The most important room in every home is the kitchen. Often referred to as the “heart of the home” the kitchen serves as a place for more than just cooking and eating.
It’s where everyone gathers. It’s the room that often becomes the “catch all” for all sorts of things beyond food items – from mounds of mail to pet food and toys, electronics, children’s backpacks, coats, sports equipment and more.
In light of this, it’s no surprise that kitchen renovation is the remodeling job most in demand.
Whether a kitchen renovation is done to obtain more space or to freshen up the look – it’s something that seven out of ten homeowners will undertake.
Here are a few tips that will help you obtain the kitchen of your dreams:
Be able to answer the “Why are you remodeling?” question. When you meet with a kitchen designer, they will want to know why you are remodeling. Do you simply want a new look? Or do you want to update your kitchen in order to sell your home? Or, maybe there are special needs to be considered. Perhaps someone has arthritis and can’t reach up high to get the dishes. Or, maybe there are small children who shouldn’t be able to access certain cabinets.
Maintain Realistic Expectations
Remodeling a kitchen takes time. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to plan. If it’s already mid-November, there just won’t be enough time to remodel the kitchen by Christmas. Depending on the scope of a project, remodeling a kitchen may take from six to 12 weeks. If you’re adding on to the kitchen as well as remodeling, it may take up to six months.
Determine A Budget
Whether you’re simply replacing your kitchen cabinets or you’re going for a total makeover, from cabinets and counters to lighting and floor, you must figure out what you want to spend. Then you should share that magic number with your designer (even if it is just a ballpark figure). A good designer is not going to design a new kitchen for you that will cost $80K if your budget is $30K. Knowing the budget will guide your designer during planning and save a lot of time in the long run.
Show And Tell
Find examples of kitchens you like and bring them with you when you meet with a designer. Having a vision and a point of reference will help to get you to your goal. Cut out pictures of kitchens from magazines. Pay attention to the details in the picture that attract you to that particular kitchen. Then, make a note of what you like about the picture either by circling an item or jotting it down on a Post-It.
Kitchen Remodeling 101