Remodeling a kitchen is not a simple task. Many details need to come together harmoniously, and plenty of things can go wrong. However, with careful planning, the process can be exciting, fun, and infinitely rewarding.
Here are some of our top tips to help you save time and sanity during your kitchen remodel:
Careful Planning Is Critical
While some kitchen remodels can be finished in a month, others will take much longer and can cause a fair bit of disruption to your life. Careful planning is critical to minimize the impact.
Work With A Designer
To save time and keep the process moving along, we always recommend working with a professional kitchen designer. A designer can help you make decisions on all the selections you’ll have to make. From countertops to fixtures, faucets, flooring, appliances, cabinets, and more, they can help you narrow your choices and find something you’ll love.
Find Photos Or Examples Of Kitchens You Love
When you’re working with a designer and a contractor, it’s often helpful to have some visual references to illustrate your ideas. If you love your neighbor’s kitchen, or if you’ve seen something in a magazine that gets you excited, be sure to share.
Make Your Wish List
Having a wish list is a good place to start. Depending on your budget and the structural realities of your kitchen, some things may or may not be possible. However, when we know what you want, there is often a way to get very close to it, even if we can’t match it exactly. So, when you make your wish list, don’t hold back! Think big and dream bigger. In the end, we will try to stay as close to that list as we can without going over your budget.
Hire The Best
Working with an experienced design-build firm is always a good idea. Design-build is a process that brings all stakeholders to the table, starting in the initial discussions. This way, consensus can be reached, and issues addressed before they become problems. A design-build approach will save you money and reduce any lapses in communication, ensuring a smooth process from beginning to end.
Your design-build contractor brings their industry connections to the table as well. This means you’ll get preferential treatment from suppliers, and have access to top-notch artisans, like cabinet makers, painters, and tile setters, many of whom you would not have access to otherwise.
Participate In Pre-Construction Meetings
Plan to participate in all pre-construction meetings, as this is where you will get your questions and concerns addressed. When you know exactly what is going to happen during your remodel, your stress is minimized, and the process will be much more pleasant. A pre-construction meeting gives you a peek into our process, too.
Ultimately, we want you to be well-informed and as involved as you want to be. While some homeowners just want to go away and come back when it’s all finished, others get excited about seeing how things are coming along. It’s your kitchen, after all!
Be Prepared
Depending on how long the remodel is going to take, you may need to make some significant compromises. For example, you may not have a kitchen for a while. If you have a family with children, it is especially important to maintain a routine. A temporary kitchen will allow you to prepare meals as usual and stick to a normal order of things.
During the work, there will be people in and out of your home. Our crews are friendly, presentable, and respectful, and will go out of their way to ensure your comfort and safety. However, knowing that there will be strange people in and out of the house, you might want to board your pets during the day to mitigate their anxiety.
Also, since there will be extra vehicles and possibly a dumpster in your driveway, think about alternate parking during the day.
Order Your Selections Early
Whenever you plan to start your remodel, your selections should be bought well in advance. We generally suggest purchasing tile, flooring, and other items when you actually make the selections.
If you wait, the style you want might not be available anymore, and then you’re back to the drawing board. With tile and flooring, particularly, it’s always a good idea to order a little extra, just in case. If you run out, or if you decide to extend your design, you probably won’t be able to match it.
Are you thinking about a kitchen remodel? We’ve got the solution to your remodeling stress! Reach out today to learn more about what we can do for you.
