| Home improvement materials, as well as skilled labor, | | | | selecting the particular stone for their home |
| have continually increased in cost. With the average | | | | improvement kitchen or bathroom remodel, asking for |
| home owner still experiencing tightened purse strings, | | | | pricing discounts is always a good idea. Fabricators |
| home improvement projects and remodeling may | | | | may give price breaks for straight cash payments |
| have been put on hold. For those home owners and | | | | instead of using a credit card for making the purchase. |
| individuals whom are not encumbered by severely | | | | Paying by cash or check will eliminate the fees banks |
| limited funds will probably still want to save as much | | | | charge to vendors when a customer pays using a |
| money as possible on any remodel. In order to save | | | | credit card. These fees vary, but often range from |
| money on a remodel, such as granite countertops, | | | | about 3% to 9% of the total purchase price. These |
| vanities and fireplaces, it is highly recommended not to | | | | 3% to 9% savings can easily be passed on to the |
| buy from the large brick-and-mortar home | | | | customer and can mean hundreds of dollars in savings. |
| improvement superstores. | | | | Another way to save big bucks can be based on the |
| There are several reasons not to patronize these | | | | square footage of the granite or other stone area. |
| home improvement retail warehouses. These cookie | | | | Looking at the remnants can also be a great way to |
| cutter stores have a specific formula for pricing | | | | save some expense. If the countertop, vanity, shelving |
| marble, granite and other stone countertops and it | | | | or fireplace upgrade is a small area, remnants may be |
| does not allow room for any negotiating or flexibility in | | | | a perfect opportunity and a win-win situation for both |
| pricing. The reason for being so rigid and set in stone is | | | | the customer and the stone fabricator. Conversely, if |
| because of the overhead involved. The inflated prices | | | | the expanse of the project will be covering multiple |
| are set in order to pay for sales associates, | | | | areas such as a mantle, hearth and fireplace, a kitchen |
| commissions, large amounts of product inventory, | | | | countertop and island, and a bar countertop, an overall |
| product transportation costs, insurance, electricity, | | | | quantity discount may be available. |
| several middlemen... The list goes on and on. | | | | Another likely method of saving money will be |
| While many stone fabricators also have similar costs | | | | choosing a fabricator which also installs the stone |
| regarding staffing, insurance and transportation costs, | | | | materials. Some stone fabricators may just produce |
| often times there are no middlemen involved. The | | | | the size and shape of a countertop, but will not |
| fabricators can purchase slabs directly from the | | | | perform the actual installation. If this is the case, a |
| quarries and therefore eliminate the need for charging | | | | separate installer will likely end up costing the home |
| a high premium. In addition, there can be several more | | | | owner a good amount more than a "complete solution" |
| advantages and room for flexibility in the pricing. | | | | fabricator. |
| Whenever the home owner is prepared to begin | | | | |