Surviving A Kitchen Renovation: Hints And Practical Advice
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
1- PLANNING THE DREAM KITCHEN
IDENTIFY YOUR GOAL
ASSESSING THE KITCHEN YOU HAVE
MAKING INFORMED CHOICES
2 –THE KITCHEN SCHEME: PLANNING WITH REALITY
BUDGET
HIDDEN COSTS
TIMELINE
SPATIAL CONSIDERATIONS
SIZE MATTERS
OTHER FACTORS OF PLANNING WISELY
3 – LAYING IT OUT: ORGANIZING THE DATA INTO A WORKABLE SCHEME
INITIAL DESIGN FACTORS
Layout
Windows and doors
Storage
CABINETS
APPLIANCES
KITCHEN SYSTEMS
LEGISLATION
KEEPING TRACK
4- TO HIRE OR NOT TO HIRE A PROFESSIONAL OR “HOW GOOD AN ELECTRICIAN, PLUMBER, AND JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES ARE YOU?”
KITCHEN DESIGNER
CONTRACTORS AND SUBCONTRACTORS
CHOOSING THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO WORK WITH
OPTIONS
5 – THE FINAL APPROACH: PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER
FINAL DESIGN
SCHEDULE
OTHER PAPERWORK
BUDGET
FINAL NOTE
CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
If you are looking for a challenge, why not plan to remodel your kitchen? It is one way to give your home that new home feeling. It also gives you a chance to entirely – or moderately, change the look or style of this special room in your home. In the process, you will easily accomplish 2 important goals in many homes remodels. You will increase the investment in your house while adapting it to today’s lifestyles.
Today’s kitchens are among the most versatile they have ever been. Kitchens are no longer uni-purpose rooms. They exist for more than simply cooking and serving a meal. Today’s kitchens are gathering places. They are favorite hangouts for the family and their friends and guests. As the song goes, “You can always find me in the kitchen at parties.”
Kitchens are where you and your family can cook and eat. It is also here where you and your tribe can work and even play. The kitchen is where the family often comes together. From here, many parents and individuals organize their daily activities. The kitchen table, corner nook or countertop becomes the place where people sit, a cold or hot drink in hand. Leaning over one of the kitchen’s many surfaces, pen in hand or computer at their fingertips, they sit and pay their bills or plan a vacation. The kitchen is also the scene of many a heart-to-heart talk over a cup or 2 of coffee.
The kitchen is the heart of the house. It is also one of the first rooms many home buyers check out when they come to view a home. This is the so-called “hot ticket” among real estate agents. It is 1 of several reasons why people decide to remodel their kitchen. It increases the chances of their house being sold.
There are other reasons to remodel your home. They vary from family to family and person to person. Among the most popular is growth. The family has increased in size. Therefore, the usage of the kitchen has gone up. As a result, the family requires more space in the kitchen. Rather than move, they decide to remodel the kitchen so it will be more functional.
Another top-of-the-list motivating factor is modernization. The kitchen you have may date from an earlier time. It needs to move into the current century. Perhaps, you want to bring in a new gadgetry. There are not enough receptacles to handle all your current small appliances. As a result, you need to modernize the kitchen – increase its ability to handle the new equipment. The same rationale applies to make the kitchen a “greener” environment. New green technology may require remodeling.
There is another popular reason why people alter their kitchen. They are simply tired of how it looks. Some want a new look or style. This may seem frivolous. In an economic hard time, why spend money on a new look? It may seem, to some, a sign of boredom or restlessness or an indication some people have way too much time on their hands. Yet, deciding to renovate what looks like a perfectly good kitchen, may also be a way of inexpensively increasing your satisfaction with your house. You may want a new home, but economic times or circumstances may force you to opt for remodeling.
Remodeling a kitchen is a challenging job. The reason is simple. The kitchen is one of the most complex rooms in the house. A complete remodeling job will involve a wide variety of tasks and tradespeople. There is carpentry work to be done. There are also electric systems to be addressed. You may require a plumber, a cabinet maker, an electrician, a carpenter and even someone skilled in tile work. This is because a kitchen is a complex entity containing all the elements from earth (wood) to fire (stove) to water (plumbing) to air (vents). In no other room is there such a complex intersection of the various systems that make living comfortably.
Yet, remodeling does not have to be a major headache. There are steps to take and certain tips to heed if you want to make the job easier. Kitchen remodeling is an involved undertaking. It will involve the consulting and even hiring of many different people. The following chapters are a guide to lighten the load – to help make the undertaking a little easier. They want to help you survive this kitchen remodeling. The first thing you have to do is to take a deep breath and identify your goal.