How to Plan for a Kitchen Remodel Project

A kitchen remodeling project should not be considered lightly, however. It is expensive, disruptive, and messy. The disruption to the family can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to longer than a month if not planned out well.

As just suggested, upfront planning is absolutely essential when making the decision to move forward with a kitchen remodel. The first decision that needs to be made is how much money do you want to spend on it and how will you pay for it. Kitchen remodels can easily cost $50K or more. Yes, you can do it for less but you will need to plan for compromise. The second major decision to make is how much of the project will you do on your own and whether or not you will hire a general contractor to coordinate and oversee the project. I recommend the latter.

Remodeling a kitchen is a large home renovation endeavor and unless you have previous home construction and remodeling experience I suggest leaving it to the professionals. This said, you need to at least generate your own kitchen design sketches and visit a kitchen designer to help develop a formal set of plans for your kitchen remodel.

While working up kitchen remodeling sketches and plans, make sure to identify the main goals of your new kitchen. In addition, research the latest kitchen appliances and cabinetry/countertop products on the market. Also investigate kitchen flooring options. You’ll notice during your research that there are many new kitchen building materials and products to choose from. For example, Silestone has become a great alternative to Granite countertops. Silestone is made from natural quartz and resins and is an extremely hard and durable countertop product. It is also beautiful to look at and comes in many colors. In regards to kitchen cabinetry, homeowners today seem to be trending towards lighter stain wood colors and the use of glass.

The lighter wood stain colors and glass cabinetry doors help to keep the kitchen brighter and make the room feel larger. Note that it is very important to include accurate dimensional information in your kitchen design sketches, as they are critical for the kitchen cabinetry designer to work up the cabinet and countertop plans. With respect to kitchen appliances, Stainless Steel is in.

A triangle kitchen design ensures a functional kitchen.  Also, make sure the kitchen design includes an adequately sized eating area and walking space. Make sure the eating area can support the size table and accompanying chairs necessary to support your family. In regards to the kitchen walking spaces, make sure they are wide enough for two people to pass by each other at the same time.

Finally, take stock in the location of the existing electrical outlets and lighting fixtures. You may need to move or add additional electrical outlets and/or lighting. Keep in mind that a kitchen should be capable of being well lit, and in particular in the specific work areas of a kitchen, such as near the sink, stove, and working countertop areas.