The Makeover that Still Makes a Difference

By T.J. Clemente

In today's world of using green appliances and increasing the value of your home, many are revisiting the idea of upgrading the kitchen.

Scott Smith of Smith River Kitchens in East Hampton is considered a legend by many because of his skills, knowledge and track record of custom kitchen design and cabinetry installation. Smith explained that based on his experience, an old kitchen can devalue sale price by $20-$30,000, whereas putting in a deluxe, smartly designed modern kitchen increases the value from $50,000 to $100,000.

Well-designed and high-quality cabinetry with full custom installation starts at about $12,000. Completely redoing a kitchen starts at about $20,000. Yet for some homeowners, even after considering the return on investment, a kitchen renovation is a hard sell.

Years ago, a friend said of her husband Phil, "He sends Harvard $300,000 every year but wouldn't let me spend $20,000 on the kitchen. I did it anyway and in the end I was holding him back-he really got into it."

Of course, you could be a DIY-er, but a real estate agent told me that people who do kitchens themselves usually don't save money and end up devaluing their homes. "These are million-dollar homes, not trailers," he said. "Yet some homeowners try to take short cuts on the kitchen, which is perhaps the most important room in a home. What are they thinking?"

Everything has a season, including kitchen upgrades. Design is typically done early in the year and most of the work is usually completed before June. August is another popular month for planning and design for homeowners who want the project completed for the holidays. Smith explained that installing cabinetry takes two to three weeks. Designing, building and completing a total redo will take from two to three months.

To do the job, Smith River's licensed architects provide 3-D renderings of a project that can be combined with historical period detailing. The company offers a full range of countertop, tile and finish materials, which they install.

While in these times a redo may not be a priority, a new kitchen is valuable; it improves energy usage and ups the list price of a home for sale. Smith thinks the cost of renovation is a small price to pay, considering what it could save elsewhere. He chuckled and said a well-designed kitchen "makes a living room obsolete."

Back to Contents