Kitchen remodeling can be one of the most stressful home improvement projects, and many people live with old or inconvenient kitchens for years because they don’t want to deal with the mess and cost of remodeling. It can be a big job, but if you hire the right contractors, you can stick to your budget and schedule while causing as little trouble as possible.
Renovation contractors and what you should and shouldn’t do when remodeling your kitchen have become the subject of many myths. It’s important to know what’s true and what’s a myth so you can make good decisions about your kitchen remodel. Here are five myths about kitchen remodeling that you should know.
1. When remodeling your kitchen, you should spend a certain percentage of your home’s value.
The truth is that there are different degrees of remodeling, and this is what determines how much you should spend. If you only want new lighting and wall covering, you don’t need to spend as much as you would if you also wanted new cabinets, countertops, and appliances. Once you figure out what you want to change most about your kitchen, you’ll probably spend between 5% and 15% of your home’s value on remodeling it. Contractors who do renovations can do anything from small fixes to a complete overhaul. It’s up to you to decide where your job falls on this spectrum.
2. I can DIY my kitchen remodeling project.
Many people don’t realize how big a kitchen remodeling job can be, and how critical it is that it’s done correctly. Your kitchen should not only be safe, but it should also fit in with the rest of your home and, if possible, add value to it. Some people think they can remodel their kitchens on their own because they know how to put together flat-pack furniture from IKEA. However, this is not the case. Good kitchen remodelers aren’t cheap, but the ones whose clients stick with them are the ones who do things right the first time.
3. Kitchens should be updated to match the latest styles.
The way you remodel your kitchen should depend on what you need. If you want to stay in your home for a long time, you should remodel your kitchen to fit how you use it. If you want to sell your home in the next few years, you should talk to kitchen remodeling contractors about what you can do to make your kitchen more appealing to buyers. If you really like a trend, use it, but don’t base a whole kitchen remodel on what’s “hot” right now. In a few years, it might look awfully old.
4. We’ll figure out how to light the room later.
Lighting is never something you should forget about, and this is especially true in the kitchen. Ask any contractors you’re thinking of hiring if they have done work on lighting before. Before you start building your new kitchen, at least choose carefully from the few lighting options you have. The best kitchen remodelers know how to light a kitchen and know that putting lighting off until the end of the project means you might have to go cheap to stay on budget or settle for lighting that isn’t the best. Lighting is one of the most important parts of making a room “work,” so think carefully about it right from the start.
5. If we go over budget, we’ll put in a floor that costs less.
The floor of your kitchen is what ties everything together, so you should never try to save money by putting in a cheap floor (maybe so you can buy better cabinets). Floors are much more than just another surface in the kitchen, and going cheap to stay on a budget often backfires when you want to rip it out again in a year or two. Like lighting, flooring is an important part of how your kitchen looks and feels as a whole, so it should be thought about carefully from the start.
The idea that remodeling a kitchen will always be “too expensive” is one of the most common myths that kitchen remodeling contractors hear. That’s not always true, especially when you think about how much more you’ll enjoy your kitchen if it looks nice and has the storage, work surfaces, and appliances you need to enjoy the many hours you and your family spend there.
Ask for the contractor’s credentials, talk to some of their past clients, and make sure you get along well with them. A great kitchen remodel takes time, but with the right materials and the right contractor, it can give your house a great new look and feel.