Why our way is better than a Design and Build company.

Why the Main Line Kitchen Design way is SO MUCH BETTER than any Design and Build company.  

Many potential customers call Main Line Kitchen Design believing  they want a company that will “do it all,” meaning they design the kitchen, sell all the necessary materials and install everything. This type of company is known as ‘Design and Build’ and hiring one assures several things not in homeowners’ best interests.

1. Homeowners who hire Design and Build companies over pay substantially.  This happens because Design and Build companies insert an extra middle man in every purchase and installation transaction.  You’re not actually buying or receiving any services from the company – they source out everything and mark it up before selling it to you.
2. Homeowners get less experienced advice from Design and Build companies because no company can be experts at everything.  Main Line Kitchen Design maintains and offers a broad network to provide the most knowledgeable sources to our customers – Main Line Kitchen Design Discount Vender List
3. Design and Build company installers are generally good but expensive; their prices are higher because their business model includes making a profit on every transaction.  Alternatively, kitchen designers who are cabinet dealers have their profits built into the cabinet pricing.  Customers receive competitively priced cabinetry, expert advice and no markups on the other components of their renovations.  
4. Design and Build firms rarely offer warranties for more than 12 months.  
5. The most important person involved in a kitchen renovation is the kitchen designer.  Again, because of their business model, designers at Design and Build companies are low paid and, therefore, less experienced and knowledgeable. Independent Cabinet Dealers pay the best designers many times what Design and Build companies, home centers, or discount cabinet shops pay.  Accordingly, the best and most experienced kitchen designers work at independent cabinet dealers like Main Line Kitchen Design.
6. Design and Build Companies offer very limited selections of cabinet brands, countertops and, if offered at all, other materials like flooring, tile, and fixtures. Limited options generally lead to compromises as to what is best suited for projects.  
7. Even the limited selection of materials that a Design and Build firm offers will generally be chosen by the company owner, who is unlikely to be knowledgeable enough to make well-informed offerings.  

Compare that experience to how Main Line Kitchen Design works versus a Design and Build Company.

1. Main Line Kitchen Design customers have 7 brands of cabinets and many types and brands of countertops to choose from. This is because because we are cabinet and countertop dealers. They all have lifetime warranties. The owner and Main Line Kitchen Design’s designers chose the brands that we sell. They are all experts in the areas of cabinetry and countertops. Each of our designers have 20 years or more experience in the industry!  
2. The kitchen designers who work for Main Line Kitchen Design are highly paid professionals with many years in our industry. They are well paid because they each sell a million dollars a year or more in cabinetry. They each measure and design between 50 and 100 kitchens each and every year. They design in every style, color, and type of cabinet on the market.
3. Main Line Kitchen Design recommends other professionals for appliances, flooring, plumbing fixtures and lighting. The companies we recommend have agreed to give our customers preferred pricing because we recommend them and give them business. Main Line Kitchen Design makes no money recommending these companies. However, they always take great care of our customers or we wouldn’t continue to recommend them. These suppliers like Kieffer’s Appliances or Avalon Flooring and Tile are some of the most knowledgeable in their industries. They also have the broadest product selections available.  
4. The Main Line Kitchen Design design process includes helping our customers coordinate all of their selections. However, each expert salesperson for flooring, tile, appliances, and fixtures also provides advice. The combination of everyone’s expertise helps homeowners make better selections and spend their budget more effectively.
5. When the time comes to get pricing on the construction part of the kitchen renovation we have created together, Main Line Kitchen Design will recommend general contractors who we know are a good fit for the project. We assess this fit on contractor’s experience with the type of project, location, availability and other factors. These contractors will do everything from demolition to finish painting. Most importantly, we have them bid against each along with any other contractors our customers choose. This assures that our customers get competitive construction bids.
6. We make no money recommending contractors.  Like the other professionals we recommend, they provide top of the line work to continue receiving referrals from us.  So, we have some control over the contractors. Best of all, our customers save the 20 or 30% markup other dealers and home centers charge subbing out projects. Many of Main Line Kitchen Design’s hundreds of Google, Houzz, Angie’s and Yelp reviews highlight customers’ high praise for the people we recommend.
7. The construction process is simpler when homeowners are working directly with the contractor. Needing to run everything by another professional is less direct. Of course, we are always available to consult on any decision. It just isn’t needed unless the homeowner or contractor wants our advice.

Once I explain all this to the people I speak with, nearly all agree that our system is better and in their best interest. They agree that, in fact, they do not even want a company that will “do it all”.

Happy July 4th! Hope you are staying cool this summer. .  . and of course . . .

Bon appétit!

Paul

Read another blog on this topic

Design and Build and Why Splitting the Two Can Make Sense.