Considering a Kitchen Renovation?

Take the Terror out of Planning with These 5 Best Practices

 

By Faith Hart

Are you considering a kitchen renovation? Do you feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of details involved? Well, you are not alone! A kitchen renovation is often the most expensive and time-consuming upgrade that a homeowner will perform on their residence. Kitchen renovations are also deeply personal: Kitchens are a hub for family gatherings, the little league baseball team, the neighbors and friends. Every homeowner wants their kitchen to be functional for their needs, yet they also want it to reflect their personality and sense of style.

Planning & Patience

If you are ready to take the plunge, we offer these words of advice: Be prepared that the planning process can take many months (even more than a year) before you are at a place where you are ready to begin construction. Be patient with yourself, take time to plan, and don’t feel pressured to make hasty decisions. Although there are many elements to consider, you will never regret taking the extra time to plan thoroughly.

Thankfully, we have some best practices to help you achieve the kitchen of your dreams within your budget.

Best Practice #1: Assess your needs

Begin with an honest analysis of your current kitchen.
1). What works well in your current kitchen? Write down the features of your kitchen that you find useful, love having, or enjoy the convenience of. When it comes to kitchen renovations, the old adage, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” certainly applies here. Tackling issues that aren’t a problem will only inflate your budget unnecessarily.

2). What things are missing from your current kitchen?
Do you need a different layout? Perhaps more counter or cabinet space? Upgraded appliances? Is your kitchen missing elements of functionality or style? Perhaps you may not be sure how to even describe it.

Even if you have a good idea about some of the features you desire, we highly recommend the following resources to make sure that you are not overlooking anything:

• HGTV’s Questionnaire – A Day in the Life of Your Kitchen
• HGTV’s Worksheet – Kitchen Goals

Best Practice #2: Establish a Budget

Although magazines and websites present unlimited ideas about kitchen layouts, appliances, and styles, most homeowners don’t have an unlimited budget for their renovation. After considering your family’s needs, the crucial next step is to ask, “How much do I have to invest in this renovation?”

A generally-accepted rule, in both the construction and real estate industry, is called the 5% to 15% Rule. This rule states, “The entire kitchen project (including cabinets, appliances, countertops, flooring, lighting, trim molding and wall coverings) should cost…no less than 5% and no more than 15% of the current value of your home…with approximately 50% of the total cost allocated for cabinets (including hardware accessories and trim).”

Establishing a budget that is right for you is of the utmost importance for the following reasons:

• It determines how many items from your wish-list can be accomplished through your renovation.
• It helps you decide what materials to use, and where you can make substitutions.
• It prevents you from going into debt.
• It spares you the inconvenience of living with an unfinished kitchen.

It is also important that you personally build in a contingency for the unknown. In the event that unexpected issues arise during construction (and they do happen), you will be prepared.

Best Practice #3: Research Professional Services & Products

Now that you have assessed your needs and set your overall budget, the next step is to begin conducting research. Remember, that much like writing a research paper for school, you are simply gathering as much data as you can! A lot will be discovered during this process.

• Research Professional Services

At this point, you should speak with a designer, architect or contractor about the scope of your proposed project. This professional needs to visit your home and walk through your kitchen with you. Your questions here will center around functionality, feasibility, layout and design. Will what you have envisioned work for your space? What else might you need to consider? You should secure sketches that illustrate the layout of your proposed kitchen along with all measurements and elevations. You will need this information later when you ask contractors to give you an estimate.

Speaking with a professional is invaluable. They can often see things that the average homeowner may not, and are able to suggest problem-solving solutions. This is especially true when your kitchen is being re-configured or you are trying to maximize space. Many professionals offer free or low-cost initial consultations because they understand the value of a proper assessment of your property and your needs before tossing out numbers.

• Research Products

Armed with the advice of reliable professionals, you should start looking into fixtures, appliances, flooring and hardware. Visit home improvement stores and showrooms, as they usually have products out on display. There is also a wide range of inventory that you can access from various manufacturers online. Keep a detailed list of product descriptions, suppliers, model numbers, location, and how much turnaround time is needed for ordering them.

Best Practice #4 – Gather Detailed Estimates

If you have not met with a licensed contractor as yet, this is a great time to do it. With sketches in hand, and the scope of work clearly defined, you can now submit your project to a few contractors for pricing. Speak with each contractor personally to make sure they have a clear understanding of what you are asking them to do. Remember, that at this stage, you are still gathering data and should not feel pressured to commit to a particular contractor.

A detailed estimate should spell out all aspects of the project from pre-construction to final walk-through. This would include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Detailed description of all work to be performed
• Costs associated with each task, including material and labor costs
• Timeline for completion
• Payment schedule

It is important to keep in mind that the cost of labor is usually a substantial portion of your renovation cost.

Once you have reviewed the proposals, you should compare them apples-to-apples. Get clarification regarding any unclear line items in each proposal, then consider which contractor you may want to use.

Best Practice #5 – Review, Revise & Re-allocate

Once you have narrowed down your choice of a contractor, and have that estimate in front of you, it is now time to review and revise. Is the estimate less or more that you have budgeted for your renovation? If so, you have sufficient information to make modifications.

If your estimate is less than you anticipated, you may discover that you can splurge on that tiled backsplash after all. If your estimate is higher than you anticipated, you should differentiate between your needs and your wants. The solution might involve you choosing a different kind of flooring, or perhaps doing the painting yourself.

In any case, this is your opportunity to re-allocate the items in your budget to ensure that you get the things that matter to you most.

Once your re-allocation is complete, you are now ready to sign a contract and begin the kitchen renovation of your dreams!

Happy planning!