Kenneth Lewis Blog

With houses remaining on the market for months, or even years, now is not a good time to be selling your home, says BankRate.com.

It has become the trend that short of short-selling your home, making attractive upgrades and renovations make all the difference to potential buyers with many homes to choose from.

However, if you have decided to stay in your home, rather than sell right now, remodeling your home for comfort or aesthetic reasons are also worthwhile in both the short and long run.

The recession discouraged home sellers from spending on home improvements, and large home remodeling jobs have decreased because people are not sure about the economy.

A minor kitchen remodel can also translate into a nice return. You will recoup anywhere from 71-73% of your cost.

What is a minor kitchen remodeling job? Start with your kitchen cabinets. You don’t need to replace your old cabinets. Refacing and refinishing kitchen cabinets is a very economical option that will enhance the appearance and style of your kitchen.

Paint, new countertops and perhaps new flooring can also have a dramatic effect on the look and feel of your kitchen.

Regardless of what you spend on a minor kitchen remodel, you can be promised a large return on your investment.

For kitchen cabinet refacing or refinishing, contact Cabinet Refinishing by Kenneth C. Lewis.

Many homeowners who want to remodel are faced with the question: Should they replace their kitchen cabinets or just replace the cabinet doors?

Other homeowners have no idea that, depending on the material, they could restore their countertops to save some money, rather than buy new ones.

They want their kitchen remodel to be done right but also economically. They are also sure about one other thing.

They are not interested in buying a new home, just in making their existing home more comfortable by fixing up the kitchen and the bathroom.

The state of the economy and real estate market has created plenty of interest in remodeling projects. But consumers are not spending as much money as they used, but rather looking for more economical solutions. One of those solutions is cabinet refacing or cabinet refinishing in the kitchen and the bathroom.

If you are interested in spending your money more wisely, looking for value, and staying put, contact Cabinetry by Kenneth C. Lewis.

If you are considering a kitchen remodel, you are certainly considering new cabinets. We encourage you to consider cabinet refinishing or cabinet refacing. These are less expensive options to replacing your kitchen cabinets. However the effect is just as dramatic and just as beautiful.

After your cabinets are refaced or refinished, you’ll need to know how to take care and maintain them. Like any high quality furniture, your kitchen cabinets should be treated carefully and cleaned and maintained with quality materials.

• Clean cabinets with a mild detergent or with soap and water (use sparingly) and dry them well using a lint-free cloth.
• Wipe up spills, splatters and water spots as they occur, keeping cabinets and countertops dry.
• Give special attention to areas near the sink and dishwasher that come in contact with moisture.

A recession-wrought change in consumer spending is having a dramatic impact on kitchen and bath remodeling, according to a major new study conducted by sink, faucet and shower products supplier Moen.

“Given the current recession, it’s no surprise that consumers are saving rather than spending – and when they do spend, they’re doing so from cash on hand, rather than credit,” says Jack Suvak, senior director of OH-based Moen. “This change in spending behavior has had a dramatic impact on remodeling projects.”

According to Suvak, most homeowners are choosing to perform “room lifts” – small upgrades to personalize a room – rather than undertake the kind of major remodels that were commonplace prior to the recession. An example is choosing to refinish or reface existing cabinets to update a kitchen rather than remodel an entire kitchen. In addition, Suvak said, homeowners “are choosing to personalize renovations to fit their needs, rather than update a room for the next family that will be living in the house.

“For years, we’ve heard that if you want to sell your home, start by remodeling your kitchen because it has the highest return on investment,” he said.

Moen’s research found that families with children living in the home are more engaged in their kitchens than their counterparts without children – and are more likely to view the kitchen as a place where activities or conversations happen. With regard specifically to kitchen remodeling, respondents with children are significantly more likely than those without children to remodel or make improvements to their kitchen or spent more on kitchen improvements, Moen said.

Original article on Kitchen and Bath Design News

Kitchen renovations are among the most expensive home-improvement projects. However, it's possible to refresh a tired kitchen without feeling financial pain. For the most inexpensive yet still dramatic make over, walls can be painted, cabinets can be refinished and the cabinet hardware can be changed to freshen the look. An entirely new kitchen is possible with Cabinet Refinishing by Kenneth C Lewis. Kitchen cabinets can be dressed up, revitalizing an older kitchen, or giving a newer kitchen the look and feel you dreamed of.

The next level, still less expensive than a total remodel, but effective and dramatic, you can upgrade your appliances within the same footprint, which saves the expense and hassle of moving plumbing and electrical lines. Even investing in one great feature such as a granite countertop, a deep freeze refrigerator, or a pro grade range can have a big impact. A nice and well done cosmetic upgrade will more than pay for itself at resale time. So if changing styles or wear and tear has you in need of a kitchen face lift, consider a less expensive kitchen makeover through cabinet refinishing.

You may have solidly constructed kitchen cabinets that just need a face lift. If you feel like your existing kitchen cabinets are "worn out" or have an "outdated" appearance, REFACING them may be the perfect choice. For a fresh, new look in your kitchen you may not need to buy new cabinets. Having your kitchen cabinets torn out and replaced with new kitchen cabinets can cost you a fortune and take a lot of time. Even if you have never done a large home remodeling project, you know that losing the right to your kitchen is stressful and certainly inconvenient. And you might not get the same quality cabinets as the ones that you have right now.  At Kenneth C. Lewis Cabinets, we regularly save our customers over half the cost of new replacement cabinetry, and we are only in your kitchen for 3-4 days!  Our approach and process allows for the least disruption possible when it comes to using your kitchen.

More importantly, the quality of our work always ends up surpassing the highest of expectations from our customers. With cabinet refacing by Kenneth C Lewis your satisfaction is more important than anything else.  

It is important to prepare a budget for your kitchen remodeling plan before you start implementing it. Without a complete and detailed budget prepared before the kitchen renovation begins, you may get swept into a spending spiral of un-budgeted extras.

Limit spending on the kitchen remodeling to about 15-percent of your home's value.

The cost of appliances, countertops, cabinets, flooring, and so on, will add up to one-half to two-thirds of the total cost of remodeling. Find out the prices for these items and plug those figures into the budget. Similarly, make provisions for the cost of labor, design, contracting services, and permit fees.

Consider cabinet refinishing or refacing rather than purchasing brand new cabinets. This will dramatically cut down on the expense, but even better, it will dramatically cut down on the mess, stress, and length of time of the project. Cabinet refinishing is perfect if your cabinets are in good shape but they have an out of date look. Cabinet refacing is a great option when you have custom built cabinets that were well made, but perhaps have damaged or out of date fronts. The door and drawer fronts will be remade and replaced, entirely changing the look of your kitchen in much less time, for much less money and much less stress.

There are many reasons to consider a kitchen make-over. But there are many reasons that you can talk yourself out of one too.  But with Cabinet Refinishing from Kenneth Lewis, the decision is easier than you think.
 
Kenneth Lewis can help you with a face lift for your kitchen in less time for less money. Cabinet refinishing and refacing are options that many home owners forget to consider, or perhaps do not know about at all. Often times it is the cabinets in a kitchen that really are the game changer. With new kitchen cabinets, your kitchen would have all the attributes you are really looking for in a kitchen remodel. Many people do not need to take on the extra expense of new cabinets, and all the demolition and time that cabinet replacement entails.

Consider cabinet refacing or refinishing with Cabinet Refinishing by Kenneth Lewis. By refinishing your kitchen cabinets you will significantly increase the value of your home. And even better, Kenneth Lewis will spend only about 3-4 days in your home, which is a minimal interruption to your normal life. The doors and drawer fronts work is done at his facility, not in your home, using the most durable commercial grade lacquer on the market. He can also replace or repair damages to existing cabinets.
 
Consider getting your cabinet make-over by Cabinet Refinishing and reduce the time cost and stress of a traditional kitchen remodeling project.  

There are many ways to deal with old and tired looking cabinets. As you know, if you are contemplating a kitchen makeover, new cabinets are the bulk of the cost. But consider cabinet refinishing. Newly refinished cabinets can give you a brand new kitchen. Cut the cost on your kitchen makeover and add a new finish or decorative flair to your existing cabinets. From contemporary finish to old world charm, newly refinished cabinets with new knobs can change the entire look and feel of your kitchen.

If you have priced new cabinetry lately, most likely you have found that even stock cabinets at a big box store can run in the thousands of dollars. And if the original cabinets were custom made for your kitchen, most likely stock cabinets won’t be able to be used.  Therefore, if you are looking into brand new custom cabinets, you know the cost can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars. In addition, the cost of tearing the old out and installing the new needs to be considered. Perhaps these costs have caused you to stop your remodeling project before it even begins. Cabinet Refinishing is a great way to save money and achieve the look you are after. If your cabinet doors are too damaged or old, new doors can be added during refinishing as well.

 When all options are considered, you may find that refinishing your existing cabinets may be a much better solution for many reasons, not the least being that all the above costs can be avoided. Your old cabinets, along with high quality finishing products, professional standards, and the right finish choice can have you in an entirely “new” kitchen.

Cabinet refinishing on stained and painted wood work by Kenneth C. Lewis.