If you’re a foodie, have a family or just love entertaining, your kitchen will be a high traffic area. Unfortunately, the kitchen is also one of the most costly and stressful rooms to renovate. Before you pick up the hammer and start demolishing things, take some time to consider and understand the task ahead. Here are some thoughts and plans to get you started.
Budget
Before you start to make a change to your kitchen, you need to set a realistic budget. To set a realistic budget rather than basing the number on what you have allocated in your savings account, you need to know the costs involved. Research different suppliers, professional fees, and approximate costs for what you want done down to the handles on your cabinets. Take measurements and ask for quotes for a more accurate idea of what lies ahead.
Once you have the numbers down, you can create different scenarios to change the budget. Perhaps you’ll decide that you are fine with a basic stainless steel sink and don’t need a modern designer brand that costs twice the price. You’ll be able to identify what you need to change, and what can wait.
Cabinets
The cabinetry is one of the most substantial portions of a kitchen renovation budget, next to appliances if those are getting replaced. Do you need new cabinets or can you repurpose what you have? More people are forgoing custom made cabinetry and purchasing ready to assemble cabinets from Best Online Cabinets.
When you buy RTA cabinets, you simply measure your kitchen, browse designs, and have what you need delivered with the click of a button, greatly reducing your costs. This also prevents expensive mishaps and quality issues when refinishing your cabinets with a do-it-yourself attitude.
Professional vs. DIY
Speaking of the DIY attitude, you need to determine what aspects of your project you can handle yourself and which will need to be left to the professionals. If you are fairly handy, laying flooring, assembling a backsplash, and putting together RTA cabinets will be no problem. However, if there is plumbing, electrical work or carpentry involved, you should leave the work to the people who are properly trained.
In many cases, hiring professionals might cost more money but is worth the trade-off for high-quality results and reduced stress. Having a professional handle the details will ensure your home value goes up and will prevent you from having to reinvest to fix something before selling.
Will This Add Value?
Before you start ripping out cabinets, you might want to consider talking to a real estate agent or appraiser to find out if the project is worth it in the long run. If you plan on moving in a few years, you want to ensure that the work you are doing will appeal to the future buyers rather than just yourself. You also want to know that the money you put in will yield a great return on investment overall.
Design Elements
Perhaps the most fun part of the project is deciding what sort of design elements you want. Before you start making changes, you should have a solid image of what you want the result to look like. Start looking at paint chips, backsplash tiles, and counter and cabinet samples to get a feel for your finished look. Take time to consider this carefully, as you don’t want to end up hating your kitchen all over again and starting from scratch.
Think beyond the obvious design elements and consider window hangings, light fixtures, handles, and appliances. You might not change these aspects of the kitchen right away, but keeping the overall vision in mind will allow you to make small changes when your budget allows.
Once you’ve considered everything and set a reasonable budget and project plan, you can get to work and start building your dream kitchen!
