THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE REMODELING A KITCHEN
Are you planning a kitchen remodel and are excited by the prospect of using that beautiful new kitchen when it’s all over? While renovating a kitchen is exciting, it’s also stressful and challenging. Here are a few key things you should know before you begin tearing your kitchen apart.
GET PROFESSIONAL HELP
Even if you’re the DIY type, it’s likely you won’t be able to do it all yourself. If you have a flair for design, great. If not, enlist the help of a designer who will know tricks you don’t. Also, hire a contractor to help you with the more difficult duties. If you’re trying to save a buck by doing most of the work yourself and you don’t know how to do some of it, you could end up spending more in the long run when something doesn’t work.
NOT HAVING A FUNCTIONAL KITCHEN WILL BE HARD
An important step in the renovation process is tearing out the old kitchen completely first. This allows for the most accurate measurements and gives you the most space for new additions. Unfortunately, this means you’ll be without a functional kitchen for a while. It will be inconvenient and frustrating, and you’ll need to get creative to compensate.
GET YOUR APPLIANCES EARLY
The size and type of appliances you have determine the layout of your kitchen. You must choose your new appliances early so your designer can plan accordingly with accurate measurements. Also, be sure to get your sink early too, as it will determine the placement of your dishwasher.
*Note: Appliances go in last, so unless you have somewhere to store your new appliances once you purchase them, try to buy them from somewhere that will allow you to keep them there until you’re ready for them.
CHOOSE ONE SHOW-STOPPING FEATURE
This is especially true if your kitchen is on the small side. Choose just one spectacular feature and keep everything else subtle. For example, if your floor is the highlight of the renovation, make sure everything else (the cabinets and countertops, for instance) are muted and subtle so as not to create a three-ring circus.
MAKE DESIGN CHOICES EARLY
Renovating a kitchen is stressful, and if you’re like most people, you’ll reach your breaking point before it’s all said and done. In the midst of it all is not the time to make important design choices. Doing so could result in making a bad choice or a costly one – neither of which will make you happy.
The best thing you can do for yourself and your new kitchen is to make all the design choices upfront and never let your contractor make choices for you.
Using a newly remodeled kitchen is exciting but getting there can be one of the most stressful times in your life. Before you begin a kitchen renovation, be sure you consider the things listed above to make it a little easier.
