Following a few basic kitchen remodeling tips will ensure that your renovation is finished within your budget and time constraints.
Use the Kitchen Work Triangle
Always use the work triangle when creating a kitchen floor plan. The work triangle is a rule of thumb used to measure the distance between food storage, preparation and cooking spaces to increase the usability of a kitchen and the time it takes to prepare food.
Traditionally, work triangle spaces are identified as the refrigerator, stove and sink. When a triangle is drawn between these three spaces, the perimeter should be more than 12 feet and less than 22 feet. Each leg of the work triangle should be less than 9 feet but more than 4 feet.
Research Your Neighborhood
If resale value is a concern, take some time to find out the quality of other kitchens in your area. If granite countertops and sub-zero freezers are common, you are justified in adding them during your own kitchen remodeling. However, if kitchens in your neighborhood are more modest, align your own remodeling plans to what is common for your area.
Make Cosmetic Changes if Your Budget is Small
Kitchen remodeling can be expensive, but if the kitchen is in good working condition, it may require only a few cosmetic changes. Paint and lighting are the two easiest and least expensive changes to make. Replacing flooring, countertops and cabinets is more expensive, but can also make a large impact during kitchen remodeling. A careful homeowner can also complete these projects themselves to save on labor costs.
Create a Schedule
If you hire a contractor, you should create a schedule of work completion tied to payments as part of the contract. However, even if you plan on doing all of the work yourself, a schedule will allow you to estimate the length of the project as well as give you a firm completion date.
A good schedule will include most of these points.
- Purchasing deadline for appliances. Many appliances must be specially ordered and may take several weeks to arrive. Work any lead time into your schedule, allowing a few extra days for delivery delays.
- Hiring date for a contractor.Hiring a contractor is essential for extensive kitchen remodeling, but checking references, insurance and quotes can be time consuming. Allow several weeks to make a decision, but choose a firm date to hire a contractor to avoid delaying the project.
- Working times for the contractor or homeowner. Some homeowners prefer to be in the house when a contractor is working. If this is the case, ask the contractor about a schedule that revolves around your days off. If you plan on doing some of the kitchen remodeling work yourself, try to schedule at least one project every weekend.
- Careful work flow diagram or list. Many jobs during a kitchen renovation have a specific sequence in which they must be completed. A contractor will be able to tell you this sequence, but if you are doing all of the work yourself it may be difficult to determine. In general, work such as painting and installing flooring are some of the last jobs to complete. The final job will be installing new appliances.
Hire Reliable People
Overly ambitious homeowners can be just as detrimental to a kitchen remodeling project as a bad contractor. If you have a history of leaving projects unfinished or have a string of home improvement projects that didn’t live up to your expectations, consider hiring someone to complete the renovation for you. If you do hire a contractor, check for references, licenses and proof of insurance. Also contact your state government. A government official will be able to disclose if complaints were ever registered against your contractor as well as the specific contract law that governs construction deposits in your state.
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