2. Not Anticipating Mid-Project Disputes About Budget
Budget can be a major cause of problems during a project, particularly when initial costs increase during the process.
Solution: “It’s best to ask clients for their budget, so you can work around that,” says Saimir Zejneli of The Home Refurbishment Co. He believes this is the best way to avoid wasting time or causing problems later on.
“It’s easy to get into a dispute with clients if the [finish work] is included in the quote, as clients are likely to choose more expensive products,” Zejneli adds.
He recommends setting a budget for just the roughing in. For example, a kitchen budget might include supply of the kitchen cabinets, electrical and plumbing, but the client would choose items such as appliances, faucets, sinks and tile.
“You can give clients the links of traders you have accounts with to get a discount, but when they’re able to decide on their own [finish] materials, they’re in control of their budget,” he says.
Good-quality accessories and hardware, such as pullout corner units, drawer dividers, and soft-close runners and door hinges, often get excluded from kitchen designs due to budget constraints. But this can be a false economy in the long run as features such as these can make a big difference to your kitchen, boosting its storage potential and making the space far more pleasant to use.
These features do add to the overall cost of a new kitchen, but they’re worth the extra outlay, particularly if you’re an enthusiastic cook.
Solution: Know your options. Ask your kitchen designer about all the storage and hardware options available so you can make a fully informed choice.
If you don’t specify exactly what you want, you may end up with less than ideal hardware and storage solutions, which can be a missed opportunity — think a setup that consists of more cupboards than drawers, drawers without inserts and no soft-closing hardware. If budget is a concern, focus on those features that you feel will make the most difference to your experience of the kitchen.
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