Follow These Tips for A Successful Kitchen Makeover!

Kitchen remodeling is a project that can become challenging when not undertaken the right way.

Between the cost involved and the inconvenience while they are happening, kitchen makeovers require careful planning to get the desired end result.

These kitchen redesign tips can help anyone thinking of investing in a new kitchen so their project is a success, without so many bumps in the road!

  • Pick Out Appliances and Sink First - Choose appliances and sinks first, since the rest of the kitchen remodel will be based on the size and location of these critical components. 
  • Chose One Single Focus Element - When looking to add interest or color as part of a kitchen makeover, stick to one impressive element so it is fully noticed. Too many attention-getting ideas can instead turn a kitchen redesign into chaos and confusion.  
  • Make A Kitchen Remodel Bag - As the design starts coming together, bring all tile, paint, cabinet, and other samples around in a bag so there is no guesswork for choosing colors and materials. 
  • View Tiles Before Installing - When putting down a tile floor, lay tiles out first before affixing them, taking note that every tile will be slightly different. Move them around as needed to find the most desirable positioning, then install them.  
  • Plan Around Kitchen Use - Consider how kitchen space is currently used and what space could be put to better use in order to come up with a workable design that promotes efficiency and comfort. 
  • Get Creative With Storage - Add drawers, slide-outs, and cabinet space wherever possible in a kitchen makeover to reduce clutter and make the space more useful. 
  • Prepare to Be Without A Kitchen For A Time - Accept ahead of time that the kitchen will be unusable for days or weeks, depending on the timeline of the remodeling project. Make alternative plans for that time to reduce household stress while the contractors are finishing the makeover.
  • Design With A Professional - Regardless of how many great ideas a homeowner may have, they should still include their kitchen remodeling professional in the final planning. Experienced kitchen remodelers have been there and done that, know what will and will not work, and will also have some great solutions that may not have been considered yet.

Kitchen makeovers can be stressful, but they can also be fun and exciting at the same time.

To keep the project under control and end up with a great kitchen redesign, these tips from professionals will help.

Work with a kitchen remodeling expert with a great portfolio of work to combine ideas for an amazing kitchen makeover!

Kitchen Makeovers – What Is Your Budget?

Thinking about a kitchen makeover but not sure if you can afford it?

Knowing how to budget for your kitchen reno is an important part of that planning.

Depending on how extensive of a remodeling you want to accomplish and how and where you spend your money, you can freshen the look of your space relatively inexpensively on a smaller budget or go all out if you have a bigger budget to play with.

So, how can you determine what you can afford in terms of updating your kitchen?

Determine Your Budget

Start out by determining what your remodel should include.

Kitchen makeovers can greatly improve utility and comfort and add to the value of your home; however, how long are you planning on living there?

If there is a move likely in the next few years, a simple update might be better as opposed to spending thousands on a major renovation.

Updating with new paint, lighting, and hardware as well as other smaller decorative touches can be accomplished fairly inexpensively in most homes and still turn a kitchen into an almost-new space.

Even a new appliance or two can work in a smaller kitchen reno plan with a smaller budget.

Determine the Extent of Your Kitchen Reno

If the decision is to go ahead with a big budget and plan out an extensive full kitchen remodel, the next big question is to decide what kinds of changes and upgrades you want to make.

For this step, you might want to discuss some basic design possibilities with a home remodeling contractor to get an idea of what is possible in your space and what different changes, like changing the whole floor plan and wall structure, are likely to cost.

With these basic ideas, you can then come up with a list of all the changes you’d like to see made and then go from there.

Plan Your Kitchen Makeover And Get It Done!

With a firm plan and some basic costs in mind, you can get an idea of what type of kitchen makeovers are within the available budget and what are not.

Depending on the brand and type of appliances you want, the structural changes your plan will require, and an estimation from your contractor on how long those changes will take, you can weigh different ideas to decide what to include in your kitchen makeover plan and what will have to wait.

If there is no room in the budget for everything you’d like to do, you can always develop a plan with a creative remodeling contractor on how to achieve the kitchen of your dreams over time, step-by-step as you are able to budget for those changes!

Reno Your Kitchen in the Right Order!

When doing a kitchen reno, good planning is a must.

It is essential to know ahead of time what will be done, how it will be done, and in what order the kitchen redesign will happen.

Doing things in the right order is essential to the end result, and ensuring your kitchen makeover turns out as beautifully as you foresee it to.

What Are The Steps Taken in a Kitchen Upgrade?

After hiring a skilled kitchen redesign contractor to handle the kitchen reno and doing all the pre-planning, expect the job to be completed in different steps, each one in specific order to make the whole job easier, and more efficient:

  • Demolition - Every kitchen makeover starts with the removal of appliances and fixtures, and the demolition of the tearing out of old cabinets, walls, floors, and anything else being changed.
  • Rough Framing and Plumbing - Before any new components can be added back, rough framing that positions everything, and any new plumbing must be put in. Rough framing acts as a sort of preliminary sketch of what the finished space will be like.
  • Professional Inspection of Rough-In Work - The rough framing and new plumbing must undergo a professional inspection to ensure the modifications meet the local building code. All required corrections should be made at this stage.
  • Wall Finishing - Once the inspection has been done and contractors have the go-ahead to finish the makeover, it is time to put in any new walls where they belong, then finish with moldings, paint, light switch covers, etc.
  • Install Windows and Doors - New windows and doors are installed, or existing ones replaced, over the newly finished walls.
  • Install Cabinets and Fixtures - Cabinets, countertops, plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, and any other components also get installed after the walls are finished.
  • Install Appliances - After cabinets and countertops are added it is time to put in the new appliances in the roughed-in spaces left for them.
  • Install Flooring - After all other stages of the kitchen makeover have been completed, the last step of a kitchen upgrade is to put in the new flooring. Doing the floors last ensures that it will not be damaged by paint or moving appliances around, and can be viewed as the finishing touch.

Following a practical, step-by-step order such as this, contractors can complete a kitchen reno from start to finish quickly, without creating extra work and without the possibility of scuffing or damaging new components.

Once the floors are installed and polished, the time to finally enjoy your new kitchen will have arrived!