Many homeowners believe that kitchen renovation can be an exciting, creative project, and you can create your dream kitchen. There is a bewildering array of choices available – from faucets to flooring, kitchen cabinets and countertops, appliances, lighting – you have unlimited options available, and your are really limited only by your budget. Still, kitchen renovation is a big job, and mistakes are not only costly, they are time consuming. Below are things you need to know before starting on your project.
Focus on a Budget
Decide on a budget and stick to it. Once you start going through magazines and catalogues, and visiting stores you are going to be sorely tempted, so you might want to add a little leeway into your budget, but unless the sky is the limit, give your budget a limit and stick to it, or your kitchen renovation will drain your cash reserves far more quickly than you could ever have anticipated.
Assess Your Space
The second tip may seem obvious, but you would be surprised how many people skip it and launch right in, to their detriment later on. It’s simple, plan, plan and plan. You have your budget, now look at your kitchen, the space you have available, how often you use your kitchen and think about what you want to achieve with your kitchen renovation. Do you use your kitchen as a family room, for snacks and breakfast? Then you may want to include entertainment options such as a wall-mounted television, and a sound system in your kitchen renovation plans.
Plan Around the Budget
The third tip you need to know before you start your kitchen renovation is a good one – heed it. Kitchen cabinets usually account for about half the cost of the budget of the average kitchen renovation. Decide early what you want, how much you want to spend, and then plan around that. It’s advisable not to skimp on quality when it comes to kitchen cabinets – rather go for the best you can afford.
Avoid Flooring Oversight
Pay attention to the flooring. Just because it’s a kitchen, does not mean that the floors have to be ugly. There are many great options available – just make sure you look for durability, along with looks.
Stick to a Theme
Unless you are going for an eclectic look, you would be better off sticking to a theme, so all the elements blend together seamlessly. Make sure your kitchen design is timeless, and fits in with the rest of your home. You may want to redecorate the rest of your home long before you get around to renovating your kitchen again, so make sure you can live with the kitchen design you choose.
Plan Kitchen Lighting
Another thing you need to know before you start your kitchen renovation is that lighting has gained prominence in modern kitchens. The old fluorescent bulb not only looks unattractive, it gobbles electricity. Where possible consider the use of LED’s and layered kitchen lighting. Lighting can be expensive, so it’s something you need to think about early in your planning stages.
Choose Reputable Contractor
If you are going to choose a contractor, choose wisely. Look for someone reputable, and don’t hesitate to check up on references – many people have had terrible experiences with contractors who didn’t do what they promised, or disappeared halfway through the kitchen renovation. Also, there is a lot of kitchen design software that you can make use of when you are planning your kitchen. Don’t grab the first option – look at reviews, so you can find something that will work for you.
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