buyers will accommodate you?

Or do you NOT have enough control in your market...and need to accommodate the potential buyers by offering more hours, more options and lower prices?

It's all about market power....and you either have it or you don't :)

Thanks for those other prices, nosoccermom. I have been very skeptical of kitchen remodeling costs upwards of $30k. I live in a rural area of the PNW and I've never known anyone who has spent more than $20k on a remodel. And it was a VERY nice remodel. Few kitchens in my area are bigger than medium so that's another factor. I'm glad there's some statistics out there to support my skepticism that $50k kitchens are normal.

Averages make things look higher. When looking at statistics the median is usually a better number. Example: one person spends 5k another 10k and a third 50k. The average is is 21.7k but the median is 10k. The one person spending 50k drug up the average significantly, however 2/3 spent 10k or less.

hey weed - she did.

And her mother taught me not to take bunk from anyone, especially just because it's their point of view and they talk the loudest. Or they play the fairness card. AND, especially if they are trying to have it both ways !

This is just a friendly discussion no matter what you think. And you don't just get to say your piece. And I find the looking to cheat customers comment insulting - but you're free to look at it any way you like. That's part of a discussion - and it's ok to walk away without reaching any mutual ground.

Like I've said before, there are thousands of kitchen outlets out there. Find one that works for you and know that most are not going to meet your needs or change to do so. But you'll have to invest time finding one, I'm sorry it's not easy for you, but again - it's a two way street - it ain't easy for some KD's to find a good client fit for their business either. They have to talk to a lot of time wasters just like customers have to do the same. It's a two way street. Just how it is.

And don't worry about me.....I'm just fine.

https://wallpaperscraft.com/image/kitten_baby_sink_kitchen_51659_1920x1200.jpg

I wonder if it's like weddings, where the supposed average cost is above 30K or whatever, and if you don't spend at least as much, your marriage is doomed from the start.

Also, the average home price of sold houses in the US was 242K in 2011; the median was 211K (half cost more, half cost less), including the land. I can't imagine that the kitchens would run 50K.

And even in expensive areas, like San Francisco or DC, the averages were 43k and 32K, compared to Dallas at 21K.

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11717352/1/how-much-should-your-kitchen-remodel-cost.html

"Averages make things look higher." Not really. It depends which way the distribution is skewed ---- if it is skewed that is.

The more I try to rework our little kitchen....I have to agree...I wish I had taken shop in high school!

I really like to sew and in many ways, it seems quite similar. You take your basic material (fabric) lay out your pattern (usually printed tissue paper) use tools to cut it into pieces (scissors, pinking shears) and connect the pieces together (needle and thread, sewing machine, serger) and end up with a wonderful, three dimensional piece that you created!

To be able to do that with wood, saws, fasteners, etc...and end up with a cabinet, pergola, table....that would be so wonderful!!!

If you can't fabricate your own dresses or cabinets....you have to pay for someone else to do them. And when it comes to cabinets, a kitchen designer can be a very valuable ally, during this process.

Personally, I don't have anything but respect for kitchen designers, interior designers, architects, GCs, the list goes on and on.....as long as they are professional, talented and willing to listen to my ideas. And I have to be willing to listen to theirs!

Yes, there are many bad experiences, but there are also many good ones. I hope we can all agree that GW/Houzz is big enough for many different viewpoints, experiences and ideas. But no one has the only answer....just their own :)

Yeah, I understand the difference between median and average and wish most statistics given on costs used the median. Median basically means half were higher/half were lower. I think it gives a clearer picture than averages.

It's interesting that different websites have different data. According to HomeAdvisor, most people spend between $11,018 and $28,389 for a kitchen remodel. With a low of $5000 and a high of $45,000. In my state, the numbers are a tad higher but I'm guessing that the the data is skewed toward costs in urban areas since the vast majority of the population in my state lives in a couple of urban counties.

I think the "most people spend" numbers sound more accurate just based on what I see in my area, on various blogs, and here at GW instead of some of the higher numbers other people are stating.

"The cost of a major kitchen remodel varies widely depending on the
region. Nonetheless, it's important not to go overboard, as you don't
want to price your home out of the local market. For example, if you're
in a neighborhood where the average home value is $200,000 and you put
in a $50,000 kitchen, you're out-pricing your house."

And my house is at about $120K.

http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2012/10/25/renovations-that-yield-the-best-return-on-investment

One of the problems as I see it is - information.

Looking at remodeling mags, watching HGTV, and browsing Houzz and Pintrest , people see projects that are no where near the $11k - $28k that HA says is the average spend.

While those projects may satisfy their owners and be plenty functional, they just don't jump off the page or screen and attract the casual viewer and keep them engaged long enough to be hooked by the advertisers.

There aren't a lot of threads around here entitled : "what's the best laminate countertop" or "how do you like the features on your Hotpoint range ? " The popular ones are "which granite of marble " and Wolf or Miele or is Bluestar hard to clean. ...............Brands BTW that a range will set you back the entire low range of that HA budget for an entire remodel and won't include delivery or installation in that cost !

Those "budget" kitchens may be attainable , but they just don't excite people or sell copy. All of those fancy appliances, do dads, clever storage mechanisms , and gee wiz plumbing fixtures that you see and get folks all excited quickly drive the budgets to the $50k plus realm. That stuff just isn't possible at $11k and pretty unlikely at $30k unless you find a "deal" or provide the majority of the project's labor yourself.

The "what's your budget?" question is REALLY hard for most of us to answer at the very beginning of a project. It's as if you'd looked at cars all your life, but never seen even a sticker price for one. Is a budget how much you can possibly spend or how much you want to spend? Or a blend? That Lamborghini looks pretty. I'll make an appointment and find out how much it is? Oh really? Sorry it took an hour to find that out. I may even have that much in my checking account (hah!), but a car is just not worth that to me.

I have to laugh at myself recalling our first conversation with our architect. We answered the "budget" question with how much we wanted it to cost. He nodded, then told us what we could get for that. This type of roof, these windows, that kind of heating, etc. We kept it small, but upped the "budget" by a lot to get what we wanted. But for most normal people who don't do this house-building or kitchen-remodeling thing many times, it starts out being a total mystery.

I think the suggestions above to communicate the need for appointments for "full service" are right on point, as is the "generic" display with some pricing info and some ideas of % more for different options. Give people a place to start and make them feel welcome.

There aren't a lot of threads around here entitled : "what's the best
laminate countertop" or "how do you like the features on your Hotpoint
range ? "

I post those quite often :)

What laminate do you like for countertops? Do you use vinyl floor tiles? Leftover marble remnants for baking? Craigslist finds, etc....

These are popular threads (when they're posted) but they aren't seen quite as often. But many lurkers do come out to make comments, so we know there are people on the forums, who are interested!

Agree. When I start, I want to spend as little as possible for what I want vs. I don't spend as much as I could afford.

Yes, who wouldn't want to spend as little as possible? Well, maybe some people, but often the type of people who post here are looking for information so that they can get the most for their money.

Of course there's this thing called remodeling creep.... For just a little bit more I could get this... Or while we're at it, we might as well do this, that and the other thing.

I ended up spending twice as much as I had budgeted for a dishwasher after I went shopping and saw all the features that the newer ones had. This probably happens when people shop for cabinets, too. They decide that since they are replacing all the cabinets, they might as well get more drawers or pull outs or the beautiful wood that they've always wanted.

So you start with a budget, it gets blown to hell, then you reevaluate and you figure what you really want to spend on the things that are the most important to you, and somehow it all gets done whether you do it yourself or hire a KD and/or a contractor.

I would love to work with KD on a kitchen remodel, but I never have and probably never will, not because I don't think they provide value, but because it's one of the things that I'm willing to do myself to save some money.

After being on this board for a couple months I realize even more what they can bring to a project and I encourage people who don't want to do it themselves to work with a good KD.

Actually, I think a lot of people spend as much as they can afford --- what I mean is that they buy the biggest car or house they can afford based on their income. Ever talked to a realtor and told him/her how much your income is but then tell them that you actually only want a mortgage that's half of what you could qualify? They think you're nuts.

I always think people should tell architects/builders they can spend about 75% of what they think they can afford. This will leave money for all the overages, might as wells, problems, unforeseen issues, etc. that come up during a build or remodel.

Then, if you have money left, you can splurge on a few finishes, get that new sofa and still take a vacation, sometime in the next 15 years :)

"Actually, I think a lot of people spend as much as they can afford --- what I mean is that they buy the biggest car or house they can afford based on their income. Ever talked to a realtor and told him/her how much your income is but then tell them that you actually only want a mortgage that's half of what you could qualify? They think you're nuts."

Well I'd never tell a realator my income- but I have never, ever borrowed anything close to what the bank was prepared to lend to us for property. I imagine a lot of people in Ireland the US in 2008 wished they hadn't either. I have far bigger priorities in my life than my house or my kitchen. That's not to say I ever bought the cheapest house in town either. But certainly have always borrowed about 70% of what I could technically afford

All I can say is I'm really glad my custom cabinet builder didn't ask my budget.

He came, measured, I told him exactly what I wanted where I wanted in the style I wanted and he sent me a quote the following day.

This thread is what I wish I read before I was looking in 2011 since one kitchen designer my friend referred refused to give me a price range for my kitchen when he stopped to see if he could reface my cabinet doors. He told me that I needed new kitchen cabinets and with my cabinet boxes, new doors and drawers would not be able to be installed (Home Depot could install just doors and new drawers for $18,000 for my small kitchen) He told me I had to visit his store to pick out a door and counters before he could give me a price range. He kept making me spend more and more time and meetings and then he went on vacation so this got dragged out for 6 weeks before he finally gave me a total price for a door he pushed on me that was not my taste that was a shocking price. Now I see that with installation and no new appliances, this is what it seems like my kitchen will cost despite being small in my opinion but then it was a shock at over $32,000 for a door style that I did not even like that much that he pushed on me. If he would have not wasted both his and my time but telling me a price range from the lowest to the highest for my kitchen, I would have known to just save more money and wait another year, meanwhile learning more and having a more realistic budget. I have all the appliances. I now have the recessing lighting and the floors are tiled in the running bond pattern with left over tiles to go under the cabinets, so I only need to remove the soffit with nothing underneath it, buy the cabinets and install them. I am keeping the same layout except I want a corner cabinet above instead of the blind cabinet. My old oak builder grade kitchen is actually not bad I am learning and better than many designs I was given as I have two Lazy Susan's, a Pantry Closet and a nice W-Shaped area with enough room for an eat-in-table in my approximately 10 X 14 Kitchen. When I am ready again, I have learned a lot and I also learned that it is the overall design and how all the elements come together that makes a kitchen beautiful and not the perfect white or the perfect counter. But what a waste of my time and his. He should have just told me that the lowest kitchen cost he could do for me was going to be over $30,000. I then would have waited to find a Kitchen Designer I liked that would give me what I wanted. The price included the recessed lighting and installing the tiles I bought already. I just had thought it was going to be around $20,000 at the most since I had all the appliances already.

There aren't a lot of threads around here entitled : "what's the best laminate countertop" or "how do you like the features on your Hotpoint range ? " The popular ones are "which granite of marble " and Wolf or Miele or is Bluestar hard to clean. ...............Brands BTW that a range will set you back the entire low range of that HA budget for an entire remodel and won't include delivery or installation in that cost !

Lavender is right. Don't confuse the people here with the typical kitchen remodeler. Also, not all of us here are interested in granite or marble or high-end appliances. For most of us, function first, then form. I might still do laminate but I'm still leaning toward DIY zinc from Rotometals which should be about $500 for my entire kitchen. I had never even heard of Wolf or Miele or Bluestar or any of the other high-end brands until I started hanging out here. I don't think I know anybody that has any of those high-end brands either. Of course, out here in the toolies, nobody sells them and service would be hard to get so that's part of it. I'm satisfied with my Summit fridge, Samsung range, and oh, gosh, DW is still in the box so I don't recall the brand but my main concern, besides it washing dishes well, was that it run quietly and the reviews said it does (on sale for about $550). And with my new SS $60 microwave from a local discount store.

But, then again, I'm one of those who will end my remodel spending about $5000. Not because I have to but because I choose to. I'll end up with a very functional kitchen, with lovely windows and light and pleasant views, that works for me and my family, it just won't be magazine-worthy and that's OK with me. Besides, Morocco beckons. I'm definitely a KD's nightmare.

There aren't a lot of threads around here entitled : "what's the best laminate countertop" or "how do you like the features on your Hotpoint range ? " The popular ones are "which granite of marble " and Wolf or Miele or is Bluestar hard to clean. ...............Brands BTW that a range will set you back the entire low range of that HA budget for an entire remodel and won't include delivery or installation in that cost !

Perhaps there are more posts about high end finishes and appliances because people who want those items seek reassurance from others who have them that the money spent will be worth it?

Whereas, people who choose to go with laminate, RTA, and appliances off Craig's List tend to be less approval seeking?

I've seen plenty of reveals where the home owner's didn't go high end and were still pleased how their kitchens turned out. DIY, IKEA, Habitat for Humanity, etc. all get mentioned frequently on GW.

Yes, to tally agree.
I live in an area where people have "chef kitchens" with pizza ovens, all while hardly ever cooking in their kitchens. Not to mention that if all you ever do is make scrambled eggs, then maybe a gazillion BTU 48" professional gas range may not even be the way to go.

Actually, re llucy's second part, that's why I love that thread on furnishing a room with Craigslist finds

Fun thread nosoccermom! Thanks for sharing.

"All I can say is I'm really glad my custom cabinet builder didn't ask my budget."

There are many ways of qualifying a prospect and some don't involve asking for a prospective customer's budget.

Agree with you Joseph. I have found that some/most people feel put on the spot when asked for a budget number, unless they have been somewhere else or done some homework. I won't ask for the budget....but I will try to educate them on our products and watch for clues. For an average builder grade installed, expect somewhere between $X and $X....and for a high end kitchen installed....$X and $X. But most of what we do is in between those numbers. I can usually get a feel by their response. ie. "Yeah, that's about what we expected." or either a look of happiness or "oh no!" Then I show them around the showroom....I only have one high end and one builder grade display....the rest is all mid-grade....and I explain that. They will usually point me in the right direction.

The Kitchen Place:

You are qualifying your customers, you're just more delicate than I. If you're doing it right, they should have no objections.

I did not want someone to ask what my budget was but someone that would educate me what various price ranges would give me so I would be more prepared. I did not realize how much extra it would be to remove the soffit despite nothing inside it to get taller cabinets up to the ceiling. Now I know and I guess I have a lot of cabinets for a small kitchen and I do not want less cabinets and I still want my two Lazy Susan's and my Pantry Closet.