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Every working minute of every day, Classic Kitchens of VA is either designing or installing multiple projects throughout the Central Virginia region and beyond. We have positioned ourselves as experts in the kitchen and bath business in this area and we hope that our “area” is growing.

In the past, I have lost projects to others who claim to be kitchen and bath experts. The only difference is that the last kitchen that they designed was several years ago and the last project that they sold and managed was a garage. Yes, their price was lower and the homeowner was in love with their “craftsmanship” (they subbed out everything), but the job was destined for failure before it started. Here are the reasons:

  • Specialists have experience with common kitchen design pitfalls
    Literally thousands of dimensions need to be considered to properly design a kitchen. Some of those dimensions are for door and drawer clearances, airflow for appliances and locations for plumbing and electrical requirements. If I did not have a level of familiarity with these products and their requirements, they would be easy to overlook. The plumbing and electrical requirements for Sub-Zero, Wolf and Miele differ from those of Whirlpool and Amana. They are more complex and exact.
  • Specialists have relationships with their vendors
    As specialists, our company is responsible for between 50 and 60 kitchen projects per year. We have on-going, active relationships with those who provide goods and services for our projects. We intentionally use these vendors on a consistent basis because we want them to have a commitment to our company and our projects. The result is excellent customer service for our company, which we can pass along to our clients.
  • Specialists are committed to staying abreast of specialty products or trends
    If I am a contractor who builds porches, garages, gazebos and rectangular additions, why would I care about who is providing the best products in the kitchen industry? I subscribe to many kitchen and bath specific publications that detail the ever changing landscape of the kitchen business. If I build garages, and patios and porches, I cannot have time to stay abreast of kitchen and bath trends! A couple, who are personal friends and used a great “craftsman”, were frustrated because the refrigerator that they had installed was not built-in (like a Sub-Zero), but was counter depth (which, as it turns out, is deeper than the counter tops). They were led to believe that it would be “built in” because the “craftsman” was using that term to describe it in his design.
  • The scope of work and expectations are different
    If I were building a detached garage for a homeowner, I would work outside, creating noise outside, disrupting the landscaping outside. In the kitchen business, in a remodeling scenario, we are tearing out the most important room in what is likely the largest investment that one owns. There is a different level of management that occurs in a properly run kitchen remodel that makes the experience pleasurable and exciting for the homeowner and the trades people working on the job. After a few weeks, we know that homeowners are anxious to use their new space and with our specialty being in the kitchen and bath business, we know how to put the project back into your possession in an expedient manor.

I have been involved in conversations with other construction professionals in the past. We all decided that the construction industry needs to be recognized for its specialists the same way that other industries are recognized for their specialists. Would you hire a general practitioner to perform heart surgery?

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