Many people find themselves dreaming up ways that they could have the perfect kitchen remodeling project. With all the appliances, cabinets, sinks, backsplashes, flooring, lighting, and countertops that go into a kitchen renovation, you can spend endless hours imagining all the ways that your kitchen could be better.
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If a kitchen remodel is in your sights, you probably are wondering where to start and what to do next. The reality of your fun little kitchen remodeling idea is that it takes a lot of work and a lot of preparation to make your dream kitchen into the place you hope it will be. The kitchen that you want is within reach, but you will need to plan well to make it happen.
In order to aid you in your adventure from your old kitchen to your new kitchen, we have put together this list of eight kitchen renovation tips you need to think long and hard about before remodeling your kitchen. With each piece of advice, consider what it means for you and your kitchen. You will only have this one chance to remodel your kitchen, so it is good to consider these eight things before you begin.
Budget
You need to set a budget of how much you can afford to spend on your kitchen remodel. If you do not know how much your budget is, you could make huge errors in your planning and end up having to abandon the project before it is done.
Kitchen remodeling is one of the most expensive remodeling projects you can do, so you are going to need to figure out what you can afford. You may need to look into home equity loans, or taking money out of your savings to get your project done. There are lots of options, and you may want to speak with your financial advisor about your goals and what you can afford.
Realize that you will spend all the money that is available on your kitchen, you want to get the best results possible. To get your money’s worth on a kitchen that will last you a lifetime, choose the highest quality appliances and materials you can afford, they will pay off in the long term.
Set a Goal
It is good to know what you want out of your new kitchen. Are you remodeling so that you can sell your home? Do you want more counter space? Do you need more storage? Knowing what you need out of your new kitchen will help with your planning and design process.
A good exercise to come up with a goal is to imagine all the problems you have with your current kitchen. Cook a few meals and see what annoys you or seems wrong, and write them down. Now you know what you don’t like about a kitchen and your goals can include fixing all of those problems.
Once you have a goal and a budget, you will be ready for the next stages of your kitchen remodel with a good foundation.
Assemble a Team
You are going to need some help with your kitchen renovation. Even if you are doing it yourself, working with professional designers or tradespeople will help make sure that everything will go according to plan.
You will most likely want to hire a great contractor that you can feel comfortable working with to achieve your kitchen renovation goals. You will also want to work with an interior designer who can see the grand picture of your future kitchen and can draw everything out for you.
When you work with your designer, you will be glad that you have laid out your goals so that they can show you what that will look like on paper. Then they can help you change things that you are not sure about, and they can warn you about problems that could arise from some of your ideas and help you find a way to get what you want.
Consider Donating
When you are getting ready to actually start the project, consider donating any functional appliances or cabinets that you will be throwing away. Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore will be happy to come and pick up items that you want to donate.
By donating your usable but unwanted kitchen wares, you are helping to save space in landfills and you could be helping somebody who will be able to use your old stuff. While you are building your new kitchen, you should be thankful for what your old kitchen gave you and try to pass on anything usable to someone else.
Kitchen Ideas
When you are looking for kitchen remodeling ideas, websites like Pinterest and Instagram can be great sources of inspiration. You can save images that you like and show them to the designer that you are working with.
You can also look at other people’s kitchens for inspiration. It is fun to talk with people about their kitchen and pick their brains on what ideas they have for an even better one. Kitchen remodelers can be found everywhere, and they all have a lot of good ideas that you can take down as notes and use as your own ideas for your kitchen.
Appliances
You want to start your appliance shopping early to make sure that you get the right ones for your needs and that they will be available when you are ready to install. Manufacturers do tend to run out of stock, so don’t just assume there is an unlimited supply of the appliances you want.
You can get built-in appliances that look better and are often made of higher quality to last. For built-in appliances, you have to plan ahead to fit them into your kitchen in the right way.
There are so many appliances nowadays that you will have many choices to make. Do not go for the cheapest options, you want your kitchen to last a long time and cheap appliances will have problems or break down.
Build Time
You should get a good idea from your builder of how long the kitchen remodeling will take. From their estimate, you might want to add a few months, it just always takes longer than we anticipate, especially these days where suppliers are running out of stock and deliveries can take a long time.
You may need to move out of your house if the kitchen renovation is extensive enough. So you should have a plan of where you are going to live and how long you will live there. Consider this as part of the remodel budget too.
Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are a huge part of the budget of the kitchen remodel. You need to think for a long time about what style of cabinet you will use to get the storage you need and the look that you want.
Your interior designer will have some ideas about your cabinets and you should also be working with a cabinet maker who can help you through the design, build, and installation of cabinets.
Call us today to schedule an appointment or ask for a free estimate and design. You can also check us on Twitter anytime.