Eight Things to Consider Before Remodeling Your Kitchen

Remodeling your kitchen gives your home a fresh heart where people will gather and have fun. Although it’s easy to want to jump into a big project like this, it’s better to plan as thoroughly as possible.

These are eight things you should consider before you remodel your kitchen.

1. Is This a Remodel to Sell or Keep?

You first need to consider if you’re remodeling your home to sell it or update it and make it into your dream kitchen.

If you’re remodeling to sell it: try to settle for a mini makeover. Not only do smaller remodels bring a higher return on investment than full remodels, but they also save you time and effort. If you’re planning to sell, you don’t need to pour your funds into this property.

If you’re updating your kitchen to keep it, that’s a different story altogether. You can create the kitchen of your dreams, but you must set a realistic budget and timeline.

2. What Parts of the Kitchen Need A Perception Change

Sometimes areas of your kitchen you’re unsure about don’t need a full replacement! Instead, consider changing their perception of them by boosting elements that can make them more interesting. For instance, if you add molding to kitchen cabinets, you can draw eyes upwards and make your ceiling seem higher.

Other steps you can take are adding more cabinets, an island or peninsula, and even increasing the size of your windows to make your kitchen feel larger.

3. How Are the Floors Looking?

Whether you have tile or go for more resilient flooring, it’s important to consider their state. More homeowners are going for vinyl and other long-lasting floors. Not only do these look a thousand times better than they did twenty years ago, but they’re also built to last longer.

If you can, try to match the tone or hue of the flooring with something else in the kitchen so it flows naturally and feels purposeful.

4. Can You Add Touches of Natural Wood?

Natural wood is the design winner of 2023. Although kitchens will still hold onto that predominantly white look, natural wood gives you a chance to freshen it up and welcome your kitchen into the wild.

Natural wood is an awesome choice for smaller kitchens that need an injection of home comfort and nature. 

5. Are the Materials and Appliances Long-Lasting?

When you’re investing as much time and money as a kitchen can need, you must stop and ensure that the parts it is rebuilt with are sturdy and able to take on anything. 

Look for high-quality appliances that can handle years of wear and tear and flooring, counters, and cabinets that will hold up for longer than necessary. This higher quality will be clear to anyone who walks through.

6. What’s Your Budget and Timeline?

Your budget is something that will haunt you along every step of this plan! Because of this, it’s important that you stop and consider things like what’s the best polyurethane for floors on your budget or whether you’ll have time to do as full a makeover as you want. 

Try to keep your budget as low as possible and keep a realistic timeline. Although it would be nice to get a full kitchen to remodel done on a weekend, the cost of all that labor and tools would be insane. Get quotes from pros who know what they’re doing.

7. When Should You Hire a Professional?

It’s vital to know the moment you need a professional. This usually comes when the line between DIY and errors becomes blurred. You can take on many projects by yourself, but it’s a good idea to stop and weigh the pros and cons.

If you bite off more than you can chew, you could leave your home in a state of disrepair or a mess that might be difficult or expensive to fix. If you ever feel like you’re taking on too much, it’s time to talk to someone who knows what they’re doing.

8. Does The Entire Layout Need a Change?

Before you start, consider if the entire layout needs to be updated. Are you looking to shift every single area of this room, or are you just trying to edit a small portion of it?

If you’re going all out, don’t be afraid to go all the way. It’s better to put in all of this work and incredible effort if you know you’re going to create the kitchen of your dreams. Try to avoid spending more than 10% of your home’s total value in this room, though, since any more than that can be nearly impossible to recover when you sell.

Every Remodel is Unique!

Your kitchen should feel like a dream come true. When you’re ready to remodel, consider these eight key points before you make any changes.