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Cary Kitchen Remodeling: The Dedicated Designer Model · USA Cabinet Store Remodeling Podcast

• 0:04
  Welcome back to The Remodel Report, the show
• 0:07
  where we break down what is really happening
• 0:09
  in kitchen and bathroom modeling, one project
• 0:11
  at a time. I am Chris, and as always, I am here
• 0:14
  with my co -host, Jessica. Jessica, we have got
• 0:17
  a good one today. We sure do, Chris. Today we
• 0:20
  are talking about a change at USA Cabinet Store
• 0:23
  down in Cary, North Carolina. They just rolled
• 0:26
  out something called a dedicated regional designer
• 0:28
  model. And honestly, it solves one of the most
• 0:31
  common headaches homeowners run into during a
• 0:33
  remodel. Okay, dedicated regional designer. Break
• 0:37
  that down for me. What does it actually mean
• 0:39
  for someone who walks into that Cary showroom?
• 0:42
  So here is the idea. Instead of getting passed
• 0:45
  around between a salesperson, then a contractor,
• 0:49
  then an installer, you get one designer who owns
• 0:52
  your entire project. From the very first measurement
• 0:56
  all the way through final installation, it is
• 0:59
  the same person. They handle design development,
• 1:02
  product selection, permit coordination with the
• 1:05
  town of Cary and Wake County, and even installation
• 1:07
  scheduling. One point of contact, the whole way
• 1:11
  through. That is a big deal. Because the number
• 1:14
  one complaint I hear about renovations is communication
• 1:17
  falling apart. Exactly. And the data backs that
• 1:20
  up. The National Association of the Remodeling
• 1:23
  Industry, or NAHRI, points to consistent project
• 1:27
  management and single point communication as
• 1:29
  critical factors in preventing delays and keeping
• 1:32
  homeowners happy. When you have one person accountable,
• 1:35
  things just do not slip through the cracks as
• 1:37
  easily. And this is not brand new for the company,
• 1:40
  right? They tested it somewhere first. Right.
• 1:43
  It is already up and running at their Fairfax
• 1:45
  and Chantilly locations in Virginia, and Carrie
• 1:48
  is the newest showroom to adopt it. So this is
• 1:51
  a proven model they are expanding, not an experiment.
• 1:55
  Let us talk about why Carrie specifically. What
• 1:57
  is going on in that housing market that makes
• 1:59
  this timing make sense? Great question. The carry
• 2:03
  market is stabilizing. According to Zillow data
• 2:05
  from April 2026, home values in carry average
• 2:09
  around $600 ,000, which is actually down about
• 2:12
  1 .4 % year over year. Redfin puts the median
• 2:16
  sale price near $630 ,000, and that is significantly
• 2:20
  higher than the North Carolina state median of
• 2:23
  about $367 ,600. So homes are pricey, and the
• 2:28
  market is cooling just slightly. How does that
• 2:30
  push people toward remodeling? Because when the
• 2:33
  market normalizes like that, fewer people want
• 2:35
  to sell and rebuy at these prices. Instead, they
• 2:39
  invest in the home they already have. Emin Halak,
• 2:43
  the CEO of USA Cabinet Store, put it well. He
• 2:46
  said Kerry and the wider triangle have many homeowners
• 2:49
  who value their neighborhoods and prefer reinvesting
• 2:52
  in their current homes rather than relocating.
• 2:54
  That tracks. And a kitchen is usually the smartest
• 2:57
  place to put that money, isn't it? It really
• 2:59
  is. The 2025 cost versus value report from Remodeling
• 3:04
  Magazine and Zonda found that a mid -range minor
• 3:06
  kitchen remodel averages $27 ,492 nationally,
• 3:11
  and it recovers roughly 96 % of its cost at resale.
• 3:16
  That makes it the top interior renovation project
• 3:18
  for value retention. And North Carolina, in the
• 3:21
  South Atlantic region, typically matches or even
• 3:24
  beats those national return rates. 96 % back.
• 3:28
  That is about as close to a sure thing as you
• 3:30
  get in home improvement. Okay, so if I am a Cary
• 3:33
  homeowner and I want to check this out, what
• 3:36
  does getting started actually look like? Very
• 3:38
  low pressure. The Cary showroom offers consultations
• 3:42
  in a few formats, in -store, virtual, or a quick
• 3:45
  advice session, and they are all free. They also
• 3:48
  include complimentary VR 3D design services with
• 3:51
  no obligation to buy. So you can literally see
• 3:54
  your kitchen in 3D before you commit to anything.
• 3:56
  and the company is fully licensed, bonded, and
• 3:59
  insured. I love the VRPs. Being able to walk
• 4:02
  through the design before a single cabinet is
• 4:04
  ordered takes so much of the guesswork out. Speaking
• 4:08
  of cabinets, what are they actually working with
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  down there? The Cary showroom carries nine cabinet
• 4:13
  lines, and they really span the whole range.
• 4:16
  On one end, you have ready -to -assemble options,
• 4:19
  and on the other, you have German -engineered
• 4:21
  frameless construction. The lineup includes RTA
• 4:24
  cabinets, Fabuwood, So whether you are on a budget
• 4:38
  or going fully custom, there is something on
• 4:40
  the floor for you. And who are they serving geographically?
• 4:44
  The whole research triangle. That is Raleigh,
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  Durham, Chapel Hill, Apex, Morrisville, Holly
• 4:51
  Springs, and the surrounding communities across
• 4:53
  Wake, Durham, Orange, and Chatham counties. USA
• 5:03
  Cabinet Store was founded in 2011 and now operates
• 5:07
  14 showrooms across Virginia, Maryland, North
• 5:10
  Carolina, Texas, New Jersey, Florida, and Tennessee.
• 5:14
  They have completed thousands of kitchen and
• 5:16
  bath projects, and they hold a 4 .8 -star average
• 5:20
  across more than 600 customer reviews. On top
• 5:23
  of that, they earned the 2026 NKBA Innovative
• 5:27
  Showroom Award at KBIS 2026 in the Medium Size
• 5:31
  Kitchen and Bath Design Center category for their
• 5:34
  Houston, Texas Design Center. That is a serious
• 5:37
  resume. So the takeaway for today, Jessica, if
• 5:40
  you had to sum it up. If you are in the Cary
• 5:42
  area and you have been putting off a kitchen
• 5:44
  remodel because you dread the chaos of juggling
• 5:46
  contractors, this dedicated designer model is
• 5:49
  built exactly for you. One designer. start to
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  finish, free 3D design to preview it, and a kitchen
• 5:57
  remodel that returns almost all of its value.
• 6:00
  It is a smart way to reinvest in a home you already
• 6:02
  love. Perfectly said. That is it for this episode
• 6:06
  of the Remodel Report. If you found this helpful,
• 6:09
  follow the show and share it with someone who
• 6:11
  is planning a remodel. You can learn more or
• 6:14
  book a free consultation over at USACabinetStore
• 6:17
  .com. Thanks for listening, everybody. Thanks,
• 6:21
  everyone. We will see you in the next one.