SHOP PRODUCTS
Houzz Logo Print
ryan_fehr

Do kitchen designers end up saving you money on a remodel?

Ryan Fehr
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago

My wife and I just signed a contract on a new house (our first house purchased together, second house we've each owned). We ended up getting a house from an estate sale. It's in pretty good shape overall, but the kitchen is pretty rough. It desperately needs a full remodel. That is top priority. We would also like to do the master bath very soon if funds allow, but that will probably require removing some walls. We are anticipating a budget of around $100k after closing. We are going to dip into that somewhat for painting and new carpets in some rooms, but i think we should have the majority of it for the kitchen and hopefully the master bath too. The kitchen space is pretty large. Ballpark size is 25'x18'. Everything needs to be replaced, including flooring, lighting, appliances, etc. Presumably utilities and structure are fine, since the house was only built in 1994. Fortunately, the basement below the kitchen is unfinished.
Normally Im a DIYer, but I know a kitchen remodel is about the most complicated project I could possibly tackle in a house and I'm still learning a lot as a fairly new homeowner. My dad did his own kitchen remodel on the weekends, and it took him a very long time to complete and he knew exactly what he was doing. I do not. So I decided it's probably best to hire someone for this project and the master bath, and I'll do the other bathrooms myself in the future. I was originally looking to go to a kitchen and bath store and/or research some general contractors in the area. But I've heard from my realtor and a couple other people that kitchen designers can actually save you money on the materials and labor, to the point that it actually is more economically feasible to use a kitchen designer. Is this actually true? I mean, it sounds logical if the kitchen designers have long term relationships with vendors. But do they typically pass those savings onto the client? Even paying a little more for a kitchen designer would be completely reasonable if they're literally coordinating the entire thing. I just wouldn't want to pay someone $10k and then still have to pay regular retail price on materials, or worse, retail + a markup. Can anyone whose checked prices share their experience? Thanks.

Comments (111)