Secrets to Saving Money on a Kitchen Remodel

The big supply stores do a very good job of making people believe that they are getting the best price on the product that they are buying. If compared to other local stores you will find that their prices might be better on a few items, but ultimately they are making the bulk of their profit off of other items. If you are in the market for a new kitchen, find out some of the secrets to getting the kitchen of your dreams without paying the high mark up of the retail stores.

The mega stores draw you in with a few low sale prices; but their relentless marketing makes you believe that all their prices are low and or unbeatable.

Before I got into the cabinet industry, I found this out first hand. I was overwhelmed by a enormous amount of styles in Home Depot and the outrageous prices. The confusing part when dealing with the large supply companies, is that there are very few lines that they actually carry (most of them have to be specially ordered). Of course these special order cabinets cost more money and make more money for the store. I then traveled to Lowes and found an even worse selection.

I decided to go online and look for cabinets. I was able to find a few good sites and decided to go with one of the very first lines of RTA kitchen cabinets.  I was very curious as to what RTA kitchen cabinets.  I was very curious as to what RTA Cabinets actually were. Well that is the first secret! RTA stand for Ready To Assemble. They are easy to put together and cost 40% to 65% less than pre-assembled or custom ordered kitchen cabinets. Also when I say easy to assemble; I mean these cabinets are put together with a flat head screw driver. However at the same time, they are remarkably strong and sturdy.

After you have found your kitchen cabinets, the next item to focus on is the countertop.  While it may be convenient to buy the countertops at a big box store, you are actually going to get the best deal at a local countertop shop. Since the big stores outsource their countertop business, if you can find the local supplier you can avoid that markup and deal direct with the source.  Look in your yellow pages and see what is out there. You're bound to find some local stores that will actually care about saving you money and are willing to work on tighter margins to get your business.

Look online for appliances. Yes, they are expensive to ship, but if you find someone local, you're going to save a large amount of money. If you find something farther away from your area, factor in the costs to get the item verse the costs at a store. Also you might be able to take that price you have found online and have a local store try to match that price.

Another item that is essential for your kitchen is the flooring. Again think local stores and avoid the super store. You will be tempted by prices at the big box retailers, but if your going with ceramic tile, prices are relatively the same and the small stores will more likely give you a discount because your giving them business. Thee are even chain stores that are popping up everywhere for hardwood flooring, but you can actually get an even better deal if you know exactly how many square feet you will need and you shop the discount building supply stores for closeout deals.

Keep all of this in mind and you will successfully save a ton of money on your new kitchen.