So You've Decided you Want a New Kitchen, Now What?
Kitchens are the heart of the home. It’s where people gather during a party, or where you go late at night to have a snack. The space is versatile and well used. Because of the use that kitchens receive, they will sometimes need updates and fixes in order to continue to be functional. From the cracked tile where someone dropped their cast iron pan, to the worn-out paint on cabinets, your kitchen can see a lot of wear and tear.
It’s hard to know when to pull the trigger on investing in a new kitchen altogether. In some cases, paint colour or cabinet can age out of style slowly and become dated. In others, the kitchen begins to wear out. Sometimes, it’s just because your kitchen space may no longer match your lifestyle. Regardless of how you come to the decision, knowing what to do next can be hard. Taking action on a renovation and doing work to a vital part of your home requires planning and consideration. Below is a checklist you can use to ensure your kitchen renovation is a success:
Identify what you want changed
Knowing the issues you have with your kitchen is a vital first step. Consider creating a list of the changes the kitchen needs in order to both be functional and suit your personal preferences. Note what you utilize most in the space. What do you wish you had more of? What isn’t being frequently used? What do you wish you could change aesthetically? Answering questions like these will allow you to pinpoint what changes need to be made to your current kitchen, and will help to inform your priorities during the next few steps.
Do some research
Knowing your options and possibilities when it comes to your kitchen renovation is the next important step. Now that you know what you want to change in your kitchen, it’s time to hit the pavement. Visit appliance stores if you’re looking for a new stove, or check out some tile shops to figure out what you like in a kitchen backsplash. Being able to see what is available and at what price is helpful when considering the rest of your renovation. Having realistic goals in mind is vital, and research can help with this immensely. If you get familiar with the types of products and designs you want to integrate into your home, the rest of the renovation can be aided by this clear vision. This sort of research can also help you to familiarize yourself with the pricing of the items and styles you want to be integrated into your kitchen so there are fewer surprises later on.
Talk to experts; find a general contractor and designer
A key step to ensuring a project's success is to find a designer to help you find the best way to optimize your space based on your needs, and a reliable general contractor to get the renovation done properly. This step can be integrated with the one above in order to understand the holistic cost of your renovation as well as how much is actually possible.
Make a budget
As with anything, creating a set budget after doing the research can be useful. This can help for financial planning and saving up for a renovation, but can also help to keep you grounded later in the project. The budget should consider the changes you want to make as well as the costs quoted by the contractor and designer. Being able to consider all these factors will allow you to mitigate surprises when you see the bill.
Understand your schedule needs
As already mentioned, the kitchen is a central area of the home which is under constant use. Renovating a kitchen means you may lose access to the space from time to time. In order to be fully prepared to renovate, looking at the calendar is vital. If you’re planning time away from home, a lack of a kitchen won’t be an issue if you choose to renovate while you're gone. Alternatively, maybe there is a period where you can deal with not having the space that you can make work while you’re still at home. Whatever the case, communication with your contractor in order to create a schedule that suits your needs with the renovation will be vital.
Get Started!
One of the scariest parts of a renovation can be getting it started. Being able to get the ball rolling on something that has taken so much planning and effort is both difficult and exciting. Living Edge Design wishes you luck, and we hope that you will consider us when it comes to your next kitchen remodel.
