The 10 Things to Consider Before Remodeling Your Kitchen

Goals

• Think about what you hope to accomplish through the remodeling process. If your goals are lofty, you will likely not be able to accomplish them without dedicating a large amount of money to the remodeling process. If your goals are small, you may be able to make cosmetic changes alone.

Budget

• Determine how much you want to spend on this remodel as well as the degree to which this budget aligns with your goals. If you want to make major changes but don't have much money to dedicate, it may be wise to wait and save up more funds before tackling the remodeling process.

Time Frame

• Remodeling a kitchen can take a large amount of time, particularly if you tackle the task yourself. Decide how much time you are willing to dedicate to this and determine how long you are willing to go without a kitchen during the remodeling process. Remember to add dining out expenses into your budget.

Materials

• Think about what materials you may want to use. Keep your budget in mind when selecting these materials, ensuring that the ones you pick are feasible given your funding.

Hire Vs. Do-it-Yourself

• If you are handy, remodeling the kitchen may be something you wish to do on your own; however, the process is often complex and labor intensive, so even if you have the skill, you may wish to hire a service to complete the process to speed things along.

Structural Changes

• While purely aesthetic changes are relatively easy, others prove more complex. Consider whether you will need to make serious structural changes, such as the tearing out of walls or the replacement of cabinetry, before you start planning the job. If you need to make major structural changes, you should likely expect the process to cost more and take longer.

Desired Additions

• Survey your kitchen and think about what you don't have that you would like to have. For example, if your current kitchen lacks an island, but you would like one of these features, you may be able to add one during the remodeling process.

Repairs

• If you have fixtures in your kitchen that are in need of repair, such as leaky pipes or a damaged piece of subflooring, remodeling is the perfect time to deal with these things. Make a list of anything that you are not going to replace that needs to be repaired.

Color Pallet

• Your color pallet determines the whole feel of your kitchen. Spend some time with paint swatches prior to planning your remodeling and think about what colors your pallet should include.

Green Design

• Many are eager to make their kitchen more environmentally friendly. Think about green additions you could make to your space, such as adding Energy Star appliances or low-flow faucets, and plan these things into your remodeling process.