Aksesuar Design says homeowners should compare 7 scope items in kitchen bids

Aksesuar Design in Alexandria is urging Northern Virginia, Washington and Maryland homeowners to compare kitchen remodeling proposals by scope, not just total price. The studio says two bids can both be accurate when one includes more work, allowances or installation than the other.

Why it matters: - Kitchen remodeling bids can look dramatically different even when both are legitimate. - The real cost gap is often what each proposal leaves out, not just the dollar total. - Comparing scope before price can help homeowners avoid signing a partial proposal by mistake.

What happened: - Aksesuar Design, a kitchen design and build studio in Alexandria, Virginia, advised homeowners in Northern Virginia, Washington, DC and Maryland to check seven scope items before comparing kitchen remodeling totals. - The studio said two proposals for the same kitchen can both be accurate when one covers the whole room and the other covers only part of it. - The seven parts of a full kitchen remodel are design, cabinetry, countertops, appliances, construction, delivery and installation. - Aksesuar Design recommends writing those seven items down a page and marking each proposal as included, excluded or carried as an allowance.

The details: - An allowance is a placeholder amount for an item not yet chosen, such as a countertop slab or appliance package. - A proposal total can change after the homeowner makes the final selection. - Installation can be easy to miss on a cabinetry quote. - A cabinetry quote can be mistaken for a full remodeling quote. - Aksesuar Design says its own cabinetry proposals are itemized down to each cabinet, front, countertop, handle and internal fitting. - The studio says countertops, appliances, construction and installation are priced separately unless the proposal includes them. - Sam Kanberoglu, managing partner at Aksesuar Design, said homeowners should lay proposals side by side and cross out what they both include. - Kanberoglu said the remaining items are what homeowners are really choosing between.

Between the lines: - The guidance reflects a common sales problem in remodeling: low totals can be driven by missing scope rather than better pricing. - The advice also shifts the homeowner’s focus from headline price to contract clarity, which can reduce disputes later. - Because cabinetry is often built to order, the decision window matters as much as the final number.

What's next: - Aksesuar Design is urging homeowners to ask each firm how change orders are handled after signing. - The studio says built-to-order cabinetry cannot be returned or exchanged. - The best time to change a design is before approval, while revisions are still part of the process. - The company also points homeowners to its social channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Pinterest.

The bottom line: - For kitchen remodeling, the cheapest proposal is not always the least expensive once missing scope is added back in.