4 Major Kitchen Remodel Mistakes to Avoid

Home renovations are an exciting time; but as exciting as it might be to improve your living space, it can also be an intimidating and stressful task. After all, most homeowners will admit that they have little to no experience in home renovation projects. In some cases, this lack of experience combined with stress can pave the way to some pretty big (and costly) mistakes. If you’re worried about some of the pitfalls that might await you on the road to your kitchen remodel, this article will help you to avoid them, and save you some money along the way.

 

Your New Kitchen Layout Fails to Create a Comfortable Workflow

Designing your kitchen from scratch is the perfect opportunity to address all of the things that don’t work in your current kitchen. It may be tempting to just dive right in and start choosing cabinets and appliances, backsplash and lighting, but try not to get too far ahead of yourself. One of your primary goals should be to improve the functionality of the space and that means giving considerable thought about the workflow – something that is unique to each kitchen. One important thing to consider is the areas of your kitchen that will see the most action; namely the fridge, the stove, and the sink. 

Part of you might be tempted to place these appliances next to one another for ease of access, but while it might initially seem like sound reasoning, it can quickly become evident that this approach can actually make your kitchen much less functional. Side-by-side installation of your kitchen’s busiest zones will likely mean that it will be problematic for more than one person to work in the kitchen at any given time. A general rule of thumb when determining your kitchen’s workflow is to create a triangle between your fridge, stove, and sink. Doing so separates your kitchen’s busiest zones while still keeping them accessible and will allow more than one person to effectively use the space. 

In terms of storage, you’ll want to make sure that you have plenty near all of your appliances. A kitchen island may be a good idea, providing ample storage and seating for family members, but the addition of one should not overpower the layout of the kitchen and should not be an obstacle to functionality. 

 

Failing to Choose Your Appliance Before Construction Begins

Since the new appliances get installed last, it probably means you can start your reno project and worry about the appliances towards the end of the project right? Wrong. Cabinetry is precisely built to accommodate the known dimensions of your stove and refrigerator, so these need to be decided upon fairly early on in the process. Waiting until your custom cabinets are in the process of being built will mean that you’ll have fewer appliance options to choose from or worse, the appliances you’ve purchased won’t fit properly in the designated areas. In short, it will save you considerable time and money if choose your appliances early on in the process and build your kitchen around them.

 

Failing to Have a Kitchen Remodelling Plan in Place

While many things in life that can be successfully done by the seat of one’s pants, a major home renovation project, like a kitchen renovation is not one of them. If you aren’t a planner by nature, forcing yourself to become one at the outset of your project will save you a lot of grief. Of course, if you don’t have much in the way of experience in terms of developing and sticking to a remodelling plan, the following will give you an idea of what one consists of. 

First and foremost, your remodelling plan should address what your priorities are for the project, what they will cost, and how best to achieve them. Here are the things that should be part of your plan: 

• Detailed measurements of the physical space, the desired layout, and lighting locations.
• Building permits (as necessary).
• Replacement of electrical wiring to accommodate updated layout and any additional lighting. 
• A timeline for all necessary tasks such as: demolishing, drywalling, plumbing, painting, tiling, flooring, countertop and cabinetry installation, etc. If you’re having trouble sorting out what should be scheduled when and how long it will take, consider hiring a design firm to help flush out the details.  
• A wish list of items that should be included provided the budget and timeframe permit.
• A list of qualified contractors that have been pre-vetted.
• Keep your enthusiasm in check. Your plan should only include the changes that will take place. Ignore the temptation to add to the plan once the project has begun to avoid common design mistakes. There’s nothing wrong with extending the planning phase since doing so seldom leads to construction delays and cost overruns. 

Remember that your remodelling plan will be unique to your project. There is no universal template for you to work off of. The best thing you can do to avoid the mistakes that stem from poor planning is to take your time, do your research, know your budget, and sit down and put it on paper. Revisit your plan as often as required before beginning the project. 

 

Struggling to Decide Which Contractor Will Do the Work

With your remodelling plan squared away, you’re likely going to be eager to get started. Rather than letting your enthusiasm get the better of you, now is the perfect time to show restraint. That’s because the next step will be deciding upon the people who will be doing the work. This decision could ultimately mean the difference between completing on time and on budget or being subjected to numerous delays and an over-drawn budget. So how do you go about choosing the right contractor for your job? Here’s a list of things to consider: 

• When speaking to prospective contractors, ask for a referral list of their previous customers. 
• Do your due diligence and read as many reviews as are available. Be mindful that one bad review may not be an indication that the contractor does bad work; online reviews can be helpful but should be taken with a grain of salt.
• Have more than one contractor come to your home to see the space and your plan so that they can provide you with a free estimate of their work. 
• Make sure they have liability insurance.
• Sign a contract that stipulates a tiered payment schedule as work is completed. Do not pay a significant amount at the outset. 
• Remember that firing a contractor mid-project will significantly delay the completion date and lead to unnecessary expenses. Take your time when choosing a contractor. 

 

A kitchen remodel is a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be one that you need to shy away from. Hopefully this article has armed you with the knowledge to confidently get your project off and see it through to completion.