Kitchen Remodeling: A Checklist For Your Kitchen Remodeling Project
Kitchen remodeling takes time and money. A major remodel with top-of-the-line appliances and cabinets can easily cost more than $100,000. As for time, allow at least four months for a remodeling job, or more realistically, six to eight months. Custom cabinetry orders take approximately two months, plus time for planning, order processing, shipping, demolition, installation, moving into your kitchen, and reorganization.
While it’s tempting to get started as quickly as possible once you decide to remodel, it’s best to catch your breath, do your homework, and think about your plans because you don’t have the time or money to make mistakes.
Start with the basics. Consider what the main uses of the kitchen will be and then gather ideas to improve your project. Give this some thought before you meet with a contractor. The following is a checklist of items to consider when planning your kitchen remodel.
Determine the main uses of your kitchen:
- Cooking
- food storage
- food
- equipment/utensil storage
- specialized food preparation areas
- garbage deposit
- Dirty clothes
- secondary media center
- message station
- small office
- hobby/craft center
- entertaining
- mud room
- traffic center
Enhance your kitchen remodeling project:
- Brainstorm with household members
- Find ideas in model homes, showrooms, home shows, magazines, books, and catalogs.
- Appliances: ovens, ranges, stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, stoves, microwaves, range hoods and exhaust fans
- Cabinets: Oak, Maple, Cherry, Hickory, Pine, Birch, Metal, Plastic, Cabinet Liner, Kitchen Storage, and Kitchen Islands
- Countertops – stone, marble, quartz, granite, solid surface, wood, metal and formica
- Floors: hardwood floors, cork, bamboo, laminate, linoleum floors, flooring installation, floor repair and finishing
- Lighting: light controls, chandeliers, fixtures, lamps, fluorescent lights, recessed and spot lighting
- Sinks and accessories: kitchen faucets, stainless steel, brass, plastic and glass handles
- Windows: skylights, double sashes and single sashes, casement and garden windows for growing herbs and plants
- Select a design professional and/or contractor that meets your needs
The more details you can determine in advance of your kitchen remodeling project, the better. It will make your remodeling project more efficient and therefore less expensive.
