Remodeling your kitchen can be a stressful and tense chapter in your life – almost as stressful as waiting to find out who Colton chooses on The Bachelor! Knowing more about what you can expect can allay your fears and help you prepare for what’s to come.
HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT WHEN YOU BEGIN YOUR KITCHEN RENOVATION
Inconvenience.
Prepare for inconvenience. A remodeling project can turn your home and – on some days – your life upside down. A kitchen renovation will, of course, affect meal planning. But a little ingenuity and some culinary shortcuts can lessen the impact. Set up a temporary cooking quarters by moving the refrigerator, toaster oven, and microwave to another room. Arrange a dishwashing station in your laundry room. If the weather is warm, fire up the grill and dine alfresco. By preparing for this ahead of time, you will save yourself a lot of frustration.
Dust.
When remodeling a kitchen, it usually needs to be gutted. This involves removing old cabinets, countertops, and appliances. As you would imagine this can quickly become messy. Even when using elaborate ZipWalls, a fine layer of dust can gather in parts of your home far from construction. The dust is inevitable − but there are some things you can do to minimize it. Make sure that you cover all of your heavy furniture (the items that can’t be moved into another room) with plastic. Turn off central air or heat when workers are sanding and stock up on extra air filters so that you can change them often. Also, make sure you frequently vacuum around the opening to the construction zone. This will help control the amount of dust you track through the house.
Noise.
It will be incessant. From screeching saws, to sanders and nail guns, you won’t be able to find much peace. Don’t count on working from home unless your home office is far away from the construction zone and napping is probably out. Just remember the noise is as temporary as a contestant on The Bachelor and soon you will have a beautiful new kitchen to show for it.
Decisions.
Where should that outlet be? Where do you want the cabinet hardware mounted? Brushed nickel or satin nickel hardware? Count on hundreds of questions that you’ll need to answer as your project proceeds. Just know that your selection of a contractor is the first of many you will make and possibly the most important. Meet Classic Cabinets & Design’s talented designers here − they are available to help you every step of the way!
The Unexpected.
The one thing you can expect during a kitchen renovation is the unexpected. Be sure to leave room from the start in your budget and time frame for the unexpected. By doing so, unpredicted problems won’t be such a shock. Expect upcharges, and build them into your budget. Some change orders will be beyond your or your builder’s control, e.g. surprises discovered during demolition − such as bad wiring, bad plumbing or asbestos or permitting requirements imposed by your municipality. And others you will initiate as new ideas come forth or you change your mind. (You will change your mind, most certainly more than once.)
Delays.
Unanticipated delays can occur that are outside of the contractor’s control. Back orders, weather delays, faulty existing construction. Maintain a sense of humor and remember it’s best to laugh rather than upset yourself about things that are beyond your control. Just know that the process is not forever, and the changes you must undergo are sacrifices for a better home, great return on investment, and a more inviting, comfortable place to cook and entertain. Be patient. The contractors are not trying to make your life miserable. They are there to help you and make it better. At Classic Cabinets & Design our highly skilled design consultants will work with you every step of the way to help you stay on budget with your kitchen remodel costs while creating the kitchen of your dreams. Learn more about our kitchen remodel process here. Let’s get started today!
