All major home renovations present their own unique sets of challenges for the home owner, and as home improvement projects go, remodeling your kitchen is a pretty big one. As such, it behooves you to get it right the first time. This will not only ease the construction process itself, but it will result in a much more ascetically pleasing and functional kitchen space once the project is completed.
Perhaps the first reality check at the start of any kitchen remodeling project comes the realization that your budget and space considerations may be the final determining factor in how cool your kitchen is going to end up looking when you are done with it. Happily, there’s a myriad of design possibilities that can work within the most modest of budgets and smallest of spaces to still transform your kitchen into something much more appealing than the lunch-room kitchen vibe that it currently exudes.
Keeping the following 10 tips in mind should ease the transition of construction, and end up giving you the results you were hoping for.
- The number one tip when it comes to remodeling your kitchen is that you need to plan out each aspect of the project with an eye towards mitigating disruptions during the construction phase, while envisioning how great the final product is going to look.
- Give yourself the space to work. The kitchen is, first and foremost, a utilitarian room and any remodeling plans needs to recognize that fact. Whether you’re flying solo in the cooking department, or you and your partner tag-team the meatloaf, make sure you that have the right space configuration for everyone to work efficiently.
- Too many cooks in the kitchen can ruin the broth as they say, and too many bodies just bumping around can do the same. As such, design your floor plan in such a way as to efficiently move people through the room.
- Never pay your contractor in advance. Needless to say, once you have paid your contractor the money they are owed, chances are they may have very little incentive to continue moving your project forward. As a rule of thumb, it’s always a good idea to pay no more than 30% down and setting up a schedule of payments that rewards your General Contractor only after certain construction benchmarks have been met.
- To potentially save money on your project, plan your remodel so that you do not need to move your plumbing, or relocate your major appliances. Additionally, remember that once you get started, making continued change orders will slow down the timing of the project while driving up expenses.
- You can never find an outlet when you need one, so take advantage of this opportunity to wire your kitchen up like it’s going to be powering the sound system for a major rock concert.
- Closely tied to #6 above, plan on making any lighting changes, and swapping out your electrical outlets all in one fell swoop so as to save on electrician bills.
- This is something that can be easily forgotten during renovations; always remember to keep a sense of humor and an eye on the final prize…that being your brand new kitchen.
- The island-what role do you want your island to play? Do you envision just a large rolling cutting board, or do you anticipate a more ambitious function such as an eating station?
- Lastly, hire a qualified professional to get the job done right. When making your inquiries, verify that they are fully licensed, bonded, and insured in the Keystone State. Your General Contractor is the coach and quarterback, so make sure you have the best team on the field before beginning work.