Men sometimes underestimate the importance of this room.  We love our garages, grills, decks, and patios.  But the kitchen?  We can completely miss it’s importance.

It’s important to remember when you are designing a home to consider the resale value and design accordingly.  A well-designed and functional kitchen not only makes the cook happy, it also ensures a greater resale value.

A person who loves to cook or create culinary masterpieces for family and friends absolutely needs a spacious and well-appointed kitchen.  On the other hand, if a cook wants to spend as little time as possible in the kitchen, then your design and layout can be simpler.  Kathy doesn’t spend much time in her kitchen, but she likes the spacious layout so she and her husband can be there together.  Kathy says the chopping and stirring are more enjoyable with her husband there.  Additionally, he likes the organization of a well-planned room.

When selecting kitchen cabinets, look for quality.  This is not the place to be overly consumed with trying to save money.  Well-made cabinets will provide lasting pleasure and functionality for decades.  Drawers (as opposed to cabinets with doors) are more useful and efficient even compared to cabinets with pullout drawers.  In addition, choose hard surface, durable, and high quality countertops.  There are a variety of colors and selections available.  Granite is an ideal counter surface for the most important room in the house.

What about appliances?  Don’t skimp here, either.  You don’t have to purchase the absolute top of the line, but good quality appliances help sell homes.  Today it’s becoming very popular to have two dishwashers.  Often the cost of an additional dishwasher is only slightly more than the cost of the additional cabinetry it replaces.

In order to make the most important room in your house spectacular, consider adding some of these other features: warming drawers, double ovens, convection microwaves, pot fillers, espresso and coffee bars, hidden pantries, elevated dishwashers for easy access, vegetable sinks in the island, and purified water faucets.

When you design your home, be sure the kitchen is given special consideration and that its relationship to other rooms, functions, and features are the best you can provide.  It will make a difference for years to come.

Ben A Johnson

B&B Builders inc.

LOCATION: You’ve heard the adage, “location, location, location.” This is where to spend your money. You could build a home with great design, with great features and finishes, but if you build it in the wrong location or on the wrong lot, you could be in real trouble. Consider purchasing the most expensive lot you can afford. Your long-term investment is more likely to be sound.

DESIGN SERVICE: You can add enormous value to your home by investing in the services of a competent designer and an interior design team. Not only will you enjoy the splendor of a fabulous home, you will find a greater return on the money you spend for these services at the time of resale.

KITCHEN:  Most buyers don’t complain about a kitchen being to large, to much counter space, or to many cabinets.  Spend money on the kitchen.

FAMILY ROOM:  Oversize, don’t undersize, your family room.  Families tend to gather and spend time in the family room.  If you were to oversize any room, make this room a little larger than you think you need.

MASTER BATH:  This room is the owner’s retreat, a place to relax and unwind.  Upgrade your master bath’s size and finishes.  When you sell your home, this will be an important feature and provide a good investment return.

ROOM SIZE:  Make sure your rooms are large enough to meet your needs.  It’s very expensive to come back later and add twelve or eighteen inches to a room because you’ve just realized it’s to small.  If you’re on a limited budget, it’s better to hold of on some of the finishes than cut down the size of your rooms.  You can add finishes later, and the cost may only be slightly higher than if you installed them during the initial construction process.

CLOSETS:  Never underestimate the value of roomy walk-in closet, linen closets, and laundry rooms.

Ben A Johnson, B&B Builders

To read more, contact us about our book “Building A Quality Custom Home, What You Need to Know”

http://bbbuilders.com/company/view-newsletter/newsletter.id/11

See more photos at the link below

http://bbbuilders.com/projects/view/id/43/type/remodel

See more photos at the link below.

http://bbbuilders.com/company/view-newsletter/newsletter.id/7

http://bbbuilders.com/company/view-newsletter/newsletter.id/6

These two remodels show B&B Builders wide range of ability to work with multiple design features and styles.

http://bbbuilders.com/company/view-newsletter/newsletter.id/5

Is it reasonable to expect that you’ll get a builder who will give you the lowest price with great quality, great service , and a timely finish? Let’s consider the merits of each:

1.  Quality:  A good company prides itself on providing a quality product, especially in the custom home market.  They  encourage prospective homeowners to look closely at the work they’ve done for other homeowners and affirm they would be pleased with the excelent workmanship the company provides.  Comfort with quality, luxury with oustanding craftsmanship.

2.  Service:  A builder with exceptional customer care will provide good communication and attend to the homeowner’s needs before, during, and after their home is completed.

3.  Speed:  An on-time finish is important, but there may be times, especially in a busy market, when a builder misses some deadlines.  If that happens, you want your builder to proactively communicate with you and, if possible, find a way to make up the time and get it done quickly.

4.  Price:  The best companies aren’t usually the cheapest, but consider this: they’re probably not the most expensive either.  Great companies deliver good value.  An honest builder charges at or below market value for the level of service and quality product they provide.  Very seldom is the cheapest price the best choice for a homebuilder.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can have all four qualities in one builder.  A Lexus or a Mercedes is priced differently than a Pontiac.  If you pay Pontiac pricing and expect Mercedes level of performance, you are setting yourself up for disappointment, conflict, and sometimes even a lawsuit.

Know whats important to you and adjust your expectations.  If cost is your most important value, then choose the contract with the lowest price.  However, if you value quality, be sure you look for excellent workmanship.  You can get the results you want in a quality custom home; just be sure to select your builder based on what you truly value.

Ben A Johnson,  B&B Builders Inc.