Kitchen Renovations 101

Can we talk about kitchen renovations? If you have ever been through a kitchen renovation, you know it isn’t for the faint of heart. When I tell you it was a journey, I am not kidding! There are so many decisions and add that on top of trying to accomplish it during a pandemic – a whole ‘nother set of problems! But now that I have finished it, I can now offer you all of the tips and tricks! I can’t wait to document our kitchen renovations and all of our decisions, small and big, and everything in between!

1. Make a budget and stick to it! What is the most you can afford to spend on your kitchen remodel? Also, don’t forget to add a cushion for overages or for any problems that might come up! Unfortunately, something always comes up!
2. What are your must-haves? Are you getting quartz or granite? Are you getting new appliances or are you going to stick with what you have? I think its important to think you what items you must have now, and what you can save for in a few years.
3. Contractors! Yes, this is a big one. Who you decide to use as your contractor honestly will make or break your kitchen renovations? Who will do your work? Are you going with a referral from a friend or family member, or using a search finder like Thumbtack or Yelp? At the beginning of this process, its important to think about what type of qualities you want in your contractor? Another thing to note – will you have a general contractor or will you have separate contractors for the countertops, tile, cabinets, etc?
4. What is your timeline? How fast do you want this process to take? Think through what is the drop date you need your renovation done, and work from there. Again, its so important to add in a week or two for delays or potential stoppages.
5. Will you live in your house during the renovation? If so, do you know how you will cook or access food during this process. Think through in detail how you expect to live with contractors coming in and out of your house during a renovation.
6. Scope of work! In any renovation, there are ways to save money, and one of the easiest ways is to take on some of the work yourself! One suggestion – install the cabinet hardware and faucet yourself!
7. Don’t be too hard on yourself! Make sure you give yourself grace during this period! This maybe your first renovation, and please know, it is not as easy as they make it on TV.

Stay tuned to learn more about our kitchen renovations and how we stayed sane though the process!