Remodeling your Kitchen – What do you need to think about?
Nowadays more and more people are either flipping houses or refurbishing their home for various different reasons. One of those reasons could be that you want have a lighter home, or increase the sell-on value of a home or you could just be tired of the same old corner of the house. The most popular room by far to remodel is the kitchen and in this little guide I will give some of the answers to the most common questions you may have when it comes to remodeling that all important space of your home.
Why should you remodel your kitchen?
Your kitchen can be the greatest asset in your home. It is where the family, friends and loved ones gather, and it is where you might spend your time preparing food with love, so it should reflect the rest of your home as well as stick out and shine. There are often five main reasons to update your kitchen:
- Reduce or eliminate inconvenience and improve functionality
- Upgrade as your family’s needs changes
- Make it fit your personal style
- Increase the value of your home
- Energy and water saving need
Functionality of the kitchen is extremely important. This could be because the old kitchen was filled with old and dysfunctional machines, or it could be because some event may have happened that makes it necessary to change.
Upgrading as your family needs changes could be as mentioned above, an event has happened that makes it absolutely necessary to change things in the house. Be it a child being born or someone now having special needs because of special needs.
Having a personal style is often a reason that is connected to having a home that you want to live in for a long time and perhaps it is the home you are planning to retire in. Then cooperating with a designer like me could be a great way of finding your personal style
Reselling a house can easily bring great profit if you also have remodeled your kitchen. As stated above a great kitchen is something everyone is looking for, so with a modern kitchen you can easily find a buyer, or you can increase the value of your home for other reasons.
In the time we are living in, it has become very important to take care our use of resources. This can also be reflected in the way you have your kitchen. New ovens, fridges and other appliances can use a lot less power and water, so this could be a very good reason to redo your kitchen.
All of these points are things that absolutely need to be considered when making a decision on whether or not you want to remodel your kitchen corner.
Remodeling your kitchen on a budget
One other thing that needs to be thought of when you remodel your kitchen is whether or not you have money enough to do so. If the budget is an issue then there are things you can do to help save the cost of your new kitchen.
One thing is of course different types of apps and programs that can help you plan out your kitchen. I personally use different programs, some that are listed on my main page and others I have made videos
of. These range from high in price, like professional architect tools, or free ones like Home Stratosphere’s Interior Design Software. Here you can play and place things exactly where you want it. IKEA’s kitchen planner is another cheap option.
If you feel like hiring someone to do the planning work, but still want to save money, then helping out or doing the construction work yourself is another great way of saving money. The problem here is whether or not you have the experience needed to do so, but if you do then it is a great way as you will also have the pride of having done it yourself.
Reusing or refurbishing old units and material is another great way of saving money, especially if you are interested in giving your kitchen that much needed personal touch. With the way a lot of people are thinking about the environment these days, it is also a great way of doing your part. A lot of salvage yards and second-hand shops may have exactly what you need to put that personal feeling into your kitchen.
What to do before you remodel your kitchen
As you get started with your project there are many things that you need to do before you start. I have a list of things that I usually send to clients every time I am hired to do a job, but here I will only mention the most important things you need to think about.
What are the needs of your family? Maybe you are a family that likes to sit around the kitchen table or the kitchen island and talk about the day you are about to have or what you have done during the day. Then you need to design a kitchen that fits this.
Does the electrical grid function and is it up to code? The kitchen is usually the room that need the most amount of energy and sometimes the outlets needs to be moved. If so, you need to hire an electrician as well.
If you are doing the project on your own, you should make a schedule and make sure that you stick to it. Far too many projects get out of hand because the planning has not been done in a correct and proper manner. This is also where a designer or a project manager can come in handy.
The layout needs to fit both your needs and how the various appliances function best. Where is the water inlet? Where is the vent for the fan? These are important questions that sometimes get forgotten in the heat of the moment.
This is also why having someone on board to help you can be a great idea.
Is remodeling your kitchen worth it?
This is often the most important question I get when I meet new clients. Will the cost outweigh the benefits? Often it will not. If you are remodeling an old and dusty setup of a kitchen, it can often increase the value of the house significantly and give you great value for the investment. This is of course if things are handled correctly. A project that gets out of hand can often lead to unforeseen costs and more work hours, but if it is handled well, it can be a great asset to your home.
The new kitchen can give your home new energy and give you the will and creative energy to make great dishes for friends and family and as it is the center of the home, give your entire house a wonderful new feel.
The financial gain can be great as well. The average cost of a refurbishing is around $70,000, but it can also increase the value of your home with 58.6 percent on investment. That in itself could make the investment into a new kitchen extremely important if you are thinking of reselling.
So whether you are tired of your old kitchen, remodeling an old house, want to increase the value of your current home or just want that personal touch, please reach out to me and let me know what your needs are.
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