Kitchen Articles
January Is the Time to Buy Kitchen Cabinets
If your New Year's resolutions included a pledge to get organized or update your kitchen, now is the time to look into replacing your kitchen cabinets. When it's time for spring cleaning and competition for contractors is driving prices up, you'll be glad that you got an early start.
Spring and summer are popular times for remodeling as homeowners shake off winter and clean house. People in cold-weather states often prefer to renovate when it's warmer, when they can more easily escape the indoor commotion surrounding a remodeling project. Additionally, many homes enter the real estate market in late spring or early summer. The owners start kitchen remodeling projects to increase the marketability of their homes. Subsequently, there may be intense competition for the best contractors by early spring, and the most popular cabinets could be out of stock.
The US Census Bureau reports that 75% of homeowners choose professional installation rather than doing it themselves. January and November are the slowest months for contractors, so if you are one of many people who seek professionals for your renovations, these months can be great for getting the best bids and contractors for your project.
A Window of Opportunity
The recent rise in interest rates and cooling of the housing market caused homeowners to scale back refinancing efforts and delay home improvement projects. Commercial residential construction is expected to remain weak through the first quarter of 2007, exacerbating the normal seasonal slowdown. Remodeling your kitchen during this brief window should get you access to more contractors and potentially lower bids.
Delaying could catch you on the wrong side of a real estate recovery and cost you more. As power in the housing market continues to shift from sellers to buyers, remodeling is expected to become the next boom. Homeowners who need to sell have to be more competitive to get buyers to notice their property. Minor kitchen remodeling projects, including replacing cabinetry, have historically paid off better than other home renovations.
Homeowners who elect to stay put rather than trying to sell in a bad market will also start sprucing up their houses as spring approaches. All of these factors could put a procrastinating renovator in a bind.
Buy Time by Shopping Early
Consider also that some cabinetry takes longer to get than others. If you select imported cabinets, custom cabinets, or back-ordered items, it could take weeks or months to receive them. According to KitchenSavr.com, cabinetry is the component of a kitchen remodel that requires the greatest lead time.
Imagine finding yourself in a remodeling-reality-TV nightmare: The old cabinets have been torn out; your food and kitchen items are stashed in the guestroom; the crew at your house is running out of work; and your new cabinetry is still on back order. By purchasing early you give yourself the best chance of finishing your project on time and with the least number of these remodeling headaches.
Save Money in January January typically brings nice discounts or perks such as free shipping on new kitchen cabinetry. Prices tend to increase in February as more homeowners jump on the bandwagon, sending the demand up. A quick search of online cabinet retailers proves that early birds have more to choose from and pay less for it.
Shopping online can help you jump-start your remodeling project. You have access to thousands of cabinet designs in many styles and in a wide price range. Online shopping is the fastest and most convenient way to view the largest number of cabinets. It also makes price comparison relatively easy. When quick action can save you big bucks, viewing, comparing, and buying your cabinets online is a great way to start your project.
Enjoy Your Summer You got your spring cleaning done early and put everything away in your new kitchen cabinets. Now, relax with a cold drink and watch everyone else bid up the contractors' rates, pay higher prices for leftover cabinets, and try to finish a remodeling project while the kids are out of school and underfoot. Enjoy the look of your new kitchen cabinets and the peace of mind of having beaten the rush.
Sources
Reno Gazette-Journal
JustProperty.com Yahoo Finance
KitchenSavr.com
Realty Times
About the Author
Gina Pogol writes for an online media company. She has a background in construction lending and has survived several kitchen remodeling projects.
