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Three Ways To Get Better Kitchen Remodel Estimates

Three Ways To Get Better Kitchen Remodel Estimates

by | Oct 11, 2021 | Learning Center, Remodel, Uncategorized

Three Ways To Get Better Kitchen Remodel Estimates

Why can’t it be easier?  

That’s what I hear from the many homeowners I speak with every month as they are researching their Kitchen remodeling. Trust me, it’s not that you don’t understand, of course you do. you understand that no two custom kitchens are exactly the same.  But how do we figure out how much work we can do if we don’t have any information? The typical remodel process has made it impossible for you to figure out your priorities and what you can afford and so you end up;

  • Frustrated
  • Confused
  • Exhausted

Well, I say Enough!  In this next series of posts I’m going to share with you the top three tips for you to take control of your kitchen remodel budgets!

About The Author 

Lauren Murphy is Murphy’s Designs Selection Specialist and has been working for the company since 2010. She has a background in photography, and a certificate in Home Staging and Redesign. She loves to spend time researching new products and materials and staying up to date on all the Kitchen and Bath design trends.

What to do when furniture lead times are long

What to do when furniture lead times are long

by | Aug 2, 2021 | Learning Center, Uncategorized

What to do when furniture lead times are long

Earlier this year we posted about the supply chain disruptions brought on by the pandemic and well just… 2020… 

In recent months however things in the home furnishings industry have taken a turn for the worse with furniture lead times as far out as 25-35 weeks or even.. 2022 as a delivery date. 

This is happening for several reasons ranging from material shortages (foam and lumber) to issues with shipping and transportation. 

This post isn’t going to break all of that down for you, this post is going to tell you how you can get furniture without having to wait 35 weeks for it!   

In Stock Items

There’s hope. If you REALLY need a new sofa then check sites like pottery barn, west elm, and the like for their ‘quick ship upholstery’ category. Here you’ll find a pretty good selection of furniture available in 1-3 weeks. You may not be able to be too picky about the upholstery though because they don’t offer a wide variety of colors in quick ship. You can also go to any category and select the ‘in stock and ready to ship option’ in the filters. 

Antique & Thrift Stores

Good News! Blending new and old, and contemporary and antique items together in one space is very much in right now. 

Shopping for antique and thrifted items is great for a number of reasons. One, it’s great for the environment since you’re repurposing items and keeping them out of landfills. And two, it adds depth to a space when something is worn and aged well. Adding these items to your decor will go a long way in making sure your house doesn’t resemble and IKEA display room or a target advertisement. 

As far as shortages go there is no shortage of antiques out there so hop on craigslist or facebook marketplace or plan a day trip and go hunting at your local antique and thrift stores! In doing so chances are you’ll get to take the furniture you need home with you and avoid hefty lead times. 

Keep your chin up

As frustrating as spending tons of time at home might be, combined with the fact that you feel incapable of finding items to make your house feel comfortable it’s important to remember that this too shall pass! We will eventually come out on the other side of all that 2020 did to this industry, we just have to be resourceful and stay positive.

About The Author 

Lauren Murphy is Murphy’s Designs Selection Specialist and has been working for the company since 2010. She has a background in photography, and a certificate in Home Staging and Redesign. She loves to spend time researching new products and materials and staying up to date on all the Kitchen and Bath design trends. 

The 1,500 Dollar Powder Room

The 1,500 Dollar Powder Room

by | Jul 14, 2021 | Bathroom, Budget, Learning Center, Terrace Turnaround Project, Uncategorized

The 1,500 Dollar Powder Room

 Well, here we are… again. I had big dreams of remodeling our home but I have to be honest I didn’t think that they were going to go like this. Making Emergency Remodel bathroom selections are very different than making selections when you’ve saved and prepared for a remodel. I had planned on saving a good deal of money for our kitchen/ main living area remodel but when our dishwasher flooded back in May all of those plans changed. Our hardwood floors were ruined, a few of our cabinets were ruined, mold was able to grow, it was just a mess. I had planned on having time to make my selections, I had planned on a very different experience. The truth of the matter is with remodels you don’t always get to have what you planned. Sometimes there are air ducts that cant be moved, electrical that can’t be moved, mushrooms magically appearing and forcing you into an impromptu renovation during a global pandemic. Things come up. It happens. Luckily, it’s part of my job to figure it out.

If you’re just joining me and haven’t seen my previous posts  about the Terrace Turnaround Project, I recommend giving them a quick read for a little back story about this house and all that we’ve gone through with it.

So, it’s time for the Terrace Turnaround Powder Room selections. This is the only half bath in the house, we thought about ripping it out completely but ultimately we decided against that. I did not want to spend a lot of money on this postage stamp of a potty so I kept my selections modest. I did however want to gain some space because it’s a tight bathroom.  

Saving Money On Tile

Typically, the larger the tile the more affordable. This works out for two reasons.

1. It covers more square footage for less material

2. It didn’t cost as much to manufacture. The more intricate the tile, the more expensive it’s going to be.

If you want to dress up your large scale tile take something like a square and turn it to lay in a diamond shape. It adds class without adding cost.

Another way to save is by purchasing tile by the square foot instead of by the piece this can also save you money depending on the circumstance.

One more reason I went with tile in the powder room was because we’re having actual hardwood floors laid throughout not LVP, our current floor in the powder room is hardwood and years of water damage from toilet leaks have taken there toll, something I’d like to avoid in the future!

Saving Space & Money On Vanities

Pedestal Sinks, they might not be your first thought when you’re considering updating your powder room but you shouldn’t dismiss them too quickly. Pedestal sinks have come a long way as far as style goes and they can go a long way in stretching your budget and space saving anywhere from 3″-5″ in depth and anywhere from 300-500 dollars in cost! You’ll also save on cost here because if you were going to swap out vanity hardware you don’t have to now, because there isn’t any! 

Saving Space with a Round Front Toilet

This choice wont necessarily save you a lot of money but combined with the pedestal sink it will definitely save you space. A round front toilet is about 2″ shorter in depth than an elongated one. So if you get yourself a pedestal sink and a round front toilet you could gain about 7″ between the vanity and the toilet. If you have a postage stamp size powder room this could give you some much needed leg room.

You can also save money in other ways like visiting your local Home Goods or Target for a mirror instead of buying one online from Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, or one of those places. Lighting is also an area that you can save money on, In such a small space it doesn’t have to be super fancy. I knew the exact light I wanted for my bathroom so I decided to save in other areas like the floor tile. 

This Project will begin August 1st 2021 and I can’t wait to share more with you then! 

 

About The Author 

Lauren Murphy is Murphy’s Designs Selection Specialist and has been working for the company since 2010. She has a background in photography, and a certificate in Home Staging and Redesign. She loves to spend time researching new products and materials and staying up to date on all the Kitchen and Bath design trends. 

Ten Prompts To Get You & Your partner Talking

Ten Prompts To Get You & Your partner Talking

by | Jul 8, 2021 | Budget, Learning Center, Remodel, Uncategorized

Ten Prompts To Get You & Your partner Talking

Hey Friends,

Today I want to talk about having home remodeling conversations with our partners and more specifically, how we can communicate what our wants and needs are as we get started designing and planning.

You see, through the years of working with homeowner’s designing and planning projects, I found a handful of conversations that should happen between partners before you start the design and planning process.  Having these solves almost every disagreement and stressful conversation during the process.

These tips on what to communicate about your project at the very beginning will make working together as a team, much, much easier.

Today, we’ll call these remodeling house rules.

First, let’s start by talking about the WHY.

I talk about your why during our initial consultation together, but before we have the conversation it’s the first talk you and your partner should have. 

Asking questions like;

Why is this remodeling important to you?

Why should we do this now?

It’s surprising but most partners don’t talk about their WHY together privately, they wait until I ask the question.

In my experience partners make the assumption that they have the same reasons but most of the time they don’t have the same WHY for doing a remodeling project and they certainly don’t have the same HOW.

Let’s take a bathroom project, one of you may be looking for style and beauty while another just wants a bigger shower.  Have you ever tried to convince someone that the color and shape of tile is important when all they care about is the size of the shower?  It’s a losing proposition.

My rule #1 is don’t assume that this project is important in the same way to both of you.

 Now by having the “Why” conversation behind you its easy to have the wants and needs conversation. You will each have your own reasons, and it ends up being what you want and what you need. Again, each person can be affected differently, so understanding your partners expectations can make the entire process much less stressful.

The Wants and Needs conversation will lay out how much compromise and negotiation you are going to be making during your design and planning decisions. 

 My experience is give your partner what they want and they usually don’t have a problem letting you have what you need.  Within reason.

Rule # 2 is critical. 

It’s really important to hear what each other thinks about what they want and what they need. And Rule # 2 is preparing you for the biggest Rule of them all; 

Rule #3  The Who, which in turn becomes the money.

 I have worked with many a client who thought they would be able to change their partners mind on the How and The  Who. 

They work hard on all the design and planning, make all the selections, getting all the way to the finish line of the build contract and then it happens…the other partner shuts it down. 

More projects have ended up on the shelf not moving forward because one partner does all the work while the other partner sits back and watches.

In the end they veto the project because there was no shared Why, no shared How, and no shared Who and How Much. 

When this happens eventually the offending partner has to come clean that they don’t think the project is important and it can be traced back to the (3)rules above and not having the discussions.

Not worth the financial investment they say.  (They didn’t have a Why for the project so they couldn’t come together with a How or Who)

Be prepared to compromise and negotiate. 

Now, imagine if you are the partner who just worked on all the design and planning; how would you feel in that moment? 

I have seen this first hand, and you know how they feel; resentful, angry, not respected, not heard…less than.   

Be aware that different people are affected by visual surroundings.

Don’t be surprised to hear things like;  I don’t even notice the tile, or  the vanity looks great what’s wrong with it?

Compromise and Negotiations is a natural part of the design and planning process. 

Once you have each others point of view on WHY the remodel is important, HOW you each thinks it needs to be fixed and you’re setting a ballpark range for the financial investment you are ready to get started!

(Note:  Not agreeing on the exact HOW at this point is completely normal, that typically gets worked out during the design and planning process through compromise and negotiation.)

Recap;

Flush out these (3) questions with each other;

WHY does this project need to happen?

HOW or WHAT needs to happen?

WHO do we need to hire to make this happen and how much are we comfortable spending?

 These (3) questions will set you up for a design and planning process where you understand each other, gather critical information, and make great decisions. 

 The information will be prepare you  to take on design and planning conversations that will unite you as a team and not put a wedge between you.

We have created 10 Prompts to make these conversations easy and productive and get you and your partner talking about your remodel project.

 

Thanks for stopping by and we’ll catch you in the next post.

 

Cindy Murphy

About the Author

About the Author

Cynthia Murphy

Cynthia Murphy is a Certified Kitchen and Bath Remodelers in Northern Virginia.  She owns and operates Murphy’s Design with her husband John and daughter Lauren.  Her 40 year career has focused on providing homeowners with the answers they need to make smart emotional and financial decisions around their wants and needs.

2021 Supply Chain Disruptions

2021 Supply Chain Disruptions

by | May 20, 2021 | Budget, Learning Center, Remodel

2021 Supply Chain Disruptions

And how they’ll impact your remodel, decorating, and other home improvement projects…

2020 was an interesting year for everyone, and the remodeling industry was no exception. In March when we prepared ourselves for the worst as Northern Virginia was being shut down we ended up being met with an avalanche of new remodeling projects. From Kitchens to Home Offices we started seeing requests for it all and things haven’t slowed down since. 

It’s been just over a year and the requests continue to flow in, unfortunately 2021 came with material shortages and disruption to supply chains. 

Here’s our thoughts from being on the frontline;

What items are being most affected?

  1. Appliances
  2. Lumber 
  3. Furnishings

Appliances

The problem with appliances is a simple one and it comes down to supply and demand. When manufacturers prepared to shut down last spring they estimated that there would be far less spending because of the economy shutting down. It ended up being the opposite. Many Americans purchased extra refrigerators, freezers, and started remodeling projects in order to make their homes more livable since they saw themselves stuck in them for the foreseeable future. Add to that scaled back production due to new COVID-19 safety precautions in factories and some manufacturers closing altogether created backlogs as long as 8-16 weeks or more. 

The best way to deal with the appliance delays is to be aware and plan in advance. 

  1.  Don’t toss out your old working appliances until you have the new ready to install.
  2. Do your research on appliances early in your remodeling planning
  3. Order them as soon as you know and lock down the pricing.
  4. Check with several suppliers 
  5. Take delivery immediately

 

Lumber

The lumber shortage won’t be going away anytime soon.  However this is one item that they do expect the cost to come back down sometime in 2022.  For most of our remodeling clients this isn’t a factor as we typically work within an existing space and don’t need to purchase large quantities of lumber.  Decking, Additions, and New Home construction have been more severely disrupted.  If you were thinking of buying a new home or a large addition you might consider focusing on working within your existing footprint.  It’s also a good time to complete the planning but wait to do the building.  If you were considering a remodel but think you might hold off for the price to come back down, that’s a bet I wouldn’t make. The cost of lumber is going to add gasoline to an already burning remodeling market and demand will continue to drive pricing.  

  1. Start planning for your remodel 
  2. If you were thinking of building a new home remodeling might be more attractive now
  3. Cabinetry, Doors and Flooring have also been affected lock in pricing as soon as you have your decision  
  4. Low housing stock will add gasoline to an already burning remodeling market and the demand will continue to drive pricing, moving forward now could save you money in the long run
  5. Use the increased equity in your home, low interest rates and today’s prices to work in your favor.

Home Furnishings

Did you ever imagine it would take 20 weeks to replace that old sofa?  Home furnishings are one of the manufacturing groups hit hardest by 2020 shut downs.  Add to that the amount of furniture built or parts sourced on foreign soil and you’ve got a recipe for long waits.  Like appliances these tips may help but beware of paying in full for furnishings a 50-50 deposit would be smart or taking advantage of the stores finance programs that don’t kick in until delivery. 

  1. Order early, now if you want them for the holidays in 2021.
  2. Order In Stock options
  3. Order from Made in America Suppliers

Mostly, we all have to show patience as companies get back to a full production schedule.  Manufacturing workers need to return to their jobs and the raw materials need to start flowing with more regularity.  Here at Murphy’s Design  we order everything much earlier than we ever did before, we store it for months waiting for a job to start, and we nail down the budget in the first two weeks of the design and planning stage so furnishings and materials can be purchased without ever increasing prices.  

Contact Cynthia Murphy Now