Before you sign a remodeling contract: the 3 traps that quietly add $20,000 or more to big remodels.
In this free 45-minute workshop, national award-winning designer Marta Layton shows you the one mistake that hands away control of your remodel before it starts — signing for the full amount on day one, before anyone's designed it — and what becomes possible when you don't. It's the same approach that helps her clients save $20,000 to $50,000.
Free. My gift to homeowners everywhere. Watch it before you start, and avoid the first big mistake: the one that gives away control of the rest of your remodel.
Watch The Workshop Now
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Why is this workshop pre-recorded, not live?
I have small kids, and most homeowners can't take time off work just to game-plan their remodel. So I recorded this workshop for you, so you can see it during your lunch break or in the evening. I plan to offer live Q&A sessions in the future.
— Marta Layton, CKBD, UDCP
Design before deposits.
Three words. One rule. It will protect you from more bad outcomes than anything else you can learn before a remodel. Come see how it works.
What design-first feels like from the homeowner's side
Marta's design clients, in their own words. Every quote is from a public Google review.
“Thanks to 3D design renderings, we knew exactly what our new kitchen would look like before we even broke ground … Our contractor also knew what to expect, which meant a seamless process from start to finish … all without last-minute surprises or change orders.”
Steve
Homeowner
She dreamed about this remodel for 15–20 years. She got as far as flooring samples.
One of Marta's clients carried the same remodel around in her head for almost two decades. Once, she even brought home flooring samples — then put them away and didn't touch the project again. Not because she didn't want it. Because she was terrified of getting it wrong.
From the very beginning, she really listened and turned my vague ideas into a beautiful reality. She guided me through every step — design, product selection, contractor bids, and construction — and was always available for questions. Her attention to detail and ability to stay on budget made the entire process smooth and stress-free. “I still can't believe this is my house!”
Diane • Whole Home Remodel (Verified Google Review)
Before
After
Before
AfterBeforeAfterBeforeAfterHere's the part nobody says out loud:
Most homeowners don't stall over money. They stall because they don't know where to start — and the way most remodels get sold, the first step really is where the expensive mistakes happen. You just can't see them yet.
You've already heard the warnings.
Expect it to cost more. Expect it to take longer. Expect it to go sideways at least once. Most homeowners accept it as the price of a new kitchen.
How typical contracts quietly creep up by tens of thousands
From initial optimistic estimate to final mid-project reality
The Allowance Trap
The tile you want costs three times the allowance. You pay the difference.
Change-Order Spiral
Something turns up behind the drywall, priced mid-project when you can't shop it.
Forced Custom Cabinets
Cabinets drawn so only custom fits — nobody mentions the RTA version at half the price.
In 45 minutes, you'll learn the one mistake that costs you control — and see what's possible once you avoid it.
The workshop won't run your whole remodel for you. It stops you from making the first mistake — and shows you the process that does.
The one mistake that costs you control.
Signing a contract and handing over the full deposit before your project is designed. Why even smart homeowners make it — and what you give away the moment you sign on day one.
What that mistake costs you.
Three traps it unlocks: the allowance trap, the change-order spiral, and forced custom — the $20K–$50K that quietly shows up mid-project, when you can't shop it.
What's possible when you don't make it.
A look at the full Design-Price-Build process — the order of steps that keeps you in control from first sketch to signed contract. It's the path the full course walks you through.
Real projects, real numbers.
The load-bearing column a contractor swore couldn't come out. The $2,000 change order one drawing erased. A national award winner built with RTA cabinets for ~$65K all in.
Is this right for your project?
This workshop is designed specifically for large-scale kitchen, bath, and whole-home remodels.
This is for you if:
- Your project changes how the house works: walls move, rooms open up, or several spaces get remodeled at once
- You can't picture the finished space yet, and nobody has shown it to you
- You've dreamed about this remodel for years — but the fear of what it'll cost, and living through months without your kitchen, has you stuck putting it off one season after another
- You don't know whether it's a $60,000 project or a $160,000 one
- You haven't signed anything yet, and you want the real number before you do
This isn't for you if:
- You're doing a refresh: paint, new hardware, a backsplash, or a faucet swap
- You're swapping countertops or cabinet doors and keeping everything else
- One trade could quote your whole project from a couple of photos
- Demo starts Monday and everything is already signed
- You're building a new custom home from a blank slate — building new is a different, far simpler game than renovating an old one
Your guide: Marta Layton
Marta learned remodeling inside a high-end design-build firm that served some of the wealthiest homeowners in the country. Their process was simple: design everything first, price it second, build it third.
Most contractors do it backwards. They lock you into a contract first and figure out the design later, on their terms. Marta took that high-end process and brought it to regular budgets — so a remodel like yours can come in on budget, on timeline, and without surprises. The workshop shows you the first step; the full course walks you through the rest.