August 2008
Top kitchen values
Secrets of a successful remodel
Combine expert advice on the best appliances, countertops, and flooring with the real-life remodeling experiences of thousands
of homeowners and what do you get? Consumer Reports' annual kitchen guide.
Our engineers spent months sizing up refrigerators, running dishwashers, staining countertops, and punishing flooring. Some products impressed (a new flooring from Teragren is one of the best bamboo products we’ve tested), while others fell flat. (The SteamQuick cleaning system on a Samsung electric range was mostly hot air.)
This year the Consumer Reports National Research Center also asked 8,000 readers and 1,000 other Americans nationwide about their kitchens. One survey focused on subscribers who recently remodeled. We asked them what worked and what they wish they could do over. Another survey probed consumers’ kitchen habits: who does the cooking and cleanup, how often they entertain, and what causes kitchen clutter.
One thing many folks agree on is that you’re not likely to get back every dollar you spend on a kitchen remodel today. So unless you’re remodeling to sell, create the best kitchen for you and your family, not some prospective buyer. Our advice will help you uncover kitchen values. What’s more, today’s tough housing market makes it a good time to remodel: Contractors aren’t as busy, and hungry appliance retailers and home centers are offering more deals than ever.
And if you’re not in the market for an extensive remodel, check out Where to save.
Most readers were highly satisfied with their new kitchens, but almost half had some regrets about the products or pros they chose. So before you start planning your new kitchen, here are six things you can do to save money and aggravation.
Plan before you pay. Part of the joy of planning a new kitchen is exploring the options. Keep a running file of appliance picks, paint chips, countertop samples, and the like so you can slowly piece together your dream kitchen. The most common regrets mentioned by readers who hired help stemmed from rushing into their remodel, with 11 percent saying they should have done more research. And 12 percent wished they had chosen different materials.
Common mistake: being seduced by pretty products. Design magazines are great for ideas and inspiration, but you might find that real life often isn't so neat and clean. Take concrete countertops; they've enjoyed a certain cachet, but as we found in our latest report on countertops, concrete can crack or chip and requires regular sealing, which isn't a great match for a hectic household.
Save green with green. Most readers chose eco-friendly products that save money. For example, 84 percent opted for energy-efficient appliances, 43 percent picked water-efficient appliances, and 38 percent used fluorescent lights. Those appliance will cut utility and water bills over their entire lifetime. But just 10 percent put down eco-friendly flooring, and 2 percent installed green counters.
Common mistake: falling for green claims. There are no federal regulations or definitions of green products. Richlite calls its paper-based countertops “environmentally sustainable,” but they contain nonrenewable materials. And those countertops were susceptible to nicks and scratches, see our Ratings (available to subscribers).
Run a background check. To find a contractor who is competent and honest, and shares your sensibilities, you need to do more than just ask your friends and neighbors for recommendations. All in all, 41 percent of readers who hired a contractor reported some problem with their project, including shoddy installation (13 percent), late starts (13.5 percent), sloppy workers (11 percent), and poor coordination (12 percent). Avoid those problems by asking past customers specific questions about work quality and promptness before hiring workers for your project. Just 38 percent took the time to look at contractors' past jobs, which is the best way to get a sense of their work and their reputation. Even fewer, 21 percent, checked with groups such as the Better Business Bureau.
Common mistake: going with the lowest bid, as did some of our readers. While those contractors didn’t necessarily go over budget, their workmanship wasn’t as good, so readers had to spend more after the job was completed to bring the work up to snuff. For more information on hiring contractors, read this entry from our Home & Garden blog.
Design it yourself. If you'll be working within the room's existing dimensions, as 65 percent of the readers we surveyed did, you've got a great excuse for avoiding some expensive design fees. Nearly half of all readers who hired tradespeople handled the major design decisions themselves. Most replaced appliances. If you're knocking down walls or drastically rearranging your floor plan, local codes might require an architect's or designer's sign-off.
Common mistake: opting for extended warranties on appliances. We found that paying extra for such warranties doesn’t save money in the long run. For more shopping advice, read Appliance stores: Champs in price & support.
Say no to pro appliances. As in years past, our tests have shown that faux-pro-style ranges perform well and have stainless-steel styling for much less than the $4,000-plus price tags of brands like Viking and Wolf. And when we asked online subscribers who own a pro range about their experiences, nearly half reported repairs, which tended to be costly.
Common mistake: paying more for built-ins. Save thousands by choosing a cabinet-depth refrigerator.
Build in a cushion. Even the best contractor can't see through walls or ensure that products arrive on time. One in five homeowners who worked with a contractor paid 10 percent more than estimated, and 36 percent of those projects took at least two weeks longer than anticipated. So leave between 10 and 15 percent of your budget for the unexpected and set up a makeshift kitchen with your old fridge and microwave.
Common mistake: falling into the "while we’re at it" trap. Some project add-ons are inevitable, but sticking to the original plan and products for your will keep the budget and schedule in check.
Our engineers spent months sizing up refrigerators, running dishwashers, staining countertops, and punishing flooring. Some products impressed (a new flooring from Teragren is one of the best bamboo products we’ve tested), while others fell flat. (The SteamQuick cleaning system on a Samsung electric range was mostly hot air.)
This year the Consumer Reports National Research Center also asked 8,000 readers and 1,000 other Americans nationwide about their kitchens. One survey focused on subscribers who recently remodeled. We asked them what worked and what they wish they could do over. Another survey probed consumers’ kitchen habits: who does the cooking and cleanup, how often they entertain, and what causes kitchen clutter.
One thing many folks agree on is that you’re not likely to get back every dollar you spend on a kitchen remodel today. So unless you’re remodeling to sell, create the best kitchen for you and your family, not some prospective buyer. Our advice will help you uncover kitchen values. What’s more, today’s tough housing market makes it a good time to remodel: Contractors aren’t as busy, and hungry appliance retailers and home centers are offering more deals than ever.
And if you’re not in the market for an extensive remodel, check out Where to save.
Most readers were highly satisfied with their new kitchens, but almost half had some regrets about the products or pros they chose. So before you start planning your new kitchen, here are six things you can do to save money and aggravation.
Plan before you pay. Part of the joy of planning a new kitchen is exploring the options. Keep a running file of appliance picks, paint chips, countertop samples, and the like so you can slowly piece together your dream kitchen. The most common regrets mentioned by readers who hired help stemmed from rushing into their remodel, with 11 percent saying they should have done more research. And 12 percent wished they had chosen different materials.
Common mistake: being seduced by pretty products. Design magazines are great for ideas and inspiration, but you might find that real life often isn't so neat and clean. Take concrete countertops; they've enjoyed a certain cachet, but as we found in our latest report on countertops, concrete can crack or chip and requires regular sealing, which isn't a great match for a hectic household.
Save green with green. Most readers chose eco-friendly products that save money. For example, 84 percent opted for energy-efficient appliances, 43 percent picked water-efficient appliances, and 38 percent used fluorescent lights. Those appliance will cut utility and water bills over their entire lifetime. But just 10 percent put down eco-friendly flooring, and 2 percent installed green counters.
Common mistake: falling for green claims. There are no federal regulations or definitions of green products. Richlite calls its paper-based countertops “environmentally sustainable,” but they contain nonrenewable materials. And those countertops were susceptible to nicks and scratches, see our Ratings (available to subscribers).
Run a background check. To find a contractor who is competent and honest, and shares your sensibilities, you need to do more than just ask your friends and neighbors for recommendations. All in all, 41 percent of readers who hired a contractor reported some problem with their project, including shoddy installation (13 percent), late starts (13.5 percent), sloppy workers (11 percent), and poor coordination (12 percent). Avoid those problems by asking past customers specific questions about work quality and promptness before hiring workers for your project. Just 38 percent took the time to look at contractors' past jobs, which is the best way to get a sense of their work and their reputation. Even fewer, 21 percent, checked with groups such as the Better Business Bureau.
Common mistake: going with the lowest bid, as did some of our readers. While those contractors didn’t necessarily go over budget, their workmanship wasn’t as good, so readers had to spend more after the job was completed to bring the work up to snuff. For more information on hiring contractors, read this entry from our Home & Garden blog.
Design it yourself. If you'll be working within the room's existing dimensions, as 65 percent of the readers we surveyed did, you've got a great excuse for avoiding some expensive design fees. Nearly half of all readers who hired tradespeople handled the major design decisions themselves. Most replaced appliances. If you're knocking down walls or drastically rearranging your floor plan, local codes might require an architect's or designer's sign-off.
Common mistake: opting for extended warranties on appliances. We found that paying extra for such warranties doesn’t save money in the long run. For more shopping advice, read Appliance stores: Champs in price & support.
Say no to pro appliances. As in years past, our tests have shown that faux-pro-style ranges perform well and have stainless-steel styling for much less than the $4,000-plus price tags of brands like Viking and Wolf. And when we asked online subscribers who own a pro range about their experiences, nearly half reported repairs, which tended to be costly.
Common mistake: paying more for built-ins. Save thousands by choosing a cabinet-depth refrigerator.
Build in a cushion. Even the best contractor can't see through walls or ensure that products arrive on time. One in five homeowners who worked with a contractor paid 10 percent more than estimated, and 36 percent of those projects took at least two weeks longer than anticipated. So leave between 10 and 15 percent of your budget for the unexpected and set up a makeshift kitchen with your old fridge and microwave.
Common mistake: falling into the "while we’re at it" trap. Some project add-ons are inevitable, but sticking to the original plan and products for your will keep the budget and schedule in check.
