What if rushing in without a plan costs you tens of thousands of dollars?
This happens every year to many who get a custom kitchen remodel. Such mistakes are common in kitchen remodels and can become very expensive. Without considering all of the different factors, your kitchen remodel could have you losing time and money.
What do you need to understand before getting started? Here are the biggest factors to consider when planning your custom kitchen remodel!
1. Cabinet Size
Many homeowners decide to get a custom kitchen remodel because they dislike the cabinets in their current kitchen. When designing your own custom kitchen, it’s important to consider the kitchen layout and current space.
The most important consideration is that the height of the space relates to the ceiling of your kitchen. Standard upper cabinets come in incremental sizing ranging from 30″-42″. A 42″ upper cabinet will reach 8′ from the floor. It is important to gauge the height of the users of the kitchen to confirm he or she can reach the upper cabinets. If you have an island or a peninsula in the kitchen it is important to maintain circulation around the kitchen. A rule of thumb for circulation is to maintain a minimum of 42″ on all sides. Bottom or base cabinets are usually 24″ in depth and 34.5″ high. As you are laying out the footprint of your new custom kitchen measure with these dimensions in mind.
2. Understand Your Budget
When coming up with home renovation ideas, the sky may be the limit in your mind. But once the kitchen remodel happens, there is one big limit to worry about: your wallet!
The best way to help determine a budget is to meet with an experienced kitchen designer or general contractor to help put together your thoughts and estimate a budget. Prior to ordering any supplies for your kitchen always get a good idea of how much your dream remodel will cost and how you intend to pay for it. Some companies offer alternative ways to extend your budgets such as home improvement loans or cash discounts. Make sure you inquire about all of your payment options to stretch your budget and maximize your wishlist.
3. Extensive Research
If you’re not sure exactly what you want the kitchen remodel to look like, you need to conduct plenty of research ahead of time. Research usually starts with looking at pictures in magazines or online. Today, you can find thousands of pictures. Try to narrow it done to your favorite 5-10 photos as a starting point. Then takes those photos to a kitchen designer or general contractor as inspiration photos. The professionals can then start to point you in the correct direction for options to meet your inspiration with the budget presented. When comparing products, compare features, availability, and warranty. Not all kitchen remodel products are created equally.
4. Designing a Better Layout
A good kitchen remodel should be about function as well as form. Because of this, you should consider improving the actual layout of your kitchen.
To get the layout just right, you need to get the “work triangle” just right. This triangle refers to the distance between your stove, your sink, and your refrigerator. These are the busiest areas in any kitchen, and it’s important to get the spacing between these things just right.
If these areas are too close together, your kitchen will feel cramped. If they are too far apart, you’ll waste a lot of time while cooking. But when you get the distances “just right,” you can create an optimized kitchen.
5. Matching Your Home’s Vibe
Your desire to remodel your kitchen started either with frustrations in the aged look or function of the kitchen. If it is due to your new style not matching your existing kitchen then consider your inspiration photos and how these photos relate to the existing house. If they don’t match then changing the vibe may have to first start with the kitchen and over time continue to the other rooms in the house.
6. Picking the Right Appliances
One rookie renovation mistake many homeowners make is considering the appliances as “extras” and not worrying about them until later in the remodeling process. In reality, it’s important to choose the appliances you want early on and plan the renovation around them.
That’s because appliances play a major role in both the form and function of your kitchen. Do you want a side-by-side fridge in stainless steel and your old oven with a double oven? These are great appliance upgrades, but they also determine how much space you have left in the kitchen.
Once you select your appliances, it’s easier to pick things like a backsplash and countertops that complete the look. If you wait to pick appliances until after the kitchen remodel, you may have trouble getting both the features you need and the aesthetic you want.
7. The Best Countertop
The countertop is the first thing many people notice in your kitchen. Therefore, selecting the “right” countertop for you is one of the cornerstone factors of kitchen renovations!
As with other parts of the kitchen remodel, selecting the countertop comes down to finding what is best for both your budget and your lifestyle.
Each type of countertop has its pros and cons. For example, natural stones such as granite, marble, and quartzite have beautiful uniqueness and one-of-a-kind feature; however, each needs to be sealed and maintained on an annual/bi-annual basis. Man-made countertops such as quartz lack uniqueness because of how it is produced; however, the maintenance on man-made products is significantly less than a natural stone. Countertops will range in price based on type, brand, color, and size. It is important to shop around to get the best value that suits your budget, looks great, and won’t be that difficult to maintain
Bring Your Custom Kitchen Remodel Ideas to Life
Now you know some factors to consider ahead of your custom kitchen remodel. Let us help bring these kitchen remodel dreams to life.
Here at Las Vegas Remodel & Construction, we offer beautiful renovations at the most competitive prices. To see how we can make your renovations a reality, just contact us today!
