How To Plan For Kitchen Remodeling
by: Johnathan Bakers
Kitchen remodeling is one of the most desirable home
improvement projects for many homeowners. A new kitchen increases the
value of your home and makes your life easier. The first step to your
new kitchen is to set a budget. Decide how much money you are willing
to spend. This will help drive your other decisions. Be sure to leave a
cushion in your budget for additional, unexpected expenses.
When determining your budget, consider how long you intend
to stay in your home. If you are planning to sell in the next year or
so, you may want to spend less money. Decide which features you must
have in your new kitchen. You can cut corners in other areas by
substituting less expensive materials for the counter tops, flooring or
cabinet doors.
Research Kitchen Trends
Before you start planning your remodeling project, do some
research on the current trends and designs being used in kitchens. Look
for information on the internet or in home decorating magazines. Visit
your local home improvement center for more ideas. Start a file for
pictures of kitchens you love, furniture, appliances, fabric swatches
or anything else you find interesting. This will help when you are
ready to start purchasing items for your new room.
Options in Kitchen Remodeling
Cabinets are an expensive item in any remodeling project.
They often take up half of the overall budget for the room. If you
can’t afford the cost of brand new cabinets, there are cheaper
alternatives. Consider cabinet refacing rather than replacing the
entire cabinet. In refacing, the doors are replaced and exterior wood
areas are covered. This is much less expensive since you are using the
same cabinets. An even cheaper alternative is to paint your existing
cabinets and buy new hardware.
If you must have new cabinets, consider adding some extra
features. Features such as tilt out drawers, pull out garbage cans or a
lazy Susan inside a corner cabinet are great space savers and make the
room more functional. The doors can be either solid wood, clear glass
or stained glass. Shop around to find out what is available before
making a purchase.
You can save money on flooring and countertops as well.
Substitute vinyl flooring in place of more expensive ceramic tile to
save money. If you can install ceramic tiles yourself, you can have
them for about the price you would pay a contractor to install vinyl
flooring.
Countertops vary widely in price depending on the material
that is used. Counters that are more durable are also more expensive.
You may want this if you want to be able to cut food directly on the
counter. For most people, this is an easy way to cut the overall cost
of your kitchen. You can find less expensive material that gives the
look of marble, butcher’s block or other expensive materials.
Once you have decided what you want, consider how much of
the job you can do yourself. Contractors can eat up a large portion of
your budget. The more you can do, the more you will save in the overall
cost of the room. Use the savings for great new furniture.
