Obstacles and Opportunities: How New Tariffs Could Affect Your Remodeling Project
Here we go again. Proposed new tariffs on imported cabinetry and upholstered furniture is making headlines. How does it affect your remodeling project? The good news is that most of the cabinet companies that KitchenVisions orders from are made in the U.S. However, be aware that there are parts that come from overseas.
The ways we anticipate the tariffs could impact your project are:
1) Rising costs of materials and appliances: There will be tariff pressure on items imported in whole or part from outside of the United States. While some bigger corporations have vowed to absorb as much as they can, expect prices to rise and budget accordingly. We will guide you all along the way.
2) Volatility in fluctuating pricing: Because the tariffs are shifting from country to country, there will be less predictability in estimating costs (including materials and construction). Here is where timely decision-making practices will help, and we will do our best to mitigate any negative consequences of these sea changes.
3) Delays and supply chain disruption: Remember a few years ago during the height of the Covid pandemic when a lot of stuff was stuck in containers somewhere in the middle of the ocean? We anticipate more of these challenges.
4) Availability of first choice items: We may need to pivot on wish-list items if the price or timeline becomes prohibitive. But read on to see how we view this as an opportunity, too.
5) Stresses on our trade partners: remodelers, subcontractors and vendors will feel the impact of all of this, too. There will be frustration all around – on our part and yours. Remember, we’re all human and doing the best we can in the face of uncertainty.
Looking for positives
Throughout history, innovation is borne out of adversity. So, what can we do?
1) We can talk it out. Communication is key in situations like this. We are educating ourselves and passing along everything we know to our clients when it impacts a project.
2) Our designs will shift to accommodate the changes around us. Here is where creativity will truly come into play. Our spaces reflect the times in which we live, so we will push the boundaries and look for unconventional solutions to whatever obstacles are thrown our way.
3) We will source closer to home with products made in America like Vermont Danby marble from regional stone quarries like Vermont Marble and Granite. Again, ordering cabinetry manufactured in the U.S. or from bespoke cabinetry shops.
Can American-made cabinets look like sleek European cabinetry? Well, yes and no. The boxes – the structural foundation of what everything else is attached to and attaches to the wall – can be made here. The doors and/or hardware may be made abroad and where the cost increase happens.
4) We can embrace local and regional craftsmanship. New England has a bountiful artisan community so we can look to use more of this type of material in projects. It will be as functional and beautiful as ever, but also maybe more special and unique.
5) We will work closely with our project partners – remodelers, subcontractors, and vendors to figure out the best ways to handle what’s happening and communicate with you.
This isn’t the first time the kitchen and bath industry has been faced with headwinds, and it won’t be the last time. If you have worked with us before, you know our commitment to the work we do for our clients at KitchenVisions. If you’re thinking about starting a project with us, we will put our experience, ingenuity and resources together to make your home everything you imagine it could be.