The words “kitchen remodel” can spark both excitement and fear in the hearts of homeowners. Whether you’re gutting the space or simply making some cosmetic improvements, you’ll need to be ready to make plenty of decisions. What if you make the wrong choice that you then have to live with, and look at, for years to come?
Before you start ripping out cupboards or drooling over farmhouse sinks, you should ask yourself some basic questions to get a sense of your priorities. Here are five that will help you break down your decision-making into bite-size pieces.
What Are Your Goals?
First, ask yourself what you would like your kitchen reno to accomplish. Are you looking to just update the look of your kitchen, improve its functionality, have more storage or are you mainly trying to be less isolated from the rest of your family members?
Pondering what annoys you about your kitchen can be a good place to starts, as well as how you wish to use the space. Would you like to cook more, entertain more, or have areas designated for other uses such as a desk for homework? Sure, maybe you want it all but that could cost you more than you are willing to spend. So try to be honest and ask yourself what matters most. Do you really need a full-on chef’s kitchen or do you simply want a fresh look? Get laser-focused on your priorities, since this will affect how your entire kitchen renovation unfolds, including how much it costs.
What’s Your Budget?
Before you dive in and all head over heels in love with pricey appliances or a new layout, know how much you can afford, then figure out where to allocate those dollars. To help you zero in on what kind of kitchen reno you can afford, share a ballpark budget with McDonough Construction. This can give you a good sense of what to do now and what might have to wait until later. Often, a kitchen remodel can be done in stages to assure you achieve your dreams when you and your budget are ready.
Where Can You Cut Corners?
Is your dream kitchen beyond your budget? Many areas of a kitchen reno offer plenty of wiggle room, including the following:
- Materials: Keep in mind most of your material choices such as cabinetry, countertops, flooring, and lighting can vary greatly in price. This can be instrumental in staying within budget.
- Layout: If you want to change your kitchen layout, you probably need a larger budget because electrical, water, and HVAC connections to support the appliances cost more to move. Keeping the current layout is less costly.
- Cabinets: Refacing cabinetry changes the whole feel of a kitchen for much less than total cabinet replacement.
- Backsplash: Adding a tasteful backsplash add pizzazz for a relatively low cost. In fact, large home maintenance stores carry install-yourself backsplashes that are trendy and made for the DIY owner.
Many times the kitchen has good bones and just needs a face-lift. New appliances, cabinet hardware, paint, or backsplash.
Prepared to Manage This Project?
From hiring a contractor to securing permits, there will be plenty of moving parts to manage. You should track product warranties, invoices, receipts, owners manuals, and more. Also, keep great records because you need to update your home insurance dwelling coverage, be prepared for tax time, and have great records if you decide to sell your house.
Can You Comfortably Survive It?
Even if you know exactly what you want and have the money to pay for it, you still have to mentally prepare for demolition and potential delays. Plan on being without the kitchen comforts for at least three months. So if you want your kitchen perfect before your entire extended family comes over for Christmas, you better get cracking now! And of course, problems along the way will lengthen the timeline. So pad your time frame and budget for unforeseen problems that are bound to crop up, and prepare to eat a whole lot of takeout before this is over.