6 Kitchen Remodeling Mistakes To Learn From
Planning your own kitchen remodel? Make sure to avoid these 6 kitchen remodeling mistakes. For some design inspiration, check out this article as well.
The path to a beautiful kitchen remodeling job is paved with plenty of disaster stories for us to learn from.
1. Don't procrastinate your kitchen remodeling plan.
A carefully thought out kitchen remodeling plan will be your best chance for having a smooth remodeling process. Before you begin ripping out walls, make sure you have previously planned out every project decision. If you are working with a professional, ask them to talk you through situations that might arise during your kitchen remodeling project. Do your own research and look to kitchen remodeling discussion boards to get an idea of problems you may face.
Most problems are related to poorly organized decisions about things like paint color, trim, and kitchen appliance selection. It is important for all of these things to be installed in proper order. These may seem minor, but something small can turn into a major delay. For example, if your range hood was ordered two weeks late and your cabinet installation does not leave enough room for your range hood to be installed, this will cause delays.
2. Don't keep changing your mind.
Let's face it, it's basically inevitable for an invested homeowner to change their mind about at least one thing on during kitchen remodeling projects. Every time you change your mind, this will directly result in a change of order. Although a small change may seem insignificant at the time, there are usually always additional costs. Yes, even if it's only the time spent discussing the change.
Keep in mind that job scheduling may also be affected. So if you are one to change your mind often, make sure to clearly communicate to everyone working on your kitchen remodel. Make it clear what exactly needs to be informed of the change. Do this so no one finds themselves working on the original plan. During the kitchen remodeling process, we all make design changes, and that's totally OK. Just be aware of the potential that it may delay your kitchen remodeling job, and disrupt your original kitchen remodeling plans.
3. Don't buy your own materials.
Once you begin to add up costs, you'll find that your kitchen remodeling project may become an expensive one. So why would you not want to buy your own building materials? Well, many believe that if they take it upon themselves to buy their own materials, then this would be an obvious way to save more money. This may be true for some, but usually not without extra headaches and a few design hiccups along the way.
Yes, a builder will usually mark up the cost of materials and pass the additional costs to you. Because of dealer discounts and trade programs, builders are able to get a much lower discount. Yes, an even greater discount than you would begin with. This means that even after the markup, you'll pay the same price.
4. Don't put lipstick on a pig.
Many older homes deal with much larger problems that are not as easy to fix. Some of these problems include drooping foundation, the decaying of materials, and walls that are not insulated. These kinds of homes should be knocked down instead of putting more money into them to fix them up.
Though this is not recommended, it is common for people to insist on putting money into elaborate building materials such as cabinets and expensive flooring regardless of their home's sinking foundation. Listen to the professionals who come to look at your project and be open to their suggestions.
Smaller kitchens, on the other hand, are much easier to work with. Not to mention they are usually more affordable simply because of their size.
5. Don't start your kitchen remodeling job without a contingency fund.
As much as we wish everything could go as planned, it's rare to have a remodeling project go exactly as planned. Many times the final cost of the job will be more than you expected.
Make sure to plan ahead and save some extra money in a contingency fund. Do this so you won't feel like you are stretching your budget when a surprise design dilemma approaches or when your plans change. If you follow rule number one and make every decision ahead of time, you can probably get away with a lot more than you would expect.
6. Don't live in the construction zone.
Kitchen remodeling is expensive, and that is why many people ignore this rule. More often than not, people will resist the urge to move due to the additional costs that come from temporarily moving somewhere else. If you find that you are not able to move elsewhere, try to at least schedule some time away to reset and refresh.
As you may know, kitchen remodeling is hectic. After so many family dinners eating cereal on the floor, you deserve a break. So make sure to set up a clean, comfortable place to escape to when you can’t handle coming home to a messy and stressful construction site.