10 Tips When Planning a Kitchen Renovation
Every city is full of diversity when it comes to our kitchen renovation taste, from the extravagant to the more traditional style kitchen. If you own an older or outdated Durham home, you might already have a renovation project like this in mind. The biggest mistake people make when renovating is they rush into their project without proper planning. Your project will turn from very exciting to extremely frustrating overnight. Careful planning will not guarantee you perfection but it will limit the frustration as well as control cost along the way. So, whether you decide to remodel your kitchen yourself or become a well informed customer for your contractor, keep these 10 tips in mind.
- Write down your plan, and use it to guide you. Sketch out what you want your new kitchen to look like. You can follow your sketch as you work.
- Pay attention to budget. Creating a budget before you start and keeping that budget in mind as you go forward is key. Be realistic with your budget. Most home remodeling projects, unfortunately end up over budget. Developing a realistic budget to start will help you minimize overspending as the project develops.
- Keep yourself organized. Lack of organization will cause even the best intentioned kitchen remodeling project to fall apart. Set a realistic schedule for completion of the project and stick to it. Mark the important dates in red on your calendar and do your best to meet those deadlines.
- Keep track of your progress. A simple chalk board or bulletin board is a cost effective way to keep track of your kitchen remodeling project.
- Prepare for the unexpected. This is especially true with older homes. Odds are when you tear out a wall you will find something unexpected. Make sure you have some contingency plans - extra money in the budget and time in the schedule.
- Take the time to hire good people and listen to them. When it is time to hire a professional make sure you check their credentials, see examples of their work and talk to homeowners who have used their services. If you do your research you should feel comfortable that they will do a good job. They are the experts. If they have concerns then you should take note. Do not be afraid to speak up. Do not worry about driving your contractor crazy. They are getting paid to do YOUR job the way YOU want. If you hire a professional contractor they will welcome your concerns.
- Do as much prep work as you can. Doing the demolition can also save a lot of money and relieve stress. Just be safe. If you have any previous renovatng experience, assembling your cabinets will cut cost and save your contractor time. If your existing cabinets are in reasonably good condition grab some sandpaper and a paint brush and reface them.
- Do not move the sink. Moving plumbing takes a time and adds a healthy cost to your project. If you keep the location and just replace the sink it will save you money.
- Do not move a gas line or gas appliances. Leaving the gas line where it is saves money. Moving a gas line adds money to the budget and you have to repair the walls and sometime flooring afterward.
- Work with the existing space/walls. This will reduce the amount of electrical, framing and drywall work necessary.
These tips are cost controlling techniques for the novice kitchen renovator. Renovations can be quite extensive, and knowing what to avoid can save loads of money and time.