Tips for Remodeling Your Kitchen The Easy Way

Having a general contractor for a husband means that, for the most part, we can do all of our DIY projects ourselves. Occasionally though, we do need to hire someone for specific construction related jobs such as electric or furnace work. Being DIY’ers, we know that taking on a home improvement project, such as remodeling your kitchen, can be fun, but it often comes with plenty of stress. If you plan to do remodeling for yourself, you need to know what to expect. Even if you plan to hire on a professional, you still need to decide on the layout, color schemes, fixtures, appliances and more. Understanding how to make the right decisions can help make the process move along smoothly. Here are just a few tips for home remodeling projects.

Hiring a Contractor

The first step is to find a contractor you can trust. You should always ask for references to find out if the company you plan to use completes work on time or if they are known for quoting a date they cannot finish by. Talking to past customers will allow you to find out if this is the right contractor for your project. It’s also important to negotiate cost up front and always get it in writing. You don’t want to get to the end of the remodel and find out it will cost more than you were expecting.

Choosing a Design

Once you’ve chosen your contractor, the fun starts!  You will be able to work directly with them to choose a design plan. You may already know just what you want and the contractor can help you with pricing to ensure your choices fit within the budget you’re working with. Consider looking through home improvement magazines and browsing remodeling websites to get ideas for the design of your new kitchen. Many times your contractor might be able to make suggestions that improve your plan, or even save you some money with alternate materials.

Storage

Something many homeowners forget about during a big home improvement project is storage. Where will you put all the items that need to come out of your kitchen during the remodel process? What about the new items you purchase for the remodel? When remodeling a kitchen or any other part of your home, you can use storage in Dallas (if you live in Dallas) to help. Most areas of the country have great storage options to keep your items safe while your home is in remodeling chaos. Renting a storage unit doesn’t cost very much and it will give you the flexibility you need.

With a storage unit, you can purchase fixtures and appliances ahead of time. This allows you to take advantage of special deals and shop around for the right items at the right price. It will also give you the ability to move old appliances and fixtures to the storage unit, if necessary. Your current kitchen appliances and fixtures might be sellable and you can put them in storage until you find a buyer.

Understanding the Layout and the Plan

Before you allow the contractor to start ripping things out of your kitchen and doing the necessary work, take time to look over their plan. Make sure that you sit down with the contractor to go over the plan, so that you understand what they will be doing and how your kitchen will look throughout the process. This is the time to ask any questions you might have or make small changes to the plan. Taking time to sit down together will help you to avoid any surprises as the project goes through the process to completion.

Photo credit: Will Scullin @ Flickr