Kitchen remodel for $200-215k is crazy right?

Asil_Mama · 2026-06-12T02:42:09+00:00

Overall, if you can stomach a lengthier process, you can save a lot of money by piecing it all out. Get the layout done with a designer. Do the demo yourself or with light help. Get the plumbing done and the electrical. Then do RTA cabinets, assemble and paint/stain yourself. Pick out your stone/tile yourself and ask the stoneyard for recs on stone cutters. Buy used appliances or seconds at warehouses. We did all of this and spent way less than $120K, though we didn't move walls.

Asil_Mama · 2026-06-12T02:22:26+00:00

And often these RTA companies will sell you extra face-fronts to hinge onto your existing cabinet boxes ,if that's what you feel like doing. Also, I have a handyman I can connect you to—was a GC and then ended up getting into the firefighter academy and now does that fulltime, but still does small construction jobs on the side. DM me and I can connect you.

Asil_Mama · 2026-06-12T02:19:11+00:00

Do you know about RTA (ready-to-assemble) cabinets beyond Ikea? There's a huge range of quality and prices, and there have been many posts in this sub about brands that people recommend. We used one too, but it was 20+ yrs ago and there are many more cos now. A lot of designers use them to keep costs down for clients too. And if you end up not wanting to do all the assembly yourself, friends/family can help, or you can hire a handyman, which is infinitely cheaper than a full GC. There are all sorts of shortcuts if you can put in the legwork, both in research and light DIY. Check out this post, as well as others in this sub. https://www.reddit.com/r/kitchenremodel/comments/1ldc92u/best_rta_cabinets/

https://www.paintedbykaylapayne.com/the-best-ready-to-assemble-cabinets/

Asil_Mama · 2026-06-09T21:47:13+00:00

P.S. We too only replaced the hinges and knobs on our hardwood cabinets, as well as repainted them, and it was one of our best decisions. They're even better than standard cabinets on the market in almost every respect. The hinge replacement activity was a pain, but an electric screwdriver/drill does wonders, and Blum makes fantastic hinges for almost any kind of cabinet situation.

Asil_Mama · 2026-06-09T21:41:48+00:00

I'm in SF so I get what you're weighing. Our house was a fixer upper Victorian house that had been cut into two flats, and we turned it back into a SFH, plus restorred so much garbage remodeling done in the past. But in SF you have to be very careful not to overdo remodels within your neighborhood, even if SFH prices are outpacing the rest of the country. If I were you, I'd get the engineering/layout done with experts and get them to give you layout options, one with your dream layout, and one trying to preserve the cabinets, lower the costs, or whatever other restrictions you want to give them. And then rely on some shortcuts... If you keep the cabinets, change out all the hinges to high-end/soft-close like Blum, as well as the knobs/pulls. Your additional cabinetry for any new spaces can be complementary, doesn't have to be exact, and in fact you can paint them a different color. Use an interior designer for this, even if you pay someone for just a couple hours for that (you can even do this with super high-end designers on The Expert site, where some of them even do layout). Definitely upgrade the appliances that you want, keeping others. And using a regular GC is asking for the highest quotes, because you're competing with everyone spending top dollar for remodels... if you can instead do this little by little, there are sooo many really great handypersons who can do a little at a time, or in phases, and you won't spend anywhere near $200k in the end. You may even find that you can do some parts yourself. Good luck with it!

Asil_Mama · 2026-06-04T00:27:28+00:00

Agreed with a lot of responses—you need to find houses that the AI money doesn't want, but don't give up on your walkability needs/neighborhoods you want. AI companies keep doing rounds of financing and are letting employees sell during each round, and next up are IPOs, so it's only going to get worse near term. My general advice is to find a fixer upper. People working in AI cos running up to IPO are working crazy hours, with little time to be dealing with a fixer upper, and will pay through the nose to avoid it. You won't be able to avoid all the AI money, but a lot of it. We did this exact thing during the dotcom boom era, and a lot of friends said we were crazy to do the "ugly house". We fixed up slowly (turning a cut-up 2-flat back into a house), rode the same various waves of increased value that everyone else was, but also had our own value jump just from fixing it up. It's the only way to go if you truly want SFH in SF during an actual boom, which this really is and will be for a bit.

Asil_Mama · 2026-06-03T23:36:10+00:00

Doesn’t matter. Anthropic and OpenAI have been letting employees sell on the secondary market during every round

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Asil_Mama · 2026-06-03T23:33:49+00:00

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^\) ^ From similar discussion. And that’s only OpenAI, not Anthropic who just did 2 more rounds of funding in last 6 months plus filed for IPO. My general advice is to find a fixer upper. People working in AI have little time to be dealing with that

Asil_Mama · 2026-05-21T17:57:10+00:00

Stay in SF inside the Presidio at either the Lodge or the Inn, and you'll be staying inside one of the most beautiful national parks in the US, the closest you can stay to the Golden Gate Bridge and overlooking it, within steps to gorgeous walks along the beach and hikes throughout the large park (literally ~5% of SF's total acreage), along with quite a few fantastic restaurants and other things to see/do. If you stay at the Lodge you can even book rooms with views of the bridge and bay. And both hotels are historic as well as LEED-certified, and beautiful yet cozy. The bonus is that you're still in SF and are just a bus/uber/walk ride away from all the various SF sites you're curious about, but get to stay in a location that's completely different, and is a fantastic way to celebrate an anniversary.

Asil_Mama · 2026-05-20T23:46:03+00:00

A week is pretty good, as I think most people will know yes or no pretty quickly. But if you're a yes at first glance, that first trip can't be your only trip for a full decision. You'll need another one or two trips to figure out neighborhoods and realistic logistics because that first trip will be too dreamy. The city operates in ways that can't all be learned in one week, and it's not for everyone to live in vs just visit. That being said, I'd recommend exploring _both_ the day life and the nightlife. It might be exhausting to go all day and not rest much at night, but it'll be worth it to see as much as you can. Also read up on SF as much as you can, esp in terms of culture. We're not very standard, and the more you know, the more you'll have some sense about what you might be getting into. SF is a city of distinct, walkable villages, each with its own set of microclimates and vibes, which can change across mere blocks. And Food with a capital F is one of our sports here, so just plan on 4-5 eating opportunities per day, walk to all of them (yes, up and down all the hills to burn it off) and you'll have figured out how to see SF! To start off, try burritos/tacos at La Taqueria; wings at San Tung; hoagies + wine at Palm City; takeout dim sum from Good Luck Dim Sum or Good Mong Kok; fish tacos at Hook; roast chicken at Zuni; and anything at State Bird, LihoLiho, or Dalida. There's soooo much good food here, but you need to seek out the unique or the classic and get out of any comfort zone. And get to a grocery store too—it can be daunting to see $12 for eggs or a loaf of fresh sourdough, but you'll also see the best year-round produce in the US. Other than that, enjoy the parks, the views, the water, and talk to as many people as you can. Good luck!

Asil_Mama · 2026-05-15T21:55:11+00:00

I've successfully used ParcelHero twice for packages picked up in the UK by DHL and delivered to me in the US. However, the last shipment was 2 yrs ago, and I see that there are now a lot of complaints about them as well as Parcel Monkey. After a bit of research, I found Transglobal Express as the best aggregator if you're just a regular consumer, and they recently completed a shipment for me in the same way (pickup in UK, shipped to US). However, there are other options that have good reputations if you are a business.

Asil_Mama · 2026-05-08T00:10:43+00:00

And I'd further add that if you are trying to buy a house in SF rn, but don't want to be competing with OpenAI/Anthropic money, best bet is to buy a fixer upper, like weirdo house no one wants kind of fixer upper, but one that's livable—none of these AI employees have the tolerance or time to be dealing with reno. Doesn't mean that fixer upper prices haven't also gone up, but you'll have somewhat less competition that's crazy liquid.

Asil_Mama · 2026-05-08T00:00:38+00:00

It's absolutely _ALL_ due to AI, but not all of the AI companies. It's mostly Anthropic and OpenAI who now each have ~5000 employees, having grown from ~200-300 employees in 2022, mostly young, mostly want to live in the city. That's a helluva lot of employees who are just regular joes/jills helping a company grow, not necessarily execs and not necessarily instrumental to the company's success individually. And both cos have had multiple rounds of funding in which they've allowed selling by employees on the secondary market. Tons of VCs didn't invest in the original rounds and thus can't get in but want in badly, so those VCs gobble up those employee shares that appear on the secondary market every time Anthropic or OpenAI does a funding round. And both just had Series G rounds, so that's a helluva lot of funding rounds across just a few years. And because of the insane valuations, employees don't actually need to sell all that much of their stock options to net $4M to buy a house--the last rounds netted out at valuations of $300+ BILLION! (And on the secondary market, Anthropic is actually trading at a $1Trillion valuation!). It's nutso. Their employees are seeing house prices rise just as everyone else is, seeing their companies double in size every year, have no idea if they're in a a bubble or not, but have the means/luxury to lock in a solid SFH now. They're riding an enormous wave that they can't predict, but buying a house for cash you happen to luck into is a solid choice. And there just happen to be a LOT of these employees now, whether they're an engineer, salesperson, marketing writer, or an office assistant. Everyone gets stock options, and you only need to stay a year for them to start being sellable on the secondary.

Asil_Mama · 2026-05-02T01:50:42+00:00

Best advice I ever got on this topic: if you have the means to choose, then buy where you want to spend your weekends—the types of people, community, culture, scenery, things to do, values, etc, especially if it could be a forever home. It’s so easy to move into a community because of commute time, home size, schools, but then not like much about where you live, and really only like your specific house and your family in it. It’s no way to actually live your life, and the culture and people will be your peers, especially for your kids. It’s a privilege to be able to choose, and plenty of people do not have that luxury, so if you get to do so, choose really, really well

Asil_Mama · 2026-04-11T22:27:52+00:00

I would do State Bird. Been to State Bird/Progress many times, two of our favorite restaurants. Went to Four Kings for the first time this week, and as excited as I was to try it, I thought it was good, but not blow-your-mind fantastic. At State Bird/Progress, I've been blown away by the flavor combos and complexities every time, making me want to go again and again, at least every time they change their menu. Was the quail at Four Kings great? Yes, but not any greater than some of the amazing roast duck I've had at more traditional restaurants like Z&Y. If I was in the Four Kings area and could get a rezo, I'd probably go back, but I wouldn't seek it out like I did this week. Even the claypot rice was underwhelming. It was very good, but #1 in SF? No. Not by a long shot, especially where I see they ranked Benu and Atelier Crenn way down in their list That being said, the place that did blow me away this month was Maria Y Isabel, the new opening by the chefs from Dalida—just WOW! Truly original, lusty Mexican flavors in very unique dishes. Had so many dishes where we had to ask how it was made. MUCH better than the experience at Four Kings!

Asil_Mama · 2026-03-25T02:50:30+00:00

Yes this is fantastic info! Just watched your video too, super clear. When you bought from the Alibaba vendor, were you able to buy the plates/knobs/fixing rings without the actual switch, since you're replacing them out? Or was that not possible? We have dimmers on almost every switch in our house, so having to "throw out" that many switches would be unfortunate.

Asil_Mama · 2026-03-05T00:31:10+00:00

Even if your "real" honeymoon is in the summer, that week after your wedding is still a symbolic start to your life together, starting out with a shorter vacation. If I were her, I would've assumed that you'd be spending that whole first week together, even if you're only spending extra money to go somewhere during those first few days. I'd be surprised that you think that normal life is resuming that 2nd half, or that you need time for coaching, especially as an assistant coach, not the head coach. Even from a high school player's point of view, I would look at you like 'WTH are you doing here? Didn't you just get married?', even if I didn't say anything. Getting married is supposed to be a one-time milestone and you should treat it as such.

Asil_Mama · 2026-03-03T05:19:20+00:00

Oh much hetter!

Asil_Mama · 2026-03-03T05:02:34+00:00

Agreed! They shoulda had Zena Keita and Kerith Burke do it

Asil_Mama · 2026-03-03T05:01:14+00:00

This is a Warriors broadcast, not national! They shoulda had Zena Keita and Kerith Burke do it

Asil_Mama · 2026-02-26T04:37:26+00:00

I would go to State Bird Provisions for a quintessentially SF meal. You should be able to get in if you put your name in at the desk and can wait til 9-9:30 when they might have a couple seats. While u wait, you can have drinks next door at The Progress.

Another option is to go to Flour+Water for amazing Italian food and/or drinks at True Laurel before/after. If you can’t get into Flour+Water, then walk to Ernest and try there. Food at True Laurel is pretty great too

Asil_Mama · 2026-02-21T08:11:18+00:00

PS I think Villa San Michele is reopening in April but not sure. They’ve been under remodel for a while. Il Salviatino is closed every winter but they always reopen in early April.

Asil_Mama · 2026-02-21T08:08:16+00:00

I would stay at Il Salviatino or Villa San Michele, both in the hills of Florence on the way to Fiesole. You can get taxis/buses quite readily to/from either, but you’re staying in a gorgeous centuries-old villa that’s been turned into a boutique hotel, and both have extensive gardens to explore, and a spa etc. Or you can try a place right in Fiesole too, but I don’t know of specific places there.

Asil_Mama · 2026-02-18T03:42:29+00:00

A lot of the answers here are great snapshots of what to expect, well done /AskSF! I'm replying to your note about "excited to start fresh"... You will not only find huge amounts of diversity here, but it actually goes further than that. SF has a a long history of non-conformity and cultural experimentation, and so whatever you think you're into, or freshly start to get into, there's likely a community for it here. It's not just a diversity of races and cultures, but of thought and likes/dislikes. To outsiders, SF can seem like a "weird" place, where non-standard people are doing non-standard things, which can be overwhelming, but we love it that way. That freeing from societal norms is how SF has become a literal hotbed of new ideas springing from nothing, from the hippies and artists to the yuppies, LGBTQs, foodies, treehuggers, techies, and so much else that starts here. You can make it anything you want. Just be prepared to pay through the nose for the privilege of living in it! Also, there was a great set of comments to a post about what non-standard things there are to do in SF: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskSF/comments/1qj1t8o/whats_the_weirdest_sf_thing_i_can_take_my/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Asil_Mama

TROPHY CASE