Tenants and kitchen remodeling what you can do
When it comes to kitchen remodeling, we often associate kitchen remodeling with homeowners. This is because as a homeowner, you have the right to decide whether or not you want your kitchen to be remodeled. If you are a tenant, otherwise known as an apartment renter, you may not have this same freedom; however, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t get your wish.
If you are renting an apartment and you would like to have your kitchen remodeled, you will need to speak to your landlord. Since it would likely be your landlord’s responsibility to pay for the remodeling, you will need to have a good reason as to why you are requesting that your kitchen be remodeled. Chances are that not liking the way that it looks will not be a good enough reason. One reason that may be good enough is if your kitchen is in poor shape. For instance, if your cupboard doors are not working, if the lights are not as bright as they should be, or if your kitchen floor has broken tiles, your landlord may be more willing to do a little bit of remodeling. While the remodeling may not be a huge project, it just may be enough to get you what you wanted.
As previously mentioned, your landlord will likely be the one who will pay for the kitchen remodeling, if it does occur, at least, he or she should be the one who pays for it. In fact, you are advised against paying for any kitchen remodeling yourself. The only exception maybe if you are involved in a rent to own contract, but, otherwise, just say no. Unfortunately, you may find that isn’t always enough. There are a number of landlords out there who will try and take advantage of their tenants, by making them pay for their own repairs or remodeling. Since you do not own the apartment that you are renting, you will not want to pay for the repairs yourself. There is no good in letting your landlord benefit from your hard work and hard-earned money.
Although you are advised not to pay for the kitchen repairs or remodeling yourself, you may want to do them; however, you shouldn’t have to do them for free. If you have some home improvement experience, it may be a good idea to suggest to your landlord that you do the repairs, for a small fee. In fact, you may even want to ask your landlord to deduct the money from your rent. Of course, you will want your landlord to buy all of the supplies and tools that are needed for kitchen remodeling, but you could all benefit from you doing the repairs yourself. You should get a reduction in rent and your landlord should be able to save him or herself some money.
If you would like to have your apartment or rented home’s kitchen remodeled, you should ask. The worst that could happen is that your landlord would say no. However, with the possibility of increased building value and discounted labor, if you do the remodeling yourself, there is a good chance that your landlord may okay a kitchen remodeling project. Even if you do not plan on spending the rest of your life in that apartment, you could easily enjoy your newly remodeled kitchen for as long as it lasts.
Should You Hire a Professional to Remodel Your Kitchen?
Are you a homeowner who is looking to have your kitchen remodeled? If you are, you likely already know that you, literally, have an unlimited number of options. In addition to what you would like remodeled and how you would like everything to look, you can also choose how your remodeling gets done. While a large number of homeowners make the decision to do their own kitchen remodeling, there are others who choose to use the assistance of a professional. That professional is often commonly referred to as a contractor. One of the best ways to determine whether you not you should use a professional contractor is to examine the advantages and disadvantages of doing so.
As you may have already assumed, there is an unlimited number of benefits to having your kitchen remodeled by a professional. Perhaps, the greatest benefit of a professional kitchen remodeling job is the end result. In almost all cases, you will find that a professional remodeling job is better than one that is performed by someone without experience. Although it may sound easy to replace the lighting in your kitchen or your kitchen countertops, you will find that it isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Instead of taking the time to learn, a large number of homeowners automatically turn to a professional contractor.
Speaking of time, you will also find that time is another advantage of using a professional contractor to remodel your kitchen. Since professional contractors are experienced at what they do, they will not only produce quality work, but they will also produce it in a relativity short period of time. Since the average homeowner is unfamiliar with the ins and outs of remodeling, in general, it often takes them longer to complete any home improvement projects. While this may not necessarily be a problem, it can be if you are pressed for time or if you are on a deadline. If you are, you may be able to benefit immensely from using the services of a professional contractor.
Safety is another advantage of using a professional contractor to get your kitchen remodeled. Whether you are interested in remodeling your whole kitchen or just focusing on a particular part of it, such as your kitchen cabinets, you will find that it is quite dangerous to remodel your own kitchen, especially if you do not know what you are doing. Depending on the particular remodeling project in question, you may need to use sharp tools, such as box cutters and saws. One little slip and instead of working on your kitchen, you could be spending the rest of your day in the emergency room. While professional contractors do make mistakes that can result in injury, those injuries rarely occur.
Although it may seem as if you can only benefit from using a professional contractor to remodel your kitchen, there are also disadvantages to hiring the services of one. One of those disadvantages is the cost. Since professional contractors are good at what they do, they often charge for it. The amount of money that you are charged will all depend on what type of remodeling you want to be done and the individual or company that you are looking to work with. The good news is that you may be able to develop a payment plan or arrange for financing, as long as you have a positive credit score.
Another disadvantage of having a professional remodel your kitchen for you was also mentioned above as an advantage. That is the end result. Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether or not an individual or company that claims to be professional really is. Before agreeing to work with a particular contractor, either an individual or a company, you are advised to ask for pictures of their previous work and you may also want to speak with past customers. This will help to ensure that your professional kitchen remodeling project turns out the way that it is supposed to be, professional.
As you can see, there are a number of advantages and disadvantages to using a professional contractor to remodel your kitchen. Perhaps, the best way to decide what you should do is to keep the above-mentioned points in mind and then think about your needs. If a professional contractor can offer you what you are looking for then it may be a good idea to use one.