Whether you’re making upgrades before selling your home or you’re simply unhappy with your kitchen’s design, renovating your kitchen is a huge undertaking – and if you start out with any missteps, it can be costly. That’s why you need a clear plan, from the aesthetic details to the budget. In particular, pay attention to these six elements as they commonly trip up homeowners during the renovation process.
1. Ditch the Trends
Kitchen trends come and go, but the fact is that they’re expensive and designing around a popular style essentially guarantees you’ll hate the style, or have an impossible time selling it, in a few years. As you choose elements for your kitchen, look for timeless, elegant elements with wide appeal. You can always accent the space with trendy elements, such as art, storage, cookware, and table settings.
2. Mind Your Budget
As noted above, you need to take your budget into account when renovating your kitchen because your budget will provide key constraint. You likely can’t stay within budget on your own, though. A designer can evaluate the scope of the project while a skilled contractor will help you get the best deals on materials.
In many cases, in order to both complete a renovation and stay within budget, homeowners need to break down the project into several phases, focusing on what needs to be done immediately for functional purposes, what can wait a little longer, and what can be completed at any point. You’ll also want to consider timing elements like fabrication when developing your budget and timeline. You kitchen cabinets may account for 50% of your budget, and depending on how many you need, the fabrication time can add weeks to the renovation process.
3. Pick Appliances First
Compared to flooring and cabinetry, choosing appliances can seem pretty boring, especially if you’re not a total foodie. That being said, you still need to choose your appliances first. Not only do they take up a lot of space, but they’ll eat up a substantial part of your budget – and without them, you don’t have a kitchen. Choose your appliances, figure out where they fit in the space, since you’ll need specific hookups like gas for the stove and access to outlets, and then go from there.
4. Plan The Workflow
One major reason that people renovate their kitchens is that they’re poorly designed relative to the cooking process. This is a matter of workflow and too few homeowners factor in workflow during the design process.
Take some time to move through your kitchen – even if you’re not really cooking – and pay attention to how you move. Where is the counter relative to the refrigerator? Is the stove too far from the sink? The space should be efficient and easy to navigate, otherwise you’ll find yourself making changes in a few years.
5. Don’t Overdo The DIY
We get it – everyone wants to get in on DIY culture, and there are certainly things you can do yourself during the kitchen renovation process. That being said, there are things you should leave to the professionals. No one should ever try to do their own electrical work, for example. For certain projects, such as installing counters, hiring a professional is also much faster than going it alone because of the steep learning curve.
6. Stick to The Plan
No matter what the scope of your kitchen renovation, the most important rule is this: don’t make changes after the work starts. It’s preferable to extend the planning stage or completely postpone the project if you feel uncertain about anything. Changing the plan will drive up costs, can mean tossing valuable materials, and will definitely make the project longer. You made a plan for a reason and now it’s time to trust it.
Kitchen renovations are undoubtedly stressful, but when it’s finished, you’ll have an amazing new space. Be patient and stick to the plan and it will all come together.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
