Buying value not price!

Have you ever heard the saying, "you get what you pay for" or "the cheapest isn't the best" and how about "if you pay peanuts you are likely to get monkeys"?  Most of us have heard some of these quotes so why is it so hard for all of us not to get caught up in the price thinking it is the best indicator of value?

Maybe we look at price because it is the easiest.  At least some of us are a little lazy when it comes to doing our home work.  So, rather than look at the differences in the company, it's crew and it's services we look at the product and the price and think it is all the same in the end.  But it is not! 

It is a lot harder to find out how well trained  and conscientious a company's crews are or if they have a really good follow up with customers and product warranties, or if they really are meeting or exceeding building codes and safe work practices.  How can the homeowner know when building permits should be pulled and what the advantage of one building material is over another?  For most people the building industry is not their profession and not knowing the details will make it more difficult to determine value over price.

However, there is hope!  Just spending some time and discussion with your contractor on the above mentioned issues will give you a much greater insight into the value and service that is included in the price.  In the end you will be very glad you did because understanding those details will help establish measurable expectations for the entire project.  

Thanks for listening,

Kevin Minne

President, Sun Homes Inc.

Shrinking homes growing kitchens

After all the years of growth in the square footage of homes it is now clear that the current trend is less is more. 

Except when it comes to kitchens.  Kitchen size is actually growning!  Life styles have certainly changed over the years and even though we don't cook as much as we did in the 60's and 70's we are finding new uses for the kitchen than ever before.

The kitchen is more and more the center piece of the home in terms of elegance and function.  Functions for kitchens now include numerous activities and whether it means doing home work for kids, cooking for mom or dad, entertaining guests or paying bills it all needs to fit into the new kitchen design.

Growing the kitchen and adding energy saving appliances, work space and accent lighting and plenty of storage are top choices for home owners.

The average family getting a kitchen remodel this year will spend aproximately $15,000 to upgrade.

Gimme Shelter

In my first truly independent space—a single dorm room with Band-Aid colored walls—I could touch nearly everything I owned from my desk chair. The semester delivered an unexpected lesson in minimalism and spatial relevance: just how much room was necessary to generate a new thought?

My first grown-up home was a 2-bedroom and I marveled at how the former owners had raised four children in 900 sq. ft. It wasn’t until I’d survived remodeling a mid-century ranch—twice—that we landed on a prescient notion: the Great Room vs. traditional and rarely used living and dining rooms.

We tore out walls and ceilings, rerouting traffic flow to a system that made better sense. We installed thick European beams overhead that introduced a sense of timelessness not unlike a Cotswold cottage. Underfoot, we installed hardwoods that could withstand tricycle wheelies. The walls were hand-painted to resemble marble by a spirited painter who signed his bill for services “Picasso.” Even the upholstery was selected for its texture ability to disguise the spills that inevitably happen. Well-used and welcoming, the room was feet-up comfortable and lasting, sort of eternal. Sadly, the marriage wasn’t.

Nancy Clark, Gimme Shelter (2010)