Tips for a better kitchen remodeling project

Check out the contractor
Finding a good, reputable contractor is more important than price. I frequently hear horror stories from consumers who had a contractor start the job and then disappear, leaving their kitchen torn up and unusable.

Ask the contractor for:

-- Proof of a current license and insurance coverage — liability, property damage and workers compensation.

-- A list of suppliers. Call them to see if the company pays its bills on time.

-- A list of past customers. Talk to former customers about their experience. Did they get what they wanted? Are they glad they hired this contractor? Did the crews show up on time and clean up at the end of the day? Did the project come in on time and on budget? Ask if you can visit them to see what kind of work was done.

Before you sign anything, find out more about the contractor. Check them out with the Better Business Bureau and your state’s Attorney General or Consumer Protection office.

You also need to do a gut check. How do you feel about this contractor? Remember, you’ll be dealing with this person for months, so you want someone you’ll feel comfortable talking to,  someone who listens and who is flexible.

“It needs to be a fun, enjoyable experience,” designer Busby says. “If it’s not, you’re not dealing with the right people.”

Buy the right stuff
There are ways to get a nice look without going top-of-the-line. “You just need to know where to save and where to splurge,” says Consumer Reports Bob Markovich.

For our new kitchen, we went with a manufactured quartz counter top; made from ground-up quartz bonded together. To me it looks every bit as nice as granite or marble, and there’s a huge selection of colors and designs. This manufactured stone, such and Cambria, Silestone, and Zodiac, is tough and relatively maintenance free.

Tests by Consumer Reports show that when it comes to flooring materials, “fake beats real.” Vinyl was best for long-wear and resistance to stains, sun and moisture.  Plastic laminate, (Pergo and Shaw are the top sellers) are tough and relatively easy to install.

Markovich says the plastic laminates “did far better overall than the pre-finished solid wood flooring you see in all the real estate ads, and certainly better than engineered wood, which is the wood veneer you see so often.”

Set up a payment schedule
You never want to pay for the entire construction project up front. In most cases, your down payment should be no more than 25 percent of the total contract price.

The contract should spell out the schedule for the rest of the payments, either based on specific dates or project points, such as when the electrician starts or the cabinets are installed.

Don’t make the final payment until everything is done, the final inspection is completed, and you are satisfied with the results.

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