Remodeling your kitchen is a huge undertaking. There’s a lot of things that have to be done and it can feel overwhelming for almost anyone. When you start to remodel your kitchen you can have the best intentions but when a hiccup comes along it’s easy to lose control of the entire project even if you thought you had your bases covered.
One of the best things you can do to make your remodel project go smoothly is to plan ahead. Doing some research on flooring options, cupboards style, color option etc.You can learn about the process and understand how long you can expect each step to take.
As you’re researching you can also learn from the mistakes others have made during their own kitchen remodeling project. Some mistakes are more common than others so it’s good to understand what’s normal and what isn’t. With that in mind, here are the top mistakes to avoid when you’re remodeling your kitchen.
1. Not Planning Ahead
When you plan out your kitchen remodel you have to make sure you’re thinking about the big picture and the small details at the same time. It’s easy to overlook something but that could be disastrous down the line. Before you sign off on the final plans, make sure you’ve looked at them several times.
When you’re planning your kitchen remodel you should think about how you are going to use the kitchen when everything is said and done. Make sure you aren’t putting in features that won’t be practical to use. For example, if you have a small kitchen and you really want an island, think about how you’re going to get around while cooking before finalizing that decision.
While you’re in planning mode you can also think about things like how to handle small hiccups that will arise. If you have some contingency plans in place for small things then you can prevent those issues from becoming too large to handle later on.
2. Forgetting About The Rest Of Your Home
Remodeling a kitchen is messy work. Paint and debris are just two things that could get spread to other areas of your home if you aren’t paying careful attention. Before you get started, make sure you’ve protected the rest of your home from the mess that is bound to happen during the remodel.
You can get things like plastic sheeting to cover furniture and other areas of the home that you don’t want to be ruined. You can also cover your floors with disposable runners and make sure that anyone involved in the remodel only walks on those while in the house. Feet can really be a huge culprit of tracking messes all over before anyone even realizes it’s going on.
If possible you can even tape off your kitchen entirely to really contain the mess to one area. This won’t work if your kitchen is in the middle of an open concept floorplan, of course, but if you have a few walls to work with you can hang plastic sheeting up to create a closed-off area. In short, the more you can do to contain your mess the better off you’ll be.
3. Ruining Your Budget
You probably are aware that you’ll have to have a budget set for your kitchen remodel. It’s how you’ll make decisions about what to do while you’re going through your project. While it’s impossible to plan for every unexpected expense, you shouldn’t change your budget drastically in the middle of the project either.
Unexpected expenses may cause your budget to fluctuate slightly and that’s okay. The real issue is when you’re suddenly making massive purchases that you didn’t plan for in the beginning. It’s not always easy to stay grounded when you see a beautiful new appliance, for example, but if you didn’t budget for it already, it might be best to skip the upgrade.
4. Being Too Indecisive
It’s okay to be methodical about decisions you’re making. It’s a good way to avoid spending too much and being too impulsive. However, there comes a time where you have to make a decision and stick with it. You will only cause yourself and everyone else involved an undue amount of headaches if you waiver on decisions or take too long to finalize things.
Give yourself deadlines for even the smallest things like deciding which type of faucet you want for your sink. Stick to your deadlines and make sure that you aren’t holding up the entire process if you are really having a hard time finalizing something. Once you’ve decided on something stick with it and move on to the next task at hand.
5. Not Hiring A Pro
A kitchen remodel is not something you should plan on doing entirely on your own. While there are some projects during a remodel that you can probably use your DIY skills for, you need to hire a pro to help manage the remodel. Unless you are a contractor yourself, you just aren’t going to have all the skills necessary to get the project done right.
It’s okay to do a lot on your own but that doesn’t mean you can do everything. Remember that you’ll need to have someone who knows how to handle things like large appliance disposal for your old things, or how to deal with city codes/ordinances. Plan for a professional’s help when you’re making your budget.
You can call around in your area and get quotes to see who has a price you’re comfortable with. Whatever your budget is there’s likely a contractor willing to work with you for around the price you have in mind. Just make sure you aren’t planning on saving money while remodeling by cutting out the pros entirely.
Conclusion:
Remodeling a kitchen is a lot of work even if it’s a very exciting project. It’s okay if you get a little overwhelmed at times. That’s just part of the process when you’re working on a remodel. Remember to keep these common mistakes in mind so you can avoid them. The more research you do the better off you’ll be.
You won’t be able to avoid every single tiny problem that could come up but as long as you’re avoiding the larger issues your remodel is going to go pretty smoothly. Soon you’ll be enjoying your new kitchen and cooking amazing meals for all of your friends and family in it.
