8 Comments

1. 

   MB Mike on February 2, 2011 at 12:40 pm

   Hate to undercut these buisnesses, but the best deals on faucets/baths & shower hardware/drawer pulls/etc. are via the internet. Especially since the typical home will use several sets of the identical components.

2. 

   Deb on February 2, 2011 at 2:05 pm

   When we re-did the master bath in our Oceanside plain ole development house I put in BrassTech faucets and shower stuff. Used the same when we built our house here in Norther AZ. Guess that’s why I went over budget on plumbing fixtures :). But, the higher end stuff lasts longer, has tons more style, and a lifetime warranty in some cases!

3. 

   tj & the bear on February 2, 2011 at 2:25 pm

   Happy Birthday, Jim!!!

4. 

   Jim the Realtor on February 2, 2011 at 2:31 pm

   MB Mike,

   I don’t have a problem with that, it’s survival of the fittest.

   I’d like to point out the preferred gear, where you get it is up to you.

   Stores like this provide the hands-on experience for those who need to see stuff in person.

   They’d be smart to provide installations – you’d be more likely to pay $500 for a faucet if the friendly sales girl was willing to come by and install it today or tomorrow. From what I was told last week, Home Depot has changed their policy and now have their own installers – their sales people will come to your house and quote the whole kitchen or bath now. Others need to follow.

   I’m pretty close to providing the same service by having contractors quote big and small projects while you are in escrow, or even before making an offer if needed.

5. 

   MB Mike on February 2, 2011 at 2:51 pm

   For buyers without remodeling experience and a sense of what it costs, that’s a great service Jim.

   To provide a bit more personal experience with regard to hardware, my opinion is that certain materials (usually items that are relatively small) don’t require as nuch of a “hands on” selection process. Hardware falls into this category. The images on the websites seem to provide a pretty good representation and I usually seem to get exactly what I expected.

   Not so true when it comes to items like flooring, doors, appliances, etc.

6. 

   Deb on February 2, 2011 at 3:00 pm

   I totally second the renovation/remodeling estimation and services! I might be able to talk hubby into some additional properties that are structurally or location-wise good, but need a lot of renovation, if he knew he wouldn’t be doing the work, and I knew how much it would cost us.

7. 

   Art Eclectic on February 2, 2011 at 3:39 pm

   This is the set I’m going with for my kitchen redo – I used the same set in the bathroom.

   http://showhouse.moen.com/ecatalog/detail.jsp?En=8138%204294967264%20&Epr=SHOWHOUSE:S791BB&R=SHOWHOUSE:S791+SHOWHOUSE:S791BB+SHOWHOUSE:S791CSL

   When dealing with big box store installation services, keep in mind that what they do is put out bids to local contractors, take the low bid and then add their profit cut on top of that. So, you are getting the contractor who bid low and lost a good chunk of his profit margin so that the big box retailer could make theirs. The internets are full of horror stories about the quality of contractors you get through big box stores.

   Get estimates, by all means, but do not sign anything until you’ve gotten competing bids. Always get three bids for everything and always check your contractor license through the state board. Do thorough internet searches of anyone you are thinking of hiring. If you are going to use a big box retailer services, demand the contractor name up front so you can do your research.

   I had a *horrible* experience with using Home Depot installation services that is widely found all over the internet. I get mad, and then I get even in a very public way.

8. 

   mathinmiramesa on February 2, 2011 at 5:32 pm

   I was just at Faucet Factory last Saturday. I’ve used them in the past and am happy to use them in the future. One relevant story from a few years ago, I had ordered a kitchen faucet from Home Depot online, and when it arrived it was blemished. I sent the blemished part of the faucet back and got a replacement part that was also blemished. I ended up sending the whole faucet back and Faucet Factory got me a faucet with no blemish, and at a better price than Home Depot.

   Also, for the faucets we were looking at (Graff), searching google using the product number did not find a better price than what you can get at Faucet Factory.