It feels great to remodel your kitchen to your liking. But how you begin your renovation will determine the overall outcome, as you’ll find below.
So you are contemplating giving your kitchen a makeover.
The other day you probably stood at the kitchen door and envisioned how it would look like if you replaced the cabinets, appliances, countertops and extended the space a little further.
And on top of that . . .
You’d like to give the walls a facelift and add an island as well.
You already know that you’ll need to plan carefully to get the results you want. This means being efficient in your kitchen design and the whole remodeling procedure.
Now that it’s time to refresh your cooking space, you must be sure where to start. A checklist will help you cover every aspect of your kitchen revamp successfully.
Keep reading.
What Is The First Thing To Do When Remodeling A Kitchen?
Carrying out kitchen renovation can be overwhelming. Thinking about the right theme, purchasing materials, and hiring experts for the job is no joke. You can’t picture the end result until the project is complete.
Following these steps can help you roll out your remodel successfully.
1. Prepare and Plan
Preparing yourself for the remodeling process will help you manage things well. To do this, you should first think about why you need your kitchen remodeled. What is your main objective? What is motivating you, and what is it you want to achieve?
During the planning phase, you’ll determine the changes you want to be implemented in your existing kitchen.
Here are some of the goals you want to achieve;
- To meet your family’s lifestyle needs.
- To fit and maximize your kitchen’s dimensions
- To meet your remodeling timeline and budget.
As you plan to remodel, analyze how you’ll use your kitchen. Depending on the number of people living with you in the house, you’d want it to be spacious enough to make the workflow comfortable.
If you want to entertain or make space for a dining table, you want to think about extending the room, adding furniture and appliances, and more.
Here is a sneak peek of how you can optimize your kitchen space during a remodel;
Creating a food preparation area with a work surface for preparing food and placing the utensils you’ll be using. This area can be near a sink where you can quickly rinse food and is close to the stove. It is practical to have a second sink. Close by should be drawers for storing utensils, knives, bowls, and smaller kitchen aids. If you have a compact refrigerator for ingredients and plan to install a butcher’s block, let it be done here.
Having a cooking area where you’ll have your stove, oven, and microwave. Install heat-resistant countertops in this area because you’ll be placing hot dishes on top. Ensure that spices and condiments, utensils, and equipment are stored closer to this area.
A storage and clean-up area that has the main sink, dishwasher, cupboard for keeping cleaning products, and storage for utensils and cookware. This is also the place you’ll put your trash can and recycling bin.
Extra space for office recess with a computer, filing system, notebook, telephone, and a charging station. Or a coffee or wine bar where you can enjoy pre-dinner drinks with your guests. This will depend on your lifestyle and preferences.
Optimizing your kitchen space requires adequate planning to allow multiple users in the kitchen simultaneously. The current kitchen trends will enable you to set up work areas, entertainment stations, and other spaces that follow a natural sequence.
2. Assess Your Needs
When planning for a remodel, you want to be practical, so you don’t end up buying unnecessary items. You may be tempted to buy every gadget and fancy appliance that appeals to your eye.
Having a list of all the essential items you’ll be needing can help you stay within your budget. Keep in mind also that getting additional appliances will only add to your utility bills and upkeep responsibilities.
With kitchen remodeling, you can address all the things you’ve dreamt of, including aesthetics, layout, and functionality. You can fix the features currently bothering you, like increasing storage space or adding an island to resolve the counter space issue.
The more clear you are about your kitchen needs, the easier it will be to plan, design, equip and develop a remodeling budget around it. Your contractors and designers will also have an easy time following your vision.
3. Set a Timeline for Remodeling
Everything about remodeling depends on the scope of project details, size of the kitchen, and time frame, among other factors.
Setting a time frame for your kitchen renovation will allow you to plan and prepare, and gather everything needed. You want enough time to double-check your checklist, find vendors, shop for materials, and negotiate with the team working on the project.
4. Set Your Goals for the Project
When you’ve already identified your kitchen needs, it’s time to list your goals. What improvements do you want for your kitchen space?
Your goals may look like this;
- To upgrade to energy-efficient, modern appliances
- To boost your home’s resale value
- To have an open layout with bigger and brighter space
- Ample countertop space
- To have a sleek and modern kitchen
- To change the floor tiles
- To have a coffee and wine bar
Setting such goals will make work easier for the design team.
5. Find Design Inspiration
Equipped with a list of needs and goals, you can now go out there to look for design inspiration. Your goal is to find and compare different layouts, features, and finishes that appeal to your tastes and match your kitchen needs. Get pictures of your ideal kitchen designs and layouts.
Once you’ve figured out the things you want, start shopping for key products and materials for your new kitchen.
Shopping is a great deal when it comes to kitchen renovation. You have to go around comparing materials and products to make sure you get exactly what you need.
Some of the key products that should be on your shopping list;
- Kitchen lighting
- Backsplash
- Sinks and Faucets
- Flooring material
- Appliances
- Cabinets
- Countertops
While shopping, you’ll encounter different product materials, brands, installation methods, maintenance requirements, prices, and warranties, and much more. You’ll need to not them down to keep track.
For convenience, shop physically and online, go to trade shows and showrooms, and read product catalogs to weigh your options. With time, you’ll understand the value of the products and their cost.
6. Determine Your Kitchen Remodeling Budget
The first thing your remodeling professional will ask for is your budget. You can confidently set your kitchen remodel budget after you’ve shopped for the products you need.
Determining your budget will help you spend within your means to have your dream kitchen in the end. Use your shopping list to create a budget for your kitchen renovation. How much are you willing to invest in this project?
Some experts advise using the 5 to 15 rule, which states that you should spend 5 – 15% of your home’s total value on kitchen remodeling. So if your total home value is $350,000, you’ll be able to spend between $18,000 and $52,000 based on your project scope.
Allocate the money accordingly after outlining your must-haves and other extras. Get creative with your budgeting. A little creativity and compromise will go a long way to give you the perfect kitchen space you need.
Your designer will help you ensure your budget meets all your remodeling requirements. Along the way, you may even find a better way to save on costs.
7. Time to Call in the Professional Team
Your kitchen will probably need the professional input of a designer and general contractor. These two are key players in any remodeling job.
The designer will turn your ideas into a functional and actionable plan to deliver excellent outcomes. They’ll ensure your kitchen space is elegant, functional, and efficient.
The contractor, on the other hand, will coordinate the construction and installation of your designer’s plans. They’ll take charge of organizing the kitchen products, materials, and other professionals involved in the project, such as fabricators, carpenters, electricians, tile experts, and plumbers.
Amazing, isn’t it?
The experts will be there to guide you in making better decisions. Remember to make early appointments since most of them have very busy schedules, and you wouldn’t want to miss a spot on their calendars.
If you are making substantial structural changes to your kitchen, you may want to involve an architect or interior designer to coordinate the remodeling.
Final point:
Get the best professionals who understand your needs and will work within your budget and timeline. Tell them your expectations and agree to get involved in every phase of the project.
8. Get the Demolition Rolling
Now that you are all set with everything and everyone in place, you can start tearing down the old kitchen. I believe you have prepared well for this big day by setting up a temporary kitchen elsewhere in the house where you can have your meals.
Since you have to take out everything from the current kitchen, have a separate room to store appliances and other things.
Once all is done, your contractor will evaluate the next step. That’s when you make complex decisions on corrections and any other issues that may arise. This should be done before continuing with the remodeling.
After demolition and evaluation, you can now think of starting the new project. Kitchen remodeling is not a straightforward task; you have to do it in an orderly manner to make sure you don’t incur extra costs for having to repeat a procedure.
The Right Order for Remodeling a Kitchen
For maximum efficiency, you have to carry out your kitchen remodel in the right order. This will save you time and, at some point, the cost. For instance, you cannot do the kitchen floor before installing the cabinets or working on the walls. Flooring is the last task you do in any remodeling job. Here is how to remodel your new kitchen.
1. Tear out the old material and take out whatever that will not be reused.
2. After the demolition, begin the rough-in work, which includes making electrical, plumbing, or framing changes. Before roughing-in, make sure the first inspection is done.
3. Your electrical, plumbing, framing, and other work should be inspected too. If you followed the building codes, you’ll have no problem passing the inspection. But sometimes, you may fail to understand the code clearly and fail the inspection. So make all the changes necessary and let the work be reinspected and approved.
4. Once you pass the inspection, finish working on the walls. Do the taping, hanging, and finishing drywall. Make sure you prime the drywall to seal the facing paper.
5. Install your kitchen windows and doors.
Have your doors and windows trim installed to help you work with finished dimensions from the edges of their trims. You’ll avoid working from the rough openings in the walls when you’ll be installing the kitchen cabinets.
6. Install the Cabinets
To install your kitchen cabinets, start by hanging the wall cabinets before installing the base cabinets. It is easy to hang wall cabinets when you aren’t reaching over the base ones.
7. Install the sink, faucet, and kitchen countertops.
8. Install the new appliances.
9. Install all the light fixtures.
10. Now you can do your new kitchen flooring. Never install the floor before putting up the cabinets.
Take Away
When planning a kitchen remodel, what should be on your mind is efficiency, longevity, style, and efficiency. Choose the material, colors, fixtures, appliances you love, and a layout that will work for you and your lifestyle.
While you may involve hired help in your project, it will help if you know every step being taken and the order in which remodeling is carried out. Work with reputable professionals, have an orderly budget and get involved. Don’t rush the renovation process, but let every phase take its course.