OCTOBER 4, 2024

For the last few weeks, we’ve been taking my house plans to each sales training at Drexel. The team gets the plan and values engineers it. I will be honest, I was lowkey not looking forward to this because in my brain value engineering was a fancy word for getting rid of things I want. Per usual, my perception was wrong. Kind of conceptual, kind of not, but it was used as a training tool of “your price is way too high, what can you do for me”. Without sacrificing everything that gives the house character. Clear as mud. The goal is we do this for all customers depending on their needs. 

My sources tell me “value engineering a systematic and organized approach to providing the necessary functions in a project at the lowest cost”. The sales team put their own preferences aside, and came up with ideas that would save thousands of dollars. There were some things I was just simply not willing to budge on. But that’s where “what are you most excited about” comes into play. Here were the changes that could save some $$$:

Millwork Changes

• -Change trim to to MDF instead of poplar. Same look, different product. Some builders don’t necessarily love doing this because it could be seen as glorified cardboard, but in my case, I didn’t care a ton about the trim. 
• -Finishing the basement right away would cost a few thousand now versus $30k or whatever it would be down the road. I don’t need the space right now, so I’m not going to be finishing the basement.  But this could be a cost savings down the road if I finished it right away.
• -Change closet/ bedroom doors to flush, hollow doors instead of bifold.
• -Drywall return. This came up a few posts back. I don’t love the look, and I feel like it will be noticed. I decided I wasn’t willing to do this.
• -Could do stained trim and painted doors (versus stained doors and painted trim)
• -If not willing to budge on the half wall versus railing, change the railing to verticable. I was cool with this as long as it was an open rail.

Flooring Changes

• -Thinking about what is easier to fix down the road. It may be easier to add a kitchen backsplash in ten years versus retiling a shower. Decide what’s more important. For me, I didn’t care a ton about the tile shower and wanted to invest in the kitchen. I chose to make tweaks in other areas, so I could have the kitchen I wanted. 
• -Like I mentioned, carpet in the master bedroom would save money. BUT, my dog stains everything. I was willing to put carpet in the loft and keep her off the second level since carpet would be cost effective there too. Keeping Blue Door LVP would not break the bank and my little queen can still roam the first floor. They did mention to keep in mind high traffic areas where carpet can get worn down before deciding what kind of flooring makes sense. 
• -Getting rid of LVT in the guest bathroom would save some money if replaced by Blue Door LVP. I was okay with this. I will hardly be in that bathroom, so swapping it out seemed like a good idea once we talked about it though. 
• -The powder room has a really cool, but expensive, tile. We could have done a vinyl sheet there with a cool pattern. However, they can be hard to repair and don’t have a big lifespan. While it might have saved some money right now, it’s not necessarily the biggest bang for my buck. 

Cabinetry Changes:

• -The majority of my cabinets are SMART which is very cost effective and a great product. The master bath is Marsh because I wanted a pop of color, but with the vanity being small, the price wasn’t astronomically different. 
• -I could have changed the cabinet by the laundry to be a small one with a drop space/ countertop to save about $500. We kept it tall for storage space. I do wish I would’ve done a countertop only because I know my dryer is going to be a drop zone for my keys, purse, etc. 
• -I had requested a spot to put the garbage can in the island, so it didn’t have to sit out. I could save money by putting the garbage in the pantry and getting rid of the stacked drawers in the island. 
• -There’s a cabinet to the left of the fridge that could easily go bye bye and eliminate the product and install cost there. 
• -Lazy Susans, you know that little spinny thing in the corner, are expensive. I did not know that and could get rid of it. Then I’d just really have to stretch when I want a snack way in the back, but I think it’d be okay.
• -The powder room sink could be a pedestal sink (no storage) since it won’t be a bathroom used a ton, outside of guests. I’d be cool with this. 
• -The master bath cabinet could be a 60” vanity with one sink. I think I would be okay with one sink, but I grew up using a bathroom with two sinks and it was clutch considering I had to share it with my two brothers. 

All Blue Doors product lines were a lifesaver. Blue Door is a Drexel brand (think Kirkland to Costco). There were enough options in each product category through Blue Door that I felt like I had a choice, but not an overwhelming amount that I couldn’t decide. Not to mention they’re just as high quality as every brand offered but readily available and a much friendlier price tag. 

Yeah, I might be biased, but I would recommend Blue Door products to anyone.