7 Important Details to Consider Before your Kitchen Remodel
There are 7 important details to consider before your kitchen remodel. Renovating a kitchen is a major undertaking for a homeowner to take on alone. It requires strategic planning both, financially and aesthetically. Based on my experience, I recently completed a kitchen renovation through my online interior design services, many of these points were brought up during the project and I thought it would be beneficial to share.
7 Important Details to Consider Before your Kitchen Remodel:
1) Budget
The cost of a full kitchen renovation could be a major expense. Of course you want your kitchen to be beautiful but the numbers shouldn't put you into a coma either. It’s important to sit down and realistically evaluate your income: inflows and outflows. Determine what number feels comfortable to you (and partner involved). At the end of the day, you should feel HAPPY to be investing into your home to create your dream kitchen, not frightened. Your final number should also include services for professionals and designer fees.
Another tip to consider would be calling in a realtor for advice on how much your home may be worth and how a kitchen would add to the value of your home. We all understand the benefits that a kitchen brings if you update it... but let's talk numbers and what the consumer is looking for when purchasing a new home.
Don't have a realtor? If you are local to New Jersey, my lovely fiance is a realtor.. plus, you would have me in your back pocket for design advice. We are a dynamite duo ;) Visit the
for all your home needs.
2) How long will you be living in the home?
The term of how long you intend on living in the home will certainly affect how you make decisions. Is this your forever home ? Do you want to update your kitchen to make it yours to enjoy for the few years that you plan to be there? If you plan to move out of your home when the kids get older, you may want to only update the cabinetry with paint and new hardware and upgrade your countertop.
3) Kitchen Size
The size of the kitchen is a basic need. Do you want to expand the footprint of your kitchen? Before you start knocking down walls, weigh the cost if it would be better applied to higher-quality cabinets and appliances or if square footage is necessary. If you square footage is a desire/need, see if you can sneak space from areas that aren't frequented for entertaining such as a mudroom or laundry (if possible).
4) Keeping the Existing Kitchen Design Layout
The best way to save money during a kitchen remodel is to keep the existing layout. You will save on expenses when you choose to leave appliances and major systems in their existing positions. Rearranging your layout could result into: moving water lines for refrigerators/sinks/dishwashers, moving gas lines for stoves, upgrading vents and ducts for range hoods, bringing wiring up to code etc.
If your kitchen layout is absolutely not functional and making cooking/entertaining difficult then I highly recommend reconfiguring your set up.
Kitchen Designed by AMA Designs & Interiors
5) Appliances
Aside from deciding the location of your appliances, it is important to determine what appliances you want to upgrade and/or if you would like additional appliances. Consider your needs: do you cook and entertain often? Do you want to add additional appliances such as warming drawer or refrigerated drawers in your center island? Appliances come in a variety of styles and sizes. Each type of appliance has special requirements. For example, if you want to upgrade your existing oven for a commercial style range, you may need additional support to brace the floor under your new appliance.
6) Lighting Plan
A great lighting plan can make a huge difference in the functionality of your kitchen. Recently, I had a client who chose to remodel her kitchen through our
online interior design services
. In older homes, a kitchen may have one or two ceiling fixtures. For this project, the client only had one ceiling light in the center of the kitchen which casted shadows when working on the counters. By incorporating under cabinet lighting, kitchen pendants over the peninsula, and a couple recessed lights to the ceiling.. this once dark kitchen is now fully illuminated.
7) Hiring a Professional Early
With any renovation or remodel, it’s important to receive an expert’s eye on your project and hiring a professional early in the project. Schedule a consultation with a designer for design guidance. Working with a designer also takes all the guess-work out of the equation and will prevent you from making costly mistakes if you were to take on the project on your own. If you are local to New Jersey,
to schedule your consultation or visit
page.