Perhaps you want to remodel or update your kitchen and need ideas that will be the best match for your design needs. Well, before you can start anything, it always pays to begin with gathering ideas of what you’re looking for in a kitchen design. After this, the next part of your kitchen remodel is looking at the costs that go into any kitchen renovation. Here are the common questions when hear when speaking with customers about their upcoming kitchen remodel.
How to Approach a Kitchen Remodel
Most folks who are looking to fix up their kitchen are not going to be trained professionals, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a few ‘How-To’ skills to remodel their kitchen. Having a good understanding of basic carpentry and some handy power tools will help make a home project go a lot smoother. Small upgrades can go along way, like updating cabinet doors by repainting or refinishing them – even constructing your own premanufactured cabinets or installing a new kitchen island is a possible with the right materials. When it comes to extensive remodeling and renovation, there are genuine safety concerns regarding how plumbing and electrical should be handled. Even if you have experience in plumbing and electrical, it’s best to hire professional contractors to ensure standard safety regulations are met and to avoid spending more money in the long run having to fix amateur mistakes.
Planning A Kitchen Remodel
Start with collecting ideas that appeal to you. This should include pictures from the internet and from magazines of the design style that you like. This should be similar to a scrapbook that shows elements of what you like and serves as the main inspiration for what can be used as a reference for making some simple sketches or rough kitchen design layouts. It’s also helpful to have a basic understanding of kitchen layouts and basics of design as it relates to architecture.
Consider that the ideas that you’re collecting are not just meant to show to a kitchen designer, but should include various elements including cabinet styles, colors, finishes, pulls, knobs and countertop colors/textures. No matter how big or small your kitchen is, a designer will be about to use these reference pictures to help determine which elements can work and how they can fit into your kitchen space properly. Sometimes the need for custom cabinetry may be in order.
How To Renovate A Kitchen
You could renovate your kitchen if you aren’t looking to change much of the existing layout. Many people opt to change the color of their cabinets or change the outer doors for a completely fresh look. It’s not always needed for a complete renovation, which is why many homeowners will decide to make a semi-remodel if the original cabinetry is just getting a cosmetic makeover. This can be accomplished just as easily without the need to hire a kitchen designer.
When considering a total renovation, much of the old cabinets are removed and the kitchen is literally stripped down to the bone. This allows professional kitchen remodelers to put in a completely new design that is often meant to change the entire look of an older kitchen. And though this kind of project can be done by homeowners who have woodworking skills, hiring a contractor has advantages for getting the work completed faster.
Ideas For Remodeling A Kitchen
Some of the best ideas are taken from websites including Pinterest, Houzz, and kitchen décor sites. It’s important to keep the same kind of design style for each picture that you collect as an idea to get a better sense of what you would enjoy visually seeing every day. Check out some of these free kitchen design and cabinet layout tools. Include items that you want to replace or upgrade like cabinets, sinks, kitchen islands, and obviously a matching kitchen style that helps tie everything together.
Consulting with professional kitchen remodelers can further flesh out these ideas even further to get the right look that you want to achieve. A designer will be able to identify the style you are looking to achieve and suggest all of the elements one by one and how they can improve what you’re looking to change in your kitchen. Moreover, they can assist throughout the completion of your remodeling project to help avoid common remodeling mistakes.
Many of the best ideas come from a wish list of what you want to be changed about your current kitchen. Is it more countertop space or cabinet storage, or is it the desire to add a kitchen island or a setup that is better suited to your cooking style? Collecting pictures is fine, but a better solution is to draw a sketch that shows the view of your kitchen like a map. Based on your needs and how you like to cook, this is the best way to re-envision the workspace in your kitchen.
This isn’t so easy to pull off unless you already know how a kitchen triangle works. These are the three main parts of your kitchen that put the sink, stove and fridge all within a triangle near each other. You need to have so a proper workflow that makes any kitchen task minimal without running around your kitchen. And though these practical layout designs are easily found online, a kitchen designer can easily suggest the best layout based on the size and shape of your current kitchen.
Remodeled Kitchen
It doesn’t take that much time to remodel a kitchen if you’re looking for professional hired help. Doing it yourself is typically the longest amount of time if you aren’t taking time off of work and only working weekends. As far as costs are concerned, doing the work without hiring a kitchen designer can save on an overall budget, these kitchen projects will require more planning when it comes to ordering building materials and completing various building tasks.
This can include tile work, installing electrical wiring or plumbing, adding new lights, painting or wallpapering, and installing sinks and appliances such as ovens and cooktop ranges. Many of these tasks will require help from electricians or plumbers if you do this work without hiring a designer. Since this is not always the easiest route to go, many homeowners will not be willing to complete a total remodeled kitchen and will consider a partial home remodel instead.
The look that you can get from a full-time kitchen designer can be created in the shortest amount of time, and often within a schedule that works around your time frame with very little fuss involved. Full-time kitchen designers like Hunt’s Kitchen and Design remodeling crew do this year-round and reduce common mistakes and time delays you may face when tackling a remodel without a consultant. See our article on when you will want to hire a kitchen designer.
Join us on a journey of a full kitchen remodeling project from start to finish.
Kitchen Renovation Ideas
Renovations can be a lot of fun if you’re not looking to change much of the original design. Renovations can be an upgrade or change to the color of cabinets and handles, but can also be just as involved as a remodeling project in some cases. It’s a matter of how much you are changing and what will be completely replaced. This is the difference between semi-remodeling and a full remodel that isn’t so easy to define when the word renovation is used.
Even adding to a particular style of the kitchen such as changing the looks from a country kitchen to a farmhouse kitchen- is not uncommon either. The décor is slightly upgraded so it takes on a different look and feels just by adding more of a theme to what is already there.
Cost of a Kitchen Remodel
The biggest concern of any kitchen remodel is how much it will cost for new cabinets and the amount of work involved. This is why it’s not a bad idea to check around for what the general cost is to start planning a remodeling budget. Start with items and elements that are going to be replaced including cabinets, shelves, and kitchen appliances. Each of these can be purchased separately when you do the remodeling without any professional help. You may even want to look into the idea of buying your cabinets used from a third party.
When working with a kitchen designer, they have access to new kitchen cabinets that could be lower than what you would pay depending on what style you’re looking to install. They also have contacts with appliance dealers who are selling oven ranges, sinks, fridges, and lighting fixtures that are sold at a lower wholesale price that many homeowners don’t have an opportunity to take advantage of.
Cost Of Renovating A Kitchen
A total kitchen replacement including replacing a stove and fridge is just the beginning. You also need to think about countertops, sinks, cabinets, lighting, plumbing, and even adding a new floor. All of these costs can start to add up when everything is totaled, so ultimately searching for the best price for any renovation also comes with what a kitchen designer can provide within that budget.
Having professional help with any kitchen renovation is an advantage for most people who don’t want to navigate the budget for every single item needed. What most homeowners will do is determine how much is going to be spent for a total price, based on what they want to be done to their kitchen. Cost estimate is typically rough and will range from a few thousand dollars up to 20-30k for more extensive renovation projects.
Cost Of New Kitchen
The advantage of hiring a professional kitchen designer (like Hunt’s Kitchen and Design) can give you faster results for getting a realistic estimate. The actual costs are then carefully determined based on what’s included and plenty of reasonable compromises. Often, a general cost of what you want to pay is countered with an offer of what can be done for that budget. It also has a lot to do with the materials used like wood cabinets and countertops.
Many natural materials can be replaced with modern composites so the cost of cabinets or counters is cheaper than using pricy items like natural oak or marble counters. Many built-in perks can be suggested by a kitchen designer to keep a budget within range, and still has the look that you want.
Cost Of Redoing Kitchen
The recommendation that any kitchen designer will always recommend is to get estimates from designers. This helps to see what each estimate will offer for their services at a set price. It also helps to have estimates from at least two or more designers, so a customer can choose the best options based on the estimate they receive. Even if a kitchen remodel project only replaces the cabinets, a kitchen designer will help the client choose the best options based on a proposed budget.
And no matter how large or small the remodeling job becomes, getting an estimate can also help stretch a budget when the designer is helping a client to get more than what they want to spend. This is how many homeowners decide which estimate they want to choose based on the helpfulness and extras that a kitchen designer will offer.
Average Cost Of Kitchen Renovation
While there is a sliding scale of what the average cost can be, some estimates consider that $12,500 is on the lowest end, whereas the cost will be much higher depending on the materials and extras that are purchased. Adding a countertop made from granite or marble is not always considered cheap, but there are alternatives if you can’t pay for the real deal. This is why many kitchen cabinets often use wood veneer from pricier wood varieties to keep costs lower.
You also need to know these kitchen renovations are an investment, much like anything else in your home, so the costs involved help to increase the value of your home. If you plan on selling your home later, these improvements will always become a major selling point.
How Much Does It Cost To Design A New Kitchen?
Design costs are built into a proposed estimate that is prepared by a kitchen designer. This is how it also works with Hunt’s Kitchen and Design, so there is no charge for designing anything if another estimate is chosen. The deciding factor always comes down to what’s included in the work, how fast the work can be finished, and the extra value you’re getting for your total budget. There is also a friendly and honest factor that you can immediately get from your designer.
Building confidence with a client aside from getting an attractive estimate is very important, so you also can hear from those who have worked with them recently, to hear about their experience. Many of these clients will likely live very close to already, or have recommended your kitchen designer directly to you. The best advice often comes from friends or neighbors who can tell you what their budget was and how great their kitchen tuned out for that price.
Is $30,000 Enough For A Kitchen Remodel?
To be honest, $30k for a kitchen remodel is an average price that will give you plenty of choices for materials and extras. Depending on where you live, this might seem like a large amount, but the middle ground for most kitchens will be good for any kitchen remodel that is upgrading to a new style at this budget. Even if you are basing your budget between $20-30k, the choice of materials will always increase the budget unless you stick with lower-priced alternatives.
If you are making a semi-remodel, $30k is more than enough, while a full remodel is perfectly average. It will always come down to the actual design and style of the kitchen that determines the estimate due to the materials involved.
What Is A Reasonable Budget For A Kitchen Remodel?
Every homeowner will have a set idea of what they want to set for remodeling a kitchen, so there is usually no set price for what is considered reasonable. These budget numbers are also shared by neighbors or friends who are talking about their recent kitchen remodel. Most folks feel that $12,500 is very reasonable, while $20,000 is just as budget-friendly. The amount of work that goes into kitchen remodeling can ultimately determine what is considered reasonable.
A low estimate is always nice, but what you sacrifice is only limited to the budget itself. What is put into a kitchen remodel always reflects the total budget and how effectively the materials are used.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire A Kitchen Designer?
Kitchen designers will work within a total budget for a project that they are hired for. The minimal cost of what the service includes is hard to determine unless you consider that the service itself can average between $1500-3000 per kitchen design. Yet, adding all of the services that coordinate different services that build and install cabinets, take care of electrical and plumbing, and oversee contractual work, the kitchen designer’s fee is not the only cost involved.
You also should know that a kitchen designer is a complete service from start to finish, so nothing is left to chance for creating a timetable to finish the work on time. Essentially, no matter how big or small the budget used to hire a kitchen designer, they are coordinating many experts who will be part of a kitchen remodel. The total budget that can cost $20k or more will typically have a handful of experts brought in to build and install a new kitchen design.
What Is The Hourly Rate To Hire A Kitchen Designer?
As a rule, most kitchen designers aren’t working at an hourly rate since kitchen projects are carefully structured to be based on projected timelines and estimation of completion. The hours that are counted for most kitchen designers are then divided into how many hours were spent each week on a project until it was completed. This makes the hourly rate somewhat fluctuate due to unseen hours to organize and ensure that a project was finished on time regardless of the extra hours that were spent.
Remodeling a Kitchen
What should I consider when remodeling my kitchen?
When remodeling a kitchen, it’s important to consider factors such as the layout, functionality, storage, lighting, appliances, and budget. You should also take into account your personal style and taste, and choose materials and finishes that will complement your existing home décor.
How much does it cost to remodel a kitchen?
That really depends on what you want to do with your kitchen. If you want to completely rip out what’s there and start over with new cabinets, drawers, storage space and appliances, a mid-range kitchen remodel can cost between $20,000 and $50,000, while a high-end remodel can cost upwards of $100,000. Remember, a kitchen is the most costly room in your entire house. So know what you’re going to need to spend to get the results you want up front.
How long does a kitchen remodel take?
Depending on what you need done, a simple remodel can take as little as one or two weeks, while a more extensive remodel can take several months. Things like cabinetry and any specialty appliances all need to be ordered beforehand which can also increase the time it takes. It really depends how much work you need to be completed.
Should I hire a professional kitchen designer or contractor?
Yes, I think this is one of the smartest things you can do. Hiring a professional kitchen designer or contractor can not only save you time and money, but they can also design the right kitchen layout that beautiful and functional. They know kitchens, everything from lighting to drawer space. Things you’d most likely never even think of. So hiring a professional from the start is highly recommended.
What kind of materials should I use for my kitchen remodel?
The simplest answer here is use the highest quality materials your budget will allow you to buy. Obviously marble countertops and solid oak or cherry cabinetry are the top of the line. And if you can afford it and enjoy the look of them, then go for it. But if you can’t, do the best with the budget you have. There are so many options and most professionals can tell you where to spend and where to skimp.
How do I choose the right appliances for my kitchen remodel?
As your appliances are some of the most expensive parts of your kitchen, it’s really important to understand what you want from each one and details like energy costs and maintenance. Each appliance is different and either you need to sit down and do the research, or trust a professional to guide you on what to invest in.
What are the current kitchen design trends?
The current kitchen design trends include open-concept kitchens, mixed materials, bold colors, smart technology, and energy-efficient appliances. The trend towards sustainability and eco-friendliness is also becoming increasingly popular.
What kind of lighting should I include in my kitchen remodel?
When planning the lighting for your kitchen remodel, it’s important to consider factors such as task lighting, ambient lighting, and accent lighting. You should also choose fixtures that complement the style and aesthetic of the kitchen while also lighting up the most busy and important parts of your kitchen so you can work safely and efficiently.
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