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How to Plan for a Kitchen Remodel or Kitchen
Renovation Project
Kitchen Remodeling is one of the Best Investments
a Homeowner Can Make
By: Mark J.
Donovan
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Deciding to remodel
or renovate your kitchen is one of the best investments you can make. The
kitchen is where people spend most of their waking hours while at home. It is
where they cook, eat, and gather with the family. It is also where they talk and
share ideas about the latest trends and fashions. Consequently, it is not
surprising that the kitchen would be on the top of the list of home improvement
projects.
Having an up to date, modern
kitchen, allows people not only to function better with new cabinets and
appliances, but also enables them to feel that they are indeed living in
modern society. |
Kitchen remodeling
and renovations
however can be a very messy and disruptive home improvement project. And the
length of the disruption can take as long as a month or more, even when well
planned out.
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To mitigate the
disruption of a kitchen renovation project, planning is absolutely essential.
The first item to consider is whether you will do it yourself, or hire a general
contractor. Regardless of what route, a homeowner needs to first sketch out some
kitchen remodeling ideas to ensure the kitchen design and costs will meet their
targeted functional requirements and budget. If a general contractor is to be
hired these initial sketches will be helpful in communicating your kitchen
remodeling plans and ideas. |
During the planning
phase, the homeowner should identify the main objectives of the future kitchen.
They should research the latest products on the market including: cabinets,
countertops, appliances, and flooring. If the kitchen is more than 5 years old,
there are a lot of new products to choose from. For example, Silestone is
quickly surpassing Granite and Corian, as the premier countertop surface as it
is extremely hard, elegant in appearance, and comes in many colors. For
cabinets, the trend appears to be towards lighter colors as they help the
appearance of lightening and enlarging a room. In regards to appliances, the
Stainless Steel look appears to be in. And for flooring, vinyl or wood is the
trend. Tile looks nice, however, it can be unforgiving in a room where things
tend to get dropped. In addition, if there is no radiant heating planned for the
floor, tile has the tendency to feel cold on the feet.
It is also
important to consider any structural changes to the existing kitchen area. Is a
new kitchen island desired, or will walls or doorways need to be moved or
installed?
| When developing your kitchen
remodeling plan, it is important to note that professional kitchen designers
like to think of a triangle when starting a new kitchen design. The three points
of the triangle include the Sink, Refrigerator, and Stove. Make sure your
sketches consider this, as it will ensure a good functional kitchen. Also,
consider adequate walking areas and space for an eating area, such as a table or
center island, with applicable space included for chairs. I would suggest that
the walking areas be wide enough for two people to walk through at the same
time. |
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The sketches should
also include dimensions, as these will be needed when meeting with the general
contractor or kitchen designer. Finally, consider where the existing outlets and
power for the stove are, and assess if additional outlets will be needed or old
outlets relocated.
For more
help on remodeling your kitchen, see HomeAdditionPlus.com’s
Kitchen
Remodeling Bid Sheet.
The
Kitchen Remodeling Bid Sheet
will help ensure that your kitchen remodeling project goes smoothly and you get
the finished kitchen you are
looking for. In addition, it will help to ensure that your remodeled kitchen will be accomplished on time and on budget.
How to Finance your Kitchen Remodeling Project -
can help provide funds for your new home improvement project if financing is
required.
Related information on Kitchen Remodeling
Additional Kitchen Design Resources
Kitchen Faucets and Appliances from Amazon.com
Kitchen Remodeling Price Quotes For FREE,
No Obligation!
Fill out our 3-5 minute quick and easy form, and receive a free price quote
on kitchen remodeling from one of our prescreened and licensed kitchen
remodeling contractors. This process is free and there is no obligation to
continue once you receive your kitchen remodeling price estimate.
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