When it comes to home improvement projects, the kitchen remodel is one of the most common places to start making changes. As one of the most important rooms in the home, and a major indicator of a property’s value, your kitchen can really transform your house with a little preparation and planning. However, while kitchens remain the most popular room in the house for renovations, there are still countless people who fail to approach the task of redesigning the kitchen effectively.
Fail to plan correctly, and you could risk wasting your cash on an upgrade that ends up being a major downgrade. Proper preparation will save you significant time and headaches. Before you jump in to this expensive, and often time-consuming project, here are a few important steps to start your remodeling adventure on the right foot.
Set Your Budget
The first, and perhaps most important part of planning your kitchen remodeling adventure, is making sure you have the right budget in place. It’s important to be realistic about how much you can reasonably afford to spend, otherwise you could end up running out of budget before you’ve got everything done. Remember, large renovation projects, particularly those which require specialist skills from plumbers and electricians, often take more money and time than you originally expect.
It’s best to make sure you’re planning to pay around 20% more than you originally assume, just so you have a financial cushion in place. If you’re concerned about not having quite enough cash for your kitchen remodeling plans, then you can always consider speaking to a private lender about personal loans. When it comes to taking out a personal loan, just make sure you know how much you need in advance.
Research Extensively
Once you have your budget in mind, you’re ready to start researching. There are various forms of research you’ll need to do before you’re ready to leap into your renovation. For instance, you need to think about what kind of layout and design you want for your kitchen. Visiting showrooms and home stores can give you some inspiration, or you can check out Pinterest boards and Instagram online.
You should also spend a decent amount of time researching the professionals you want to work with on bringing your idea to life. Don’t jump into using a contractor just because they’re local and they can offer a price that matches your budget. Consider speaking to other people you know who have worked on similar projects lately to get their recommendations. You should also be able to see previous examples of your contractor’s work just in case.
Make a List of Priorities
Even if you’ve been careful and conservative with your budgeting, there’s a good chance you’re going to end up spending too much and struggling by the time you get to the end of your kitchen project. With that in mind, it’s important to have a list of priorities to tackle first, before you get into the nice to have things you’d also love to see in your kitchen. Making a list of priorities will ensure you spend your cash on the things that matter most to you first, such as having high-quality kitchen surfaces which can withstand all kinds of chopping and cooking activities.
Keep in mind also that you will likely be spending money on décor, not just the renovation itself. Things like modern home office designs and calm oasis like bedrooms all include more decorative elements than just new paint and furniture. And a brand-new kitchen is just the same, yes you need countertops, but you also need things to place on top of them to complete the look.
We’d definitely recommend putting quality first whenever you can, as this should help to prevent you from having to pay for an entire kitchen renovation again in the future. Once you’ve tackled all of your priorities, if you have any money left over, you can search a little further down your lists of wants and determine what you want to invest in next. You can always come back to less important things at a later date.
Remember to Get Insights from Experts
The ideal kitchen building accompany will be able to design your kitchen according to your specific needs and expectations. However, while it’s important to have freedom in your designs, you also don’t want your designer to allow you to spend money on things that aren’t going to work. If you’re not sure whether you’ve covered everything, consider speaking to your contractor and asking for their advice on anything you’ve missed. You might find your kitchen looks great, but it doesn’t necessarily have enough countertop space if you’re going to be cooking complex meals on a regular basis.
If you’re a tech-savvy person, your contractors might be able to talk to you about having pieces of technology installed into cabinets and other areas in your kitchen to make more space. Invite your contractors and designers into your home so you can discuss all your hopes, expectations, and requirements for the kitchen renovation before you dive in. If your contractors can’t answer your questions, or they spend all their time trying to sell additional things to you, then this could be a good sign they’re not right for you.