Any old renovation in the home is stressful as it is, never mind the tedious, time-consuming kitchen renovation. It doesn’t help that the kitchen is likely the one place in the entire house that costs the most to fix up (and uses up the most time, too).
You see, kitchen renovations can’t be completed in a few simple weeks; they need to be discussed, thought about, and worked out before the big construction and renovation plans get put into play.
So, how do you prepare yourself enough to make sure that your kitchen renovation plan is the best it can be? You follow our guaranteed to work steps, listed below.
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Plan Everything Out Before You Act On It
Constructing the plan to remodel your kitchen will almost always take up more time than the actual renovation – and if this is the case in your situation, you’re on the right track.
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If you plan, plan, plan before you start working, you’re going to stand within the grounds of your budget, and that’s exactly what you should aim to do.
Our suggestion? Plan everything out for about six months; that way, you’ll be certain of what you want by the time the contractors set foot inside your home.
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Map Out Your Current Kitchen Layout
This goes hand in hand with the plan.
Study the way your current kitchen looks. Ask yourself questions like these:
- Where are the fixtures?
- Where are the appliances?
- Is everything lining up the way you want it to?
- Do you have to move any plumbing?
- Will you need to replace any cabinets or countertops?
- Do the traffic and walkway patterns look good?
Map it all out on paper. Even if it’s a rough, crappy sketch, get something down so that you and anyone helping you can visually see your current kitchen layout. If you don’t know what you’re working with, how can you improve on it? With the proper planning, you can make your ordinary kitchen look like a luxury kitchen.
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Construct The Best Potential Traffic Patterns
Paths throughout the kitchen should be easy to navigate. There should be a clear, concise walkway that starts at the entrance and makes its way to the exit (with a cooking pathway in there somewhere, too). Of course, the cooking pathway should focus on the kitchen’s island, natural stone slab countertops, and other areas that the cook needs to access (spice racks, refrigerator, stovetop, etc.).
As long as you have a dummy-proof pathway set out, you won’t confuse your housemates and guests on navigating throughout the room.
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Plan Your Future Kitchen Layout
Take out your current mapped layout and look at where you have everything right now. Does it need to be improved?
Things to consider when comparing your current layout to your future layout consist of:
- Are containers readily available in an area where you’ll need to pack up leftovers?
- Are dishes and utensils close to the dishwasher/sink so that you can put everything away promptly?
- Is the sink near a counter or kitchen island so that you can chop up fruits and vegetables right after rinsing them?
In your future kitchen layout, you’ll also want to outline where you’ll put the new entryways, doors, windows, plumbing lines, and electrical outlets (most of this is likely to stay right where it is, but still, mapping everything out is the best way to go).
Jot down a few of your kitchen goals on the side margins to know what you want more of – e.g., more space, storage, better style, etc.
Grab some of your favorite Pinterest, Instagram, or Google searches and put them in a folder. Inspirational photos will help you in your renovation endeavors.
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Don’t Be Scared To Hire A Pro.
Professional contractors will make the job easier and lighter on you; that’s their job.
But you need to be careful when hiring someone, as you don’t want your kitchen renovation to turn out worse than you ever expected.
Do your research – remember, a contractor is only as good as his or her last job.
Make a few phone calls; ask the contractor for a list of recent references, and start dialing. Ask for commentary and see what the homeowners honestly tell you.
Keep in mind that if the contractor you’re eyeing is super busy, that’s probably a good thing. Busy contractors mean that they rock at their job, so be willing to wait a couple of extra months to get the best of the best.
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Cut Your Costs Where You Can, But Don’t Cheap Out.
Here’s where energy efficiency comes into play.
Sure, there’s a ton of areas you can cut costs with, and that’s what you can talk to your pro about anytime.
As for us, we want you to know that picking out dishwashers and refrigerators that have Energy Star ratings is the best way to go to save you money and conserve your resources, all at the same time.
Change can be strange at first, but this little adjustment won’t cause you to miss your old ways.
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All The Little Things Matter, Too
Just a few more things we want to mention before heading out today.
Keep these tips in the back of your mind when planning out your kitchen renovation plan:
- If you cook a lot, keep brand new countertops in mind. There are endless options to choose from at Marble if you’re on a budget if you’re looking to get the best of the best, and if you’re looking to add some style to your kitchen.
- Put some stuff behind your kitchen range. Spice racks, utensil racks, and cooking oils can neatly be displayed as a stylistic choice – and it’s super handy to have right there.
- Place your plugs wisely. Multiple outlets will need to be placed strategically in your kitchen, depending on where you want to put your appliances that need to be plugged in. This can be factored into your future kitchen layout.
And with that, we’ve given you all the information we could scrounge up on the perfect kitchen renovation plan.
We wish you the best of luck in your remodeling endeavors. We know you’ll work it all out to make everything as perfect as can be!
