The National Kitchen and Bath Association recently reported that kitchen renovation spending rose by 13 percent in 2021. Canceled travel plans and entertainment restrictions caused by the worldwide pandemic forced many homeowners to turn a critical eye to upgrading their immediate environment.
Remodeling a kitchen can bring homeowners many benefits. If you’re ready to upgrade, here are eight tips for a successful project. Follow these steps and your kitchen will become a place “where memories are made and seasoned with love.”
Kitchen Renovation Process: 8 Helpful Tips
Reasons for wanting a kitchen remodel can vary. Maybe you have a growing family. Maybe you want home improvements that will bring you a higher price if you sell your home.
Whatever your reasons are, it’s wise to have a plan in place before you swing a single hammer. Follow these tips for renovating a kitchen and your project will go smoothly.
- Identify Your Goals
Your first step to renovating a kitchen is to zero in on some options and concentrate on what you truly need. Do you need a new sink? Do you need to replace your appliances?
Narrowing down your options can help keep you from exceeding your budget. If your main priority is to replace appliances, why would you need to change the flooring? Ask yourself questions like this and then you’ll be able to focus on your true needs for your kitchen renovation project:
- Do you want an overall, new kitchen layout?
- Are you selling your house soon? If so, what kind of kitchen renovations will increase the value of your home?
- What kinds of updates do you need?
- What do you want removed?
- What do you want added?
- Create a Budget
Once you’ve determined the goals for your kitchen remodel, it’s time to write down your project’s budget. Homeowners, on average, spend between $12,000 and $35,00 on renovating a kitchen. Individual project components might be closer to $4,000.
Realistic kitchen remodel budgets usually range between 5 and fifteen percent of the home’s overall value. If your house is valued at $400,000, you can expect your kitchen renovation budget will be around 10% or $40,000.
You can also estimate what your costs are for each individual expense. These individual expenses usually represent a specific percentage of a total kitchen remodel budget. The National Kitchen and Bath Association suggests individual expenses might look like the following:
- Cabinetry and hardware: 29%
- Installation: 17%
- Appliances and ventilation: 14%
- Countertops: 10%
- Flooring: 7%
- Walls and ceilings: 5%
- Lighting: 5%
- Doors and windows: 4%
- Design fees: 4%
- Faucets and plumbing: 4%
- Miscellaneous: 1%
- Tour Home Stores and Showrooms
Visit home stores and showrooms to get ideas for a kitchen. You’ll also discover how much materials will cost. Visiting these displays will show you what options are available to you for your renovation.
- Don’t Skimp on Quality
It may be tempting to choose the cheaper-priced items when remodeling a kitchen. Sometimes these less expensive items, however, lead to repairs or replacements just a few months after your project is done. Choose those products that offer better guarantees or warranties to avoid these headaches further down the road.
- Hire a Designer
Set funds aside in your budget to hire a kitchen designer. These professionals usually charge between 8 and 10 percent of your total kitchen remodel budget. Kitchen designers are familiar with a kitchen design concept called “the golden triangle.”
This concept covers the 3 main components of a kitchen. These components include the stove, sink, and refrigerator. Designers design kitchens with this “golden triangle” in mind to organize elements that create the most efficient kitchen design possible.
Designers can also add additional elegant touches to your kitchen remodel project as well. For example, check out these kitchen cabinet handles that can make your kitchen unique.
- Decide If/When to Hire a Professional
A kitchen renovation might sound like a fun project to do by yourself. There, however, tasks you won’t be qualified to do by yourself. Installing an electrical service or new plumbing clearly belongs to the licensed professionals who have the technical experience to do this kind of work.
You also run the risk of creating costly mistakes for yourself. Set aside funds in your project budget to hire contractors who can do the job correctly and safely. Contractor fees will run between 10 and 20% of your project’s total cost.
- Hire a Contractor
Contractors will also serve as a project manager for your kitchen remodel. They’ll plan a project timeline, gather building materials and hire subcontractors who will also work on your kitchen renovation. If you do hire a contractor, their fee is an additional line item in your project’s budget.
When it’s time to interview potential contractors, have this list of important questions and materials you’ll need to ask them answer or provide. Some of these items include:
- Do you have a current contractor’s license? (Request a copy.)
- Do you and any subcontractors you plan to hire have worker’s compensation insurance? (Request copies of each.)
- What payment options do you prefer? Are you paid per deliverable? Are you paid when the project is complete or on a weekly basis?
- Can you take care of cleaning up the site when the project is finished?
- Consider What’s a DIY Task
As stated above, your best course of action is to hire professionals where technical skills are necessary. These skills will come in handy if you need to install cabinets or new gas lines. However, there are times when you need contractors vs. when you can do work yourself.
Ask your contractor if they’ll accept what’s called a 50/50 job. These projects call for the contractor to perform the technical tasks. You can do the easier tasks like painting or demolition.
What’s Next for Your Kitchen Renovation?
Feel like you’re ready to launch your kitchen renovation project today? Your first tasks should be to create your project budget and narrow it in on the updates you truly want and need.
If you hire contractors and subcontractors, be sure to ask for copies of their professional licenses and worker’s compensation insurance certificates. Having this information in hand will help you to sidestep any misunderstandings further along in your project.
You can also find more information on kitchen trends on our website. Do your homework today and you’ll be able to enjoy your memories “seasoned with love” long into the future.