Very few renovations done to the home have as many advantages mixed with as many difficulties as undertaking a considerable remodeling of the kitchen. If you hire a general contractor to undertake a large job that increases the size of the kitchen, costs can quickly become expensive, reaching into the thousands of dollars. If you have the guts to do the work on your own, it could take several months for you to finish the task. During this period, you may have to go without a kitchen for a long time.

A shiny new kitchen can make your dwelling more comfortable and it can enhance the financial worth of your real estate to a greater extent than most other remodels. A fantastic newly renovated kitchen will be the heart of family activity and the hub of social events. Putting in a totally redesigned kitchen is absolutely something that is worth putting in the time, money, and energy into. You can prevent being scared of the entire process if you are aware of each part of it before you start.

5 Kitchen Remodeling Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Putting Form Over Function

It is expected that you would want an attractive final outcome when renovating your kitchen. Do not solely concentrate on looks and neglect practical use. You need to continue spending time in the kitchen on a daily basis – and you won’t be content with the design of your kitchen if you discover it makes completing your normal chores more complicated.

For example, good kitchen design focuses on work zones. Your stove, fridge, and chopping area should be near to each other when you are preparing meals. At times, homeowners may choose to arrange their kitchen differently and switch around the positioning of the fridge, such as placing it opposite of where it usually is, or even across from the island. The design may look nice, however you will become frustrated with all of the extra effort involved in preparing and cooking meals.

When planning a kitchen renovation, it is important to think about how your cupboard doors open, in addition to how your fridge, microwave, and dishwasher function. For instance, would you be able to open the fridge and the nearby cabinet door at the same time? It may seem like an unrealistic situation, but it happens more often than you may believe. This particular mistake in design is particularly vexing when putting dishes away and for families with more than one person cooking in the kitchen all at once.

Mistake 2: Designing for the Neighbors

Occasionally, people who own a house will redo their kitchen in order to consider the people close to them including friends, relatives, and those who live in the vicinity. They buy appliances they think will impress others. They acquire tailored kitchen cabinets that are even better than the cabinets that their neighbhors just bought. They installed a costly tile because it’s the current trend.

Remember that the people in your community are not residents of your house. No one gets ready or makes food in your kitchen, not even conducting a normal routine in your residence depending on practicality and expediency. You can be confident that they will not reimburse you for the kitchen refurbishment either. If they prove to be dependable and loyal, then you have a great companion, yet it is probable that this is not true.

The main thing to keep in mind when creating something is to make it for yourself and not for anyone else. Make a house you will have a fondness for with the characteristics that are most advantageous to you and your relatives. Worry not about others’ opinions, except in the case that you are renovating the property with the intention of selling it. In that case, you have to be thorough in figuring out what features people currently want in a kitchen, but that is a completely different matter.

Mistake 3: DIY Remodeling

If you’re a fan of the show HGTV, you may believe it’s simple to renovate your home. What could go wrong? Although you may seem really enthusiastic and eager to begin the remodeling process, it is possible you will spend more money and take longer to complete the job if you do it yourself rather than getting professional help. Television shows are anything but the reality it seems. It is impossible to create a contemporary gourmet kitchen with just two thousand dollars and 48 hours of work.

It is possible for a homeowner to accomplish many things, however, it is advised that an authorized contractor is consulted when such a project is undertaken in order to make sure that all elements are accounted for. The design stage will necessitate the creation of plumbing and electrical plans, as well as taking into consideration structural and licensing worries. Depending on the year in which your house was constructed, there may be a necessity to modify specific features such as the plumbing and electrical systems to meet current building codes and/or address any potential hazards, like lead or asbestos. You definitely don’t want to risk having to dismantle your recently renovated kitchen in order to correct any poor electrical or plumbing endeavors if you attempt to do things you are not knowledgeable in. It is far less expensive to hire an individual who posses the aptitude necessary to carry out the task accurately (and promptly) than to have to repair significant labor at a later date.

Mistake 4: Losing Sight of What the Kitchen Is For

It’s easy to forget that the main purpose of a kitchen design is to be functional when thinking about the latest styles and the aesthetic you’re aiming for. No matter what features or luxuries you include, the essential layout of having the refrigerator, sink, and stove in close proximity to each other will be important to the operating of your kitchen. The locations of the sink, stove, and fridge should be close together, but with enough room for a person to navigate between them easily.

When laying out your remodel project, consider the direction each appliance will open up in so that they don’t clash with each other. Be certain to allow ample space so that the doors of the oven and refrigerator can open fully, and if possible, that you are able to walk around them when they are open if a new island is to be added. Likewise, if your appliance is situated right in the middle of the kitchen or against a wall.

When you inspect sample kitchen designs, you are probably initially drawn to the colors, patterns, and styles presented. However, deciding on major appliances is a vital step that has to happen soon in the design procedure. Consider what would best suit the requirements of your family and decide which machines would be most beneficial. Once you find out what amount of space is still available for design, you can plan around the appliances you have.

Mistake 5: Failing to Include Enough Storage and Counter Space

A good understanding of counter space is essential for a kitchen to work optimally, and since it is frequently mentioned as being in inadequate supply, it should be prioritized during the preparation of a kitchen’s design. Discuss with your general contractor any techniques they have for improving the amount of countertop space you have. You can create more space on your countertop by decorating the edges of your cabinets with items like corbels or shelves. This will give you more space to spread out. One other possibility is to modify the design and arrangement of the area to include a peninsula or independent island.

You require room to conduct your activities and also need spots to store all your cooking utensils. Having too much storage space is never an issue, but running out is always a difficulty. TWD, an experienced general contractor, has workers on its team that hold nation-wide recognition in universal design. They can offer guidance on how to include sufficient storage that can be reached effortlessly at the present time, and as your requirements alter. You should not create a visually appealing kitchen today if it will not meet your future requirements.

Kitchen Remodeling Tips

Assess Needs and Wishes

Many people experience disappointment or surprise expenses after remodeling their kitchen because they didn’t set aside enough time to determine their wants and budget.

Needs vs. Desires in a Kitchen Remodel

Begin by examining what ongoing issues you face with your present kitchen. Do we have enough room to make meals efficiently? Too little space to store food and dishware? Do you lack dining areas? Are the appliances ineffective or too old? Does the sight of the kitchen make you recoil in disgust because it’s so out of style and unpleasant to look at?

Make a list of all of the things you want in your new kitchen, with the most important items at the top. It can be beneficial to discern between the things that are essential and those that are merely desired.

Remodel Reality Check

At the start of the planning process, face the two detaisl of a kitchen remodel: the actual work that needs to be done and the cost of it.

If a general contractor manages subcontractors to get the job done, it could result in strangers walking through your home and creating noise, mess, and disruption for weeks, or possibly even months. Do you have enough time and the necessary DIY talents in order to complete this project if you are doing it yourself? If so, it is probable that the time the kitchen is inactive will be significantly more.

Kitchen Design and Planning

If you have a clear understanding of what you desire in a new kitchen and an attitude of adaptable determination, you can begin to form ideas and develop a practical strategy for your new kitchen.

Basic Kitchen Plans

Use one of the five classic kitchen design plans from the extensive selection available. Plans for convenience of motion generally incorporate the traditional workflow model referred to as the kitchen triangle.

  • One-Wall Design
  • Corridor Design
  • L-Shape Design
  • Double-L Design
  • U-Shape Design

It is very probable that one of these traditional kitchen designs will make the most sense for your new kitchen. From there, you can look at a number of resources to help develop actual plan drawings and blueprints for your kitchen:

  • Kitchen design software: Inexpensive or free online kitchen design software helps you with the difficult task of space-planning.
    Physical design packages: These kits have cardboard punch-outs representing cabinets and appliances. Placing punch-outs on a kitchen grid helps you realistically view your available space.
  • Kitchen designers: Kitchen designers staffed at home improvement companies or at kitchen design stores typically design your kitchen free of charge. However, they will steer you to their own vendors and to their own work crews. Independent designers will have the most freedom and may give you the best product because they have fewer restrictions. However, they will charge you for their services, either by the hour or as a percentage of the project cost.
  • General contractors: The same GCs who manage kitchen remodeling projects may be able to assist you in the early stages of planning the kitchen, although their design assistance will not get detailed until you hire them. But most GCs who are bidding on a job will offer suggestions and possibly even plan sketches as part of their proposals. Just talking to contractors can help you clarify your own plans.

Hire a Contractor or DIY

Once you have determined the design for your kitchen and all the details associated with it, it is time to hire a professional to execute your plan and make it into a reality. There are three options:

  • Hire a GC (general contractor). These are generally builder/construction firms that specialize in managing major projects from start to finish. They can range from small companies with two or three people, to a large firm with dozens of employees. In large firms, the commission charged by the GC ranges from 15 to 25 percent of the total job cost. Smaller GCs are often owner/operator business in which the owner may perform a good deal of the work himself, possibly one or two staff carpenters, then subcontract out specialized work, such as wiring, plumbing, and tile installation. This can help with cost efficiency, as most GCs have a pool of sub-contractors they work with often, so they may be able to negotiate a better rate. An owner/operator contractor with a good track record is an excellent choice for a kitchen remodeling project since their overhead costs are usually much lower than larger firms. These smaller contractors usually do not charge a commission, since their costs are figured into the overall job estimates.
  • Do it yourself. At the other end of the scale is doing all the hands-on work yourself. This is a practical alternative if you are a very experienced DIYer, fully knowledgeable in all the skills required, and if you have plenty of spare time to do the work. But this is not an option for the faint-of-heart, because kitchen remodeling is a big project. It is not uncommon for a DIYer tackling a major kitchen remodel to find themselves a full year into a project with the end still months away. A good DIYer, though, can cut the project costs in half by doing all the work.
  • Hire your own subcontractors. A compromise strategy is to serve as your GC—finding, hiring, and supervising the individual subcontractors (carpenters, plumbers, electricians, flooring pros, etc.) yourself. This can save you quite a bit of money over a GC-managed project, but it requires a good deal of effort to manage the workflow and supervise the various subcontractors. One advantage of this approach, though, is that you can choose to tackle some aspects of the job yourself to save money. for example, you can choose to do the demolition yourself, then hire carpenters to do the framing, wiring, and plumbing, then do the flooring and cabinet installations yourself.
Jonathan
Author: Jonathan