March 19, 2020
How To Avoid Most Common Kitchen Remodeling Mistakes
So, you’ve decided, this is about time to remodel your kitchen. Now, wondering what’s next? Having not enough knowledge of where to start without being costly and repeat the same mistakes you did last time. You’re not the only one who is feeling lost. Most people tend to make mistakes while remodeling, and when they finish, they will be like, “Oh, Gosh! I should’ve done this differently”. This happens because of the lack of planning and consultation.
While wondering about remodeling, many think they need more space; others that they need to have different appliances. Some decide, let’s just check the inspiring kitchen photos. Homeowners find themselves in this position and after investing huge bunk of money and still feeling unsatisfied with their kitchen remodeling choices.
When you’re figuring out how to go about your kitchen improvements, first identify your needs, available space, and family size. You want to avoid future changes that will cramp or shrink your movement in your kitchen. The more functional your kitchen will be, the more you will enjoy it throughout. Consider the aesthetic look of your kitchen as well. What kind of interior design you want, what kind of paint you want on walls.
These questions need to be answered before moving ahead with your remodeling decision. A kitchen can be the most expensive room to be renovated. With replacing plumbing, cabinets, countertops, and major appliances, you need to be prepared for the cost exceeding far from the median.
Once you’ve wondered enough, it is time to move ahead with your kitchen remodeling project. Below the described steps can help you to avoid the most common kitchen remodeling mistakes.
1. Go For Efficiency & Quality Of Life
The most practical reason to remodel your kitchen should be functionality and efficiency. The kitchen is the place where all cooking magic happens. Cooking is the way to the heart of most people. People want to see your kitchen while they visit your house. To increase efficiency, keep in mind the “Golden Triangle” technique, which is having: refrigerator, stove, and sink aligned this way that you can see them from a birds-eye view. Think about the three appliances you use mostly, then align them with this technique. Your efficiency will boost up tremendously.
Planning an efficient kitchen based on the way you and your family use the kitchen, will have a huge impact on your daily life. Considering these little details will add up and give you a peace of mind. Your restricted movement around your kitchen will tone down, and you will feel like you have more space to perform cooking tasks. Even if you have a tiny kitchen, you can still plan in such a way to maximize functionality, cook more efficiently, and make more room for storage.
2. Consider Inspirational & Materialistic Value
It is best to figure out the inspirational and materialistic incentives this remodeling project can add to your current situation. Figuring out the inspirational value of your kitchen can help you plan out the aesthetics of your project. The kitchen is an important part of your home; it can show off the taste of the owner in a subtle and professional way. Your kitchen lets people know how organized you’re. Personalized kitchen design can touch your guests. Guests would love to gather in your customized and personalized kitchen, which is comfortable to move around.
The materialistic value will help you in the future if you choose to sell your house. In a marketing sense, a beautifully designed kitchen can enable you to ask for a much higher price for your house than expected. People will always be willing to pay a higher price for a house if it has been given a personal touch. That’s why it is important to figure out the return on investment while remodeling your kitchen. If you really wanna spend money, then do it in that way, which can bring you monetary benefits in the future.
3. Figure Out What You Need
Figure out what kind of kitchen will be the ideal for your household. Think in terms of functionality, design, space, layout features, appliances, wall paints, and aesthetic feel, and space. Take help from every resource i.e., internet, magazines, newspaper ads, etc. Do your research. Gather information. Contact with respective contractors. Consult with professionals and contractors about “what needs to be done to achieve your perfect kitchen within your budget?”
You can also use Pinterest to gather ideas. Thousands of ideas share every day there, which can help you to visualize the approach of your upcoming kitchen remodeling project. After gathering all this information, figure out how you can move around it. This will give you an idea about what kind of contractors you should hire. If you haven’t started yet, start collecting photos of the kitchens with features you desire to have.
4. Budget & Scope
After figuring out what you need, you must look at your preliminary budget. I know, it is hard to figure exact remodeling expenses. Don’t feel bad because you can re-evaluate again & again. Budget & scope are interconnected and usually change many times during the remodeling process as you become better-aware with time and able to identify what you can afford to have your desired outcome.
You don’t have to be an expert, walking into everything and knowing what it should cost. This is an ongoing process. As a homeowner who wants to remodel his/her kitchen, You will get educated with time and process.
5. Illustrative Design
After doing some research on professionals, it is time to include sketches of your desired kitchen into your action plan. It can consist of floor plans, interior design templates, wall paint paper samples, space planning, cabin sizes, and layout of fixtures. Give a good focus on space planning and functionality within the kitchen room. This process can provide you something to talk about with your contractor and help you get an initial estimate and scope of work that needed to be done.
You can always draw these sketches yourself, but for detailed layouts, we will recommend seeking the help of a professional architect.
6. Finishes & Fixtures Specifications
As we discussed earlier, saving photos and pinning stylish design on your Pinterest dashboard can help you a lot in this regard. Throughout this process, you have figured it out your style, whether it’s classical, modern, traditional, or customized inspiring personal style in between. You have a better idea now about if you want a natural wood looking kitchen, white kitchen, or some other color.
After doing this process, finalize your finishes and fixtures i.e., countertop material, kitchen appliances, cabinetry, sink, light fixtures, hardware, backsplash, and flooring. Read about their specifications in detail to find out if they will just adjust or stand out in your kitchen remodel project.
7. Take Help from Professionals to avoid kitchen remodeling mistakes
If you’re passionate about construction, love to wear construction pants, and craft yourself, then there is nothing better than doing on your design and craftsmanship. If you’re like most of us, who will delegate their tasks to professionals, then you need to go outside find related contractors or professionals which can help you achieve your desired remodeling goals.
Many of us start visiting cabinet showrooms where they can experience themselves. You can also reach out to an architect or designer or contractor or builder. Some of us prefer to work with contractors and builders directly, eliminating the need for designer/architecture. That’s fine. Hiring a pro can take a lot of burden of your shoulders, and then they can help you with everything i.e., permits, contracts, selecting designs, setting a temporary kitchen while remodeling process, shopping fixtures & finishes, and managing all the project through to the end of it.
It is your place to decide in which category you feel most comfortable; either you want to involve yourself or delegate to some professional. It is recommended to find professionals by friends or family referrals. This can save you a lot of worrying about finding out the ability of those professionals to deliver your desired goals.
8. Having A Zen Attitude
Well, you have figure out everything …I mean, almost everything. It is very usual to have a panic situation after seeing your project completion. Like wall paints do not match up, countertops look little rusty. Appliances are stopping the smooth functionality. Some of them even not working. It is totally normal. Even though you did your research and planned it thoroughly, there is still going to be a chance of something missing, somethings not done right. You cannot stop these feelings. These are inevitable.
What you can do is to prepare yourself before about contractors making multiple visits, changing those appliances, and working those minor details to make your project more efficient. Perfection is a myth. It is an ongoing process. You’re always gonna have this feeling to make it better. It is like making a grocery list but still missing out something. The best way to approach is to have a Zen attitude. Plan, test, and optimize.
