Acclaim Renovations & Design offers these tips on understanding the true cost of a kitchen remodel
By Patricia Nugent
Homeowners getting ready to pull the trigger on the kitchen renovation of their dreams might feel a little barraged between HGTV shows and local home and garden shows with flashy booths and presentations. It’s enough to leave them looking for a straight answer to the question: What’s all this going to cost me?
Even after you have met with home remodelers and received bids on a job, you may be left with a big batch of apples and oranges to compare.
We caught up with Bob Gallese, founder of Acclaim Renovations & Design, for insight into what people can expect to pay, and the difference between cost versus value.
“The mid-range cost for a kitchen renovation in the Cleveland market is $22,000, which is slightly lower than the national average of $23,165,” he reports.
“But that’s just an average, every job is different, with its own set of unique characteristics. If I have one piece of advice for folks thinking about a renovation, it would be to know what you’re getting within a bid. What are your allowances for each component? To us, estimates are much more than educated guesswork.”
Oftentimes people will go with the lowest bid under the illusion that they are saving money, he says, only to find out after the job is done—with all the change orders and redefined allowances—they end up paying more than the middle-priced or higher-priced bids.
Another integral component in the cost vs. value issue is the quality of the good-better-best products your contractor uses.
“Unless someone plans to move soon, and isn’t interested in things that will wear beautifully and last the longest, it’s a mistake to opt for sub-par quality, especially in things like cabinetry,” he explains.
“You can put an excellent quality cabinet next to an economical one and they might appear similar, however both the finishing process and the materials used will make the better-quality ones last longer and stand up to wear and tear.”
Acclaim Renovations & Design is located at 8550 East Avenue in Mentor. Celebrating his 20th year in business, Bob Gallese is proud to have received numerous industry honors, including being named Contractor of the Year by NARI (National Association of the Remodeling Industry). Call 440-974-8082 or visit AcclaimReno.com to check out striking before-and-after galleries of kitchen renovations.