What’s the Diff?

I toured a luxury condo development with my mother-in-law today. “Now this one has all the bells and whistles…” said the property manager after we sashayed through one of the more expensive options. “What does that mean exactly?” MIL inquired. “This unit is all custom cabinetry and woodwork. Custom as in Mercedes-Benz quality.” Not letting on to my occupation, I enjoyed her appreciation immensely.

I had already pulled open drawers, opened and closed cabinets, regarded the make and quality to realize she was correct. Being in an industry where many consumers are ill informed about cabinetry construction and finishing quality is frustrating. (I wrote a blog about the similarities between purchasing a sofa and investing in kitchen and bath cabinetry and it was well received. Seems the word cannot be expressed enough.)
Years ago, I conducted a class for a local group of realtors about assessing the actual value of any kitchen in a property they were marketing. It was a basic class designed to help them appreciate the “work triangle” and evaluating quality cabinetry. It was refreshing to hear my own thoughts out of someone else’s mouth.