Kitchen Remodeling Do’s And Don’ts
When you are finally ready to redo your kitchen, it is important that your kitchen remodeling project go as smoothly as possible for you and your family. Everyone in your family will be anxious to have all the new features, however, the project can take a while and you need to be prepared.
Following are some DO’s and DON’Ts to help keep your kitchen project on track.
DO: Research
Doing kitchen remodeling research will give you ideas about what you want, help you come up with questions to ask the contractor, and give you some information about what a realistic budget is. Your research can be accomplished by:
- Going online to view kitchens or features that you like.
- Talk to friends who have had their kitchen remodeled to get some of their insights.
- Create an outline or collection of ideas that you can show to your contractor.
You’ll be surprised at how much information you can find and how that can ease the entire process.
DON’T: Overlook The Budget
The budget for your remodeling project is one of the most important parts of your kitchen remodeling project and you should commit to a budget before starting any work. Your budget will help you make decisions about how much you can spend in total as well on individual elements such as kitchen flooring, cabinets, and any extras you want to add. The budget is important to avoid any confusion later on by thinking you were only going to spend a certain amount but it ended up costing a lot more. As you create an outline, you should consult with your contractor for specific prices for a more accurate budget plan. Remember to set aside a portion for “extras” that may arise because more than likely, they will.
DO: Expand Space
No need to build an addition! There are many space-saving designs and features that can help you utilize every inch of your kitchen. Your contractor can help you design a kitchen with cabinets that can better utilize the space you have. Make a list of your space needs; do you need more storage? more counter space for prep-work, or more functional size cabinets for spices, pots, and pans? They might suggest building your cabinets to the ceiling or showing you some great ideas for corner cabinets.
DON’T: Rush or Stall
Let the project take it’s course. Be aware of rushing the project because this may create little mistakes around the kitchen that end up costing more to fix later on. Each change and mistake will cost you more in the long run. Also, avoid stalling the project because losing momentum can mean that your kitchen is never fully finished or you spend more because more time is needed for completion.
DO: Communicate With Your Contractor
It’s important to regularly communicate with your contractor to ensure everyone is on the same page throughout the entire process. Decide together the best way to contact one another. You should be available if they need to ask you questions, if not delay will begin building up. It’s also important that they are also available when you need to speak with them. A good relationship goes a long way since you will be working with one another for quite some time until the project is completed.
DON’T: Throw Away Receipts
Keep your receipts in a kitchen remodeling folder. You’ll need them at tax time, but you might also need them should there be any issues or malfunctions after the installation. Also, a kitchen remodeling project can increase the value of your home … save those receipts!
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