If you are planning some work to your home, here are six common mistakes when remodeling your kitchen that you should try to avoid.
If you are considering a kitchen remodel, there are a few common mistakes that a lot of people make, ranging from the budget to doing it yourself. They are understandable mistakes, but the consequences could range far and wide.
With that in mind, if you are considering a kitchen remodel, here are six mistakes to avoid.
Doing it Yourself
If you have some experience with remodeling, you might think that remodeling a kitchen is easy. On paper, it’s as simple as tearing out cabinets and replacing them with new ones that you can buy pre-built if you don’t feel up to crafting them yourself. And sure, you’d save yourself some money… at first.
Doing a home remodel is a major undertaking, not just because of the work itself, but because of all the things you didn’t plan on that may come up. You may also need a permit, another thing that is easier said than done. Plus, if you aren’t a professional, an undertaking of this magnitude can be dangerous – both to you and your house.
On top of all the safety and quality reasons there are for hiring a contractor, it also helps to have a second set of eyes. You might have thought about it so much that you can’t see any options beyond those you’ve already accepted. A contractor with experience can help offer a fresh point of view and maybe even give you ideas that you never considered.
Either way, the result will almost certainly be a better kitchen.
Forgetting to Focus on Counter Space
This might seem like an obvious mistake, and it is, but it’s also a common one. Having enough counter space in a kitchen can make a huge difference. You might be tempted to install an extra large sink, but do you need it? Do you even need the sink you have now, or can you downsize for more counter space?
If you are doing a remodel, it’s also worth speaking to a contractor to see if there are any ways to extend the space you have now without getting into serious construction and tearing down walls. You might even be able to get away with something as simple as adding a few new supports. Regardless, make sure that your countertops are a priority, and your new kitchen will thank you for it.
Going Beyond Your Budget
This is a mistake that happens frequently regardless of the type of remodel, but it can be especially true of a kitchen.
Part of this comes down to trusting your contractor. You might, for example, want marble countertops. They look incredible, but they can also be prohibitively expensive and they will eat up your budget. A good contractor that is willing to work with your best interests at heart might recommend something like quartzite or even white concrete, and the results will be very similar.
The same can be true of things like cabinets, which can make up as much as one-third the total budget of a kitchen remodel. There are ways to cut that down, however, which in turn would allow you to get even more out of your remodel.
Decide what is most important to you and prioritize your budget based on that. Speak with your contractor and ask for options. With a little ingenuity and a few compromises on the type of material (not in quality, just in preconceived notions), you can save a lot of money.
Ignoring How the Kitchen Affects the House
You might have a very specific idea for your kitchen already in mind, but does that vision match the rest of your house?
Say you have always dreamed of a kitchen with gleaming white countertops contrasting dark cabinets. In a vacuum that might be perfect, but if the rest of your house is painted in a rich color, the colors might clash rather than compliment your house. Then, you are left with a difficult choice. You can either learn to accept it, or you can paint the next room over. Then, you might decide you need to paint the next room and the next, and suddenly your simple kitchen remodel turns into a lot more work than you thought.
A more severe example might be if you add a new door and discovered that it stifled the flow of your house rather than created a new area as you had hoped. When designing your new kitchen, keep in mind how it will affect the rest of your house.
Putting Off the Small Stuff
One of the most common mistakes people make when remodeling their kitchens is to put off some of the smaller things – like adding lazy Susans, drawer dividers, or new light fixtures – and thinking that you can save a few dollars and do it later. That might be true, but it will almost certainly be more hassle (and more expensive) than you think it will be.
When you decide to remodel your kitchen, go all the way. Assuming you are taking out a loan to do the remodel, take out enough to do everything you want at once. Even if you are considering putting aside something that is relatively simple, it is always going to be much easier to do it when contractors are already doing other work.
Plus, if you know there’s something that you left undone, it will drive you crazy. You’ll always wonder if your new kitchen would be better with the thing you put off.
Remodeling What Works
Another common mistake people tend to make when remodeling their kitchen is to get rid of the things that you do like and work fine along with everything else.
You may think you need all new plumbing to go with your new sink, or a new window to go with the new cabinets – and if you do need that, you should. But if something works well enough as is, save the money and stick with what you had before. Don’t change something just for the sake of changing it.
You should also check to see if you can make use of what is already there. If your kitchen floors are covered in linoleum, they may be covering older wooden floors. If so, you may be able to save and use those instead of replacing the floors on top of everything else.
This won’t work for everyone, but you should always check to see if it is an option.
Contact Fleschner Construction Now!
If you are considering a kitchen remodel, contact Fleschner Construction now to speak with our experts. We will be happy to go over all your options and work with you to help create the best options for you at the best price.