Whether you’re getting ready to put your home on the market or are planning to stay in your home for a while longer, a kitchen remodel can be one of the best home improvement projects to take on. Since many home buyers tend to put a lot of emphasis on kitchens, renovating your kitchen can help add some value to your home and make it more appealing to potential buyers. Or if you want to stay in your home a while longer, homeowners who renovate their kitchens typically report being extremely satisfied with the results and find it adds a lot of enjoyment to their home.
However, kitchen remodels are often complicated and very expensive. The last thing you want is to get overwhelmed by unexpected costs and construction taking longer than you expected. Before you get started, here are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind to make the process go as smoothly as possible.
Take Time to Plan
Once you’ve made the decision to go through with a renovation project, it’s totally understandable that you might want to jump right in and get started as soon as possible, but it’s very important to take the time to thoroughly plan your project. Before you start calling up contractors to get estimates, figure out exactly what you want to accomplish with your kitchen remodel. Are you just trying to get rid of some outdated decor and fixtures or do you need to correct a larger problem like a layout that just isn’t functional?
What your main needs are will make a significant difference in what the total cost and scope of your project will be. A remodeling job that involves changing the placement of your electrical and plumbing systems will be a much bigger and more expensive job than one that involves only cosmetic changes. Plan your renovation down to the smallest details; what types of materials you want to use, what your color scheme should be, what type of backsplash you want, what hardware you want to have. Once you know exactly what you want from your project, you’ll be better able to communicate your needs with your contractor and avoid the extra costs that come with changing your mind later on.
Establish Your Budget
The total cost of a kitchen renovation job largely depends on the scope of the project. A job that involves completely tearing everything out and practically starting from scratch can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars. Talking to a few contractors and getting some estimates will help you see exactly where your money would be going, making it easier for you to figure out where to cut costs if necessary. For example, you may decide to stick with the countertop and flooring you want, but skip the recessed lighting and kitchen island. Cabinetry is another thing that can add a lot to the total cost of a kitchen renovation, so if you need a more budget-friendly plan, you may want to try finding less expensive ways of changing the way they look.
Since renovation projects are notorious for becoming more expensive than originally planned, don’t forget to leave some extra room in your budget for unforeseen expenses. Also, be sure to ask for itemized estimates from contractors so you can avoid unexpected hassles by knowing exactly what services they’ll be providing. It’s not uncommon for homeowners to hire a contractor based on their low estimate, only to find out the hard way that the contractor’s price was lower because it didn’t include something like trash removal.
What About Appliances?
With so many brand new things going into the kitchen, many homeowners are tempted to get new appliances while they’re at it. If you’re trying to keep on a budget, you’ll obviously want to try to keep your current appliances if possible, but if you really do need to replace them, make sure you measure how much space you have to work with before you head to the nearest appliance store.
Many homeowners get so excited by the idea of new appliances that they don’t think to figure out whether or not that amazing new stove or refrigerator will fit in the space where their current fridge or stove are. In some cases, homeowners aren’t even able to get their new appliances to fit through their doorways. If you really want to have a larger stove or refrigerator, changes may need to be made to your kitchen layout to accommodate them. Since this will have a big difference on the cost of your job and how long it takes, it’s important to consider this early on in the process.
