Has anyone here on my list done their own home remodeling. A kitchen, in particular. Was it worth the price you saved going to a contractor? Tell me all the gory details.
Yes. But it was as a helper for fellow military folks who had houses.
Had a good experience, had a bad experience.
First, the Good.
Back when Hechingers still existed, you could go in and pick out a "remodeling kit". Tell them how many sinks, how many cabinets, and give them the dimensions (which means you better make sure your measurements are correct), pick out your materials, pay for it, and 2 weeks later, it was delivered, which was cool as you had 2 weeks to rip out all the old stuff and then paint and clean for preparation of the new. The stuff came shrink wrapped into bundles, along with instructions. Everything cut to fit according to the dimensions you gave them. So, you simply opened Bundle "A", opened the instructions, and got to work. Then continued onto Bundle "B" and so on. Hardest part was the countertops (heavy and hard to maneuver). But, 3 days later, new kitchen completed.
I am told Home Depot offers a similar type of remodeling purchase, but don't know that for a fact. I do know Hechingers did their stuff correctly. And doing it this way saved the homeowner almost $1,000
Now the bad. Everything from scratch. Mis-measurements costing additional time, materials and money. Took 5 times longer than anticipated. Broke 2 fingers and needed 12 stitches. Sucked. Not only that, the guy went about $2,000 over budget. That combined with his wife not having her kitchen to use for over 3 months made his life hell. All I had was physical pain to overcome.
So I would recommend checking at Home Depot or Lowe's first to see if either offers the "remodelling kits", as that route makes life very easy as long as you aren't a complete dumbass with math.
no subject
Date: 2007-04-19 07:07 pm (UTC)Had a good experience, had a bad experience.
First, the Good.
Back when Hechingers still existed, you could go in and pick out a "remodeling kit". Tell them how many sinks, how many cabinets, and give them the dimensions (which means you better make sure your measurements are correct), pick out your materials, pay for it, and 2 weeks later, it was delivered, which was cool as you had 2 weeks to rip out all the old stuff and then paint and clean for preparation of the new. The stuff came shrink wrapped into bundles, along with instructions. Everything cut to fit according to the dimensions you gave them. So, you simply opened Bundle "A", opened the instructions, and got to work. Then continued onto Bundle "B" and so on. Hardest part was the countertops (heavy and hard to maneuver). But, 3 days later, new kitchen completed.
I am told Home Depot offers a similar type of remodeling purchase, but don't know that for a fact. I do know Hechingers did their stuff correctly. And doing it this way saved the homeowner almost $1,000
Now the bad. Everything from scratch. Mis-measurements costing additional time, materials and money. Took 5 times longer than anticipated. Broke 2 fingers and needed 12 stitches. Sucked. Not only that, the guy went about $2,000 over budget. That combined with his wife not having her kitchen to use for over 3 months made his life hell. All I had was physical pain to overcome.
So I would recommend checking at Home Depot or Lowe's first to see if either offers the "remodelling kits", as that route makes life very easy as long as you aren't a complete dumbass with math.