Remodeling your kitchen isn’t going to be easy — or cheap. With that said, having the kitchen of your dreams is worth every penny. You’ll find that cooking is easier, mealtime is more pleasant, and your house feels just a bit more like home. When dealing with a large project like this, it’s important to do your research. This helps you get the best outcome without breaking your budget. Here are a few tips on getting the most bang for your buck with your kitchen remodel.
Plan It Out
The first step during a kitchen remodel should always be planning. In fact, the planning process will probably take more time than the remodel itself. There’s nothing wrong with this. Having a solid plan in place will keep things on track during the remodel and limit wasteful spending and wasted days. Here are a few tips for planning your remodel:
Create a budget and stick to it. Ending up overbudget is one of the biggest mistakes people new to remodeling make. It’s better to have a complete, functional kitchen than a luxurious, half-finished kitchen. Create a realistic budget and stick to it like glue.
Have all of your materials in place before you start remodeling. You should have everything ready to go before you start the remodel itself. Otherwise, you run the risk of not being able to get what you need and having to put the whole project on hold.
Have a timetable in mind. You don’t want to go into your remodel with no timetable at all. At the same time, you can’t plan for everything. Have an end date in mind, but be prepared to overshoot it.
Consider Your Lifestyle
The temptation to buy all-new fancy appliances is strong during a kitchen remodel, but before making major purchases stop and ask yourself: “what do I really need?” This will keep you from going overboard with your spending and ensure that your new kitchen is functional for your lifestyle and not just pretty to look at.
Shop Smart
When shopping for materials and appliances don’t just buy the first thing that catches your eye. Be patient, shop around, and remember that brand name isn’t always synonymous with quality. With that said, smart doesn’t always mean cheap. Sure, it pays off to shop around and wait for sales but quality should always remain a high priority. Your kitchen is meant to last, so it’s not something you should cheap out on.
Get Creative
Changing the footprint of your kitchen can be costly. You have to move pipes, walls, electrical outlets, etc. That’s not even considering all of the potential problems that can pop up. That doesn’t mean you can’t achieve your goals, you just need to think outside the box a bit. As an example of this, let’s take storage space. How can you get more without making the kitchen itself larger? One way of doing this is by installing floor-to-ceiling cabinets and storing all of your rarely-used items at the top.
These are just a few ways that you can get the most out of your kitchen remodel. For more kitchen remodeling tips or to see how RTA cabinets can fit into your new kitchen, please contact us at Lifestyles Cabinetry and Millwork today.
