Planning your Kitchen Renovation - 6 Critical Questions

If you lived in a fantasy world, you could have a kitchen as big as a parking lot. You could spend as much as you want. It would look fabulous and work exactly as it should.

In fact, you could have 2 kitchens. One would remain eternally spotless and for show; the other would be functional, practical, useful but still clean. You may be one of the few who can actually afford to create this dream kitchen. In reality, many cannot. They are not able to take the kitchen they have and remodel it into their ideal. In the real world, you will find yourself hemmed in by two specific aspects of planning: existing size and budget.

BUDGET

 The very first question you should ask yourself after you decide to go ahead with your kitchen renovation is this. "How much can I afford?" You cannot ignore this question. You cannot pretend this is not an issue. Moreover, you have to be brutally honest with yourself.

You have to know exactly how much money you can spend on this project. Do not roughly estimate or guestimate. You need to be precise. You need to ask yourself several things

How much can I afford - really?                                                  Do I or can I take out a home equity or other type of loan?

How much do I want to spend?                                                    Can I extend my line of credit or borrow money?

Do I want to borrow money from family and/or friends?

Is this an option?

You can opt for additional financing. You should, however, consider whether this is essential. Will you be able to pay it back? Is the need for a new kitchen that urgent? Can you handle doing the work over time rather than all at once?

Once you honestly set and accept your budget for this project, you can consider planning on a depth. At the same time, you may look at ways to decrease costs. This will help you stretch your money. It may allow you to extend or increase the size or depth of the project.

Budget-conscious planning is a means of reducing the overall cost without sacrificing the entire project. It is a way of decreasing the amount of money you need to spend while achieving your goal. Look at what really needs to be done. Your assessment list will help.

Consider a cosmetic overhaul. You can alter the style by sanding them down, repainting and perhaps updating the details.

The same approach applies to things like counter tops and counter space. You may be able to resurface them instead of replacing them.

Update the small details of your kitchen. At a minimal cost, you can alter the look of your kitchen subtly. You can replace the door and drawer knobs. You can install new designer-style covers for the receptacles. Perhaps, you can replace the cupboard doors or remove them to open them up.

Maybe new light coverings may help or perhaps using different types of bulbs. Purchase some materials from a Habitat for Humanity,salvage yards or gently used stores. These could include doors, door knobs, tables, and other similar items. You may be able to locate uniquely styled items in these outlets.

These frequently center around green or power wise movements in the industry or at the local, state or national level.

Always consider the current location of electrical and plumbing systems. In installing sinks and other water-dependent items, you can keep costs down if you decide to retain them in their same location. In other words, try to keep all the plumbing fixtures on the same wall or in the same spot they currently occupy.

Always consider alternative materials. If you want a stone counter top in the kitchen, consider less than the gold standard. Purchase manmade copies. They can be distinctive but cheaper than the more expensive stone. Consider copies of antiques rather than originals.

Buy made-to-order cabinetry. You can play with the design and the pattern.

Consider storage units that save space but do not cost much. Try hanging cups, restaurant or café style. Opt for utensil bars. These are S-rings swinging from a rack. This stainless steel bar acts as an excellent place to store and display cutlery. It also provides quick and easy access. Great for larger utensils.

Use your imagination to come up with cheaper but stylish and practical alternatives. Perhaps, you could consider a shop counter as the basis for your island or counter top space.

HIDDEN COSTS

 When you are examining the figures for your kitchen renovation, be sure to look at the less obvious costs. If you have gone through the renovation or remodeling process in the past, you are already aware of these covert figures. If not, make sure you know about them. They have a major impact on your budget.

Hidden costs come in a variety of types. Take, for example, plumbing. You have your eye on a certain sink. You know the cost of the make and model. You even know where to get it on sale. You take the figure, adding any other occurring costs -, e.g., taxes, ordering and any shipping and handling costs. You then place the total cost in your budget. Fine, right?

It is fine to an extent. What you need to look at are the less obvious costs associated with the sink. You will have to pay for installation fees. This may mean hiring a plumber. You may also have to pay for disconnecting the water supplying of the old sink. You then have to pay a re-connection fee. The true cost of a sink should, therefore, include purchase cost, disconnection fees, installation and re-connection fees.

Other hidden costs encompass a variety of problems and situations. You may have to install a smoke detector and purchase a fire extinguisher. When you are renovating, you might run across some unanticipated problem. The pipes maybe found to suffer from corrosion. The floor boards may be rotten. There could be mold or asbestos. You may have to update the electrical wiring. There could be problems laying the gas line.

One item many forget is food. Since you are without a kitchen, you will probably be eating out more. If things do not proceed as planned, this may extend beyond the expected date. The longer you are forced to eat out, the more it will cost you. You have to add this hidden or indirect cost into your budget.

No matter what the cost is - open or hidden, always be prepared. Do allow extra time and money in your budget for the purchase of unexpected necessities. Estimate higher rather than lower. Above all, do not simply expect the unexpected but keep a contingency fund as an integral part of the overall budget. This will help prevent you from any unpleasant surprises.

Try to look at your kitchen renovation from all angles. Remember you have a budget. You need to stick to it. Remodeling any room is stressful. Why increase the stress levels by going over budget?

 A crucial part of realistic planning is figuring out your time frame. Time has something in common with your budget. It is too easy to underestimate. Like your budget, your time line may easily go awry if you do not take care to factor in possible glitches. As with the budget, you need to be honest with yourself.

The first question you need to ask yourself and any other person involved is this: "How long can you go without a functioning kitchen?" In kitchen remodeling, you are usually left without an active cooking facility. What are your plans? Is there a room you can make into a functioning kitchen? Can you eat out during this time? Can you run away on holiday? If it is summer, maybe you can barbeque for this entire remodeling period?

Whatever your preference, make sure you gear toward a time frame that matches your tolerance level. Furthermore, take care that all the tasks conform to a specific deadline. This, of course, will be a flexible deadline. You must take into consideration that anything that could possibly go wrong- just might. Sure, your kitchen remodeling job may proceed without a hitch. Yet again, it will probably not.

What can go wrong with your immaculate schedule? - A host or a veritable hoard of things! Everything can and does take longer in most kitchen remodeling jobs. The problems can and frequently do include the following:

Delays with a contractor, a plumber or a friend who is helping out.

A strike of delivery agents, suppliers, trades people.

A promised part or appliance or other facet is no longer available.

Materials arrive the wrong size, shape, colour etc.

 One of the most important factors in planning the real kitchen is its size. While you may dream about a kitchen the size of a football field, you may not be able to build it. Your kitchen is a set size. You may or may not be able to expand it. Your budget may not per- mit you to knock down walls or build an extension. The structural elements may also not permit expansion. You must realize these facts and work with them.

Knowing the exact size of the current kitchen is essential to planning the new one. Knowing the limitations should not dampen the possibilities. You need to rethink the design formulating in your head. You will have to work with what you've got if you want to get what you need and desire.

There are several ways to do this. Investigate the various options to see what meets your specific requirement. This could involve gutting the interior. It could mean rearranging the pattern of traffic by moving the basis of the kitchen triangle. It could mean discovering new ways of storing items.

Bigger cupboards and hide-a-way storage may answer your need. Modern technology may reduce the space taken up by older appliances. Painting and changing the style could also give you the illusion of spatial depth. Be thorough in your research.

Check out all possible sources. Look at the recent remodeling jobs of your friends and family members. Go online or visit a library. Visit model homes. The more you discover now, the higher the chance you find the right solution to your spatial needs.