If you’re thinking about selling your house in today’s market, you may want to consider a kitchen remodel. Even in what were considered traditionally hot markets, homes are still taking a long time to sell. And home buyers are looking for more bang for their buck. The majority of buyers would rather not buy a home that is going to require a lot of work right away. Buying a home is a huge expense and there’s usually not a lot of money left over after the down payment and closing costs. Chances are that if your house has a newly remodeled kitchen, it will stand out from the crowd of houses on the market. Buyers will be more interested and you will be able to ask more for the house. It’s a lot easier for a home buyer to amortize the cost of a new kitchen over the life of their mortgage than it is to buy a house and then try to come up with the money for a kitchen remodel. Whether yo’re trying to compete in a crowded buyers market or you want to get a higher asking price and sell your home faster, a kitchen remodel can be an excellent investment. If you are an avid do-it-yourselfer, you can save big by buying your kitchen cabinets online at www.ushomeproducts.com. US Home Products offers assembled and ready-to-assemble cabinets to fit any budget. With no tax except in Georgia and $29 shipping anywhere in the continental US (with minimum order), US Home Products could save you hundreds of dollars over buying your kitchen cabinets at the big box stores. If you need some help with your kitchen design, US Home Products offers a free kitchen planner on its website. There are also detailed instructions for measuring your kitchen and some basic design tips. There’ s no doubt that a remodeled kitchen will make your house stand out in a competitive market.
Archive for the ‘Remodeling’ Category
A Kitchen Remodel Can Help You Sell Your House
Thursday, October 8th, 2009Free Online Kitchen Planner from US Home Products
Thursday, October 8th, 2009I’ve seen a lot of posts from people looking for free kitchen planners online. US Home Products offers a basic program that will allow a user to drag and drop cabinets into a room with dimensions created by the user. The planner will allow the user to to save a kitchen design and come back and modify it at a later date.You must register first to use the planner. It also allows the user to pick the door style and will provide a pretty good estimate of what it will cost to buy your cabinets from US Home Products. Finally, it allows you to add all of the items to the cart for easy purchase. If you are looking for an easy to use, basic planner, check it out. US Home Products offers assembled and ready-to-assemble cabinets and ships anywhere in the continental US for $29 (with minimum purchase).
Caring for Wood Cabinets and Doors
Thursday, October 1st, 2009Now that you have beautiful new cabinets, you want to make sure to take care of them. To preserve and protect the cabinets, do not use strong detergents, solvents or abrasive cleaners. For normal cleaning, you can use a clean, soft cloth, dampened with a mild solution of two drops of dish washing liquid per one gallon of water. After cleaning, dry thoroughly, removing any excess moisture.
Thermofoil cabinets can be cleaned the same way. When using a self-cleaning oven, opening all the adjacent doors and drawers or using a heat shield is recommended. This will help prevent damage and discoloration of the cabinets.
Moisture from steam and hot water present in kitchens should be kept off of all cabinets. If cabinets do get wet, dry them by wiping with a clean, soft, dry cloth to maintain finish.
How to Get the Look of a Built-in Refrigerator without the Built-in Price
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
Cabinets can give your refrigerator a built-in look.
Do you want the look of a built-in refrigerator without the price tag that goes with it? To save money and still get that built-in look, consider using a cabinet-depth refrigerator surrounded by cabinets. Cabinet-depth refrigerators are available from a variety of manufacturers and can be found online at usappliance.com
At US Home Products, you can find the cabinets you need to create this built-in look. In this picture, we used utility cabinets on each side of the refrigerator with wall cabinets above. The result is the look of a built-in refrigerator at a fraction of the cost.
Marsh/High Point Quality Finishing Process
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009It is part of nature’s footprint for wood products to have variations in grain pattern and color. For Marsh and High Point cabinets, only the finest kiln-dried hardwoods are selected for our cabinet components. Prior to the finishing process, all wood surfaces are progressively machine-sanded to a #220 grit finish. Once complete, each component is further inspected to ensure its readiness.
Depending upon the finish selected, there are one or more coats of toner stain applied for color uniformity. On selected finishes, the next step is the application of a high quality furniture wiping stain, which is then carefully hand-rubbed to remove excess stain and to provide depth and beauty to the wood. The next process is a combination of careful air-drying and controlled oven curing of the stains, to prepare the surface for the protective clear coats.
A coat of specially designed high-solids catalyzed clear sealer is pressure-applied to penetrate all surfaces. The sealer coat is then air and over-dried to guarantee an impervious surface that locks in the beauty of the color coats and provides the foundation for the final clear coat. Next the surface is precision hand-sanded to ensure smoothness and consistency.
The final coat of high solids catalyzed clear coat is uniformly applied with a precise mixture of fluid and air pressures. The wood passes from timed air-drying to gas fired ovens with differently staged temperatures to ensure a surface that meets the rigid specifications of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association. Marsh Furniture offers a limited warranty of 5 years, which includes the finish of the product.
Why Spend More at Big Box Retailers?
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009I’m not sure why, but most people seem to think that the big box retailers offer the best prices. Time and time again, US Home Products has been able to beat prices for comparable cabinets. Not only do we specialize in cabinet sales, but our shopping cart system allows customers to see the prices of individual cabinets and compare prices for different styles and wood types. Customers can shop by brand, door styles, species and price. Most big box stores don’t provide individual pricing. You get one price for your order.
Not only can US Home Products offer the better prices than the big box retailers, we also offer quicker delivery. Mid Continent Cabinets are delivered within 4 weeks. Marsh and High Point are delivered within three weeks and Norbridge ready-to-assemble cabinets can be shipped within two days. Most big box stores require at least 6 weeks for assembled cabinets.
For convenient online shopping, no sales tax except in Georiga and $29 shipping (with minimum order), US Home Products offers a great alternative to the big box retailers.
Shop for Kitchen Cabinets by Brand, Door Style, Species or Price
Friday, August 28th, 2009At US Home Products, you can now shop for kitchen cabinets by brand, door style, species or price. You can choose from our assembled brands: Marsh, High Point or Mid Continent Cabinetry, or ready-to-assemble cabients from Norbridge. Select from dozens of door styles including: arched, raised panel, square and shaker. Or choose from a variety of wood species including: cherry, maple, oak, hickory, birch and Thermofoil. You can also shop by price to find cabinets that fit within your budget. Whatever type of kitchen cabinets you’re looking for, US Home Products offers quality products at affordable prices. To see what our customers are saying about us, click here.
How to Measure Your Kitchen for New Cabinets
Monday, August 24th, 2009Proper and accurate measuring is a must before planning which cabinets and accessories will be needed.
US Home Products has provided grid paper to download for your rough draft (click here to download). On the grid paper, to make it even easier, we’ve scaled it so each square of the grid is equal to 1 foot of your actual floor space. (each small square equals 1″) Besides the grid paper, you will need a tape measure, a one foot ruler and a pencil to begin your rough draft.
Follow the steps below to accurately measure your space. Transfer each measurement on the provided grid paper using the Sample Wall Measurements as a guide.
- Step 1: Begin at the left of any corner in the room and measure to the right corner, noting the total measurement in inches.
- Step 2: Return to the left corner and measure to the outer edge of moulding of a door/window opening.
- Step 3: Measure the doors and windows from the outer edge of moulding to outer edge of moulding. Notate which way doors swing open.
- Step 4: Continue measuring all doors and windows this same way along the wall to the right corner.
- Step 5: Double-check your measurements by adding up all the measurements from Step 2 to Step 4. These should total the overall wall measurement for Step 1. If they do not equal, you must remeasure before proceeding.
- Step 6: Return to the left corner and measure to the center of any water lines, water drains, gas lines, electrical outlets or electrical switches. You will need to pull appliances away from the wall if in the way.
- Step 7: Note the measurements from the center of each outlet/switch to the floor. Continue measuring all of the items listed on Step 6 until you reach the right corner.
- Step 8: Double check that these measurements total the overall measurement in Step 1. Again, if they do not equal, you must remeasure before proceeding.
- Step 9: Note the overall height of each door, including moulding.
- Step 10: Note the measurement from the bottom of the windowsill to the floor below each window.
- Step 11: Note the measurement from the bottom of the windowsill to the top of the moulding of each window.
- Step 12: Note the measurement from the top of each window to the ceiling.
- Step 13: Measure the overall floor to ceiling height, accounting for soffits and beams.
- Step 14: Double check that the measurements in Steps 10 through 12 equal Step 13. If they do not, remeasure.
- Step 15: Repeat Steps 1 through 14 for each wall of the room.
- Step 16: Measure all existing appliances that will be reused in your new kitchen. If new appliances will be used, it is best to get the manufacturer’s specifications prior to designing your new kitchen.
- Step 17: As an added measure of caution, it is recommended that you measure the inside width of all entry doors and doorways to check that existing cabinets and appliances can be removed, but especially that all new cabinets, appliances and counter tops can be brought in without onsite modifications.
Custom Vs. Semi-Custom Cabinets
Friday, August 21st, 2009There seems to be a bit of confusion between custom and semi-custom cabinets. So what exactly are the differences? Both types of cabinets are made to order, which means that neither of them is a stock item. Both will take time to produce. Semi-custom cabinets such as Marsh/High Point take two weeks in manufacturing, whereas Mid Continent Cabinets take three weeks in manufacturing. The time to produce custom cabinets will depend on the availability of the cabinetmaker. Both types of cabinets will be full-assembled. Semi-custom cabinets can be ordered in three-inch increments, which provides a great deal of flexibility. Custom cabinets can be produced based on one-inch increments and are much more expensive than semi-custom cabinets. Another major difference between custom and semi-custom cabients is that most semi-custom cabinets are produced at a factory in a controlled environment using a multi-step process. This process gives the finish more longevity than a standard hand finish. Overall, Semi-custom cabinets provide a cost-effective option without sacrificing flexibility.
Kitchen Remodeling Tips from US Home Products
Thursday, August 20th, 2009A kitchen remodel is one of the biggest investments you can make in your home with the highest return, both in terms of the daily enjoyment and increased value. But the process of hiring a remodeler or doing the job yourself can be daunting to say the least. Here are some tips to help you through the process.
1. Have a budget in mind. If you don’t know what you plan to spend, you won’t know where to start.You can design your own kitchen online with the help of US Home Products’ online kitchen planner at www.ushomeproducts.com. You must register first to use the free planner.
2. The best way to ensure a timely remodel is to tear out the kitchen after the new cabinets are received. If the old kitchen is torn out before the cabinets arrive, you may find yourself in an empty kitchen with no work being performed for weeks on end. Most of the big box stores require at least 6 weeks to deliver semi-custom, assembled cabinets. At US Home Products, Marsh/High Point cabinets are shipped within 3 weeks and Mid Continent Cabinets are shipped within 4 weeks. The Norbridge ready-to-assemble cabinets can be shipped within a couple of days . You can read about it on our Terms and Conditions page.
3. Get references! You want to hear exactly how the job went and what, if any, complications were involved. When it comes to online cabinet sales, US Home Products relies on customer testimonials.
4. Know what kind of cabinets you want. Cabinets are available in framed and full access. Framed cabinets have a frame around the cabinet and stiles (wood pieces in the middle) when you open the cabinet. Some people prefer full access cabinets because they don’t have the wood dividers in the middle. But they cost about 20% more, so figure the cost into your budget. Or to save money, you can go with ready-to-assemble cabinets. US Home Products offers all of these cabinets online, shipped anywhere in the continental US with no tax except in Georgia and $29 shipping with minimum order. Whatever type of cabinets you go with, ordering from http://www.ushomeproducts.comwill save you money from the big box stores.
5. There are a number of upgrades available when it comes to choosing your cabinets, including all-plywood construction and wood drawers. For more information on upgrades, click here. One really nice feature to spend your money on is a soft close option if it is available. You’ll never hear another drawer slam again!
6. Know what kind of countertops you want and how long it will take to have them produced. Depending on what you choose, this could hold up progress on the remodel.
If you are on the fence about remodeling, you should know that there are a number of reasons to remodel your kitchen. First of all, it will increase the value of your home. If you are selling your home, it could help you sell faster. Nothing screams outdated louder than old kitchen cabinets. People want to move into a house that they don’t have to worry about updating. Since the kitchen is the most important room in the house, it makes sense to remodel it. Let US Home Products know how we can help!