Home remodeling, in general, is extremely intimidating, but kitchen remodeling, which requires the homeowner to balance their aesthetic and practical needs, is especially difficult. Between the pipes and countertops, the shelving space and the sink, there may be too many decisions and course corrections for one person to handle without pulling their hair out.
Thankfully, though, there are methods homeowners can use to lessen their anxiety. If you follow these steps for how to plan your kitchen remodeling project, you’ll find the process is not nearly as stressful as you thought. Some people might even find it relatively painless.
Determine Your Goals and Must-Haves
Start with the basics. Ask yourself what you want this remodeling to accomplish. Do you need more counter space or a larger sink? Think about all the ways people use the kitchen, aside from eating and cooking. Do you need space for that as well?
Other ideas will come and go as you work through the process, but it is always best to start with a strong foundation. Know what you need at a bare minimum and use that as your goalpost; you will find the other steps come easier.
Find Inspiration
Think of this as the most fun part of kitchen remodeling. Use your creative side to come up with kitchen design ideas and concepts. Some people like to develop vision boards where they hang images that match the themes of what they are looking for. Not only will this help you make decisions as you shop, but this abstract thinking will also help you better articulate your ideas to professional remodelers.
Create a Timeline
Now for the nitty-gritty. You have your goals, you have an abstract idea of what you want the kitchen to look like, and now it’s time to devise a timeline. Do your best to be realistic. Know how long it can take you to make decisions.
Most importantly, make sure you decide on deadlines for different parts of the process. Maybe you want to complete the counters by January, the sink by March, etc. Try to decide what is realistic, and design your project around that vision.
Decide on a Budget and Shop
In the process of determining how to plan your kitchen remodeling project, this is potentially the most heart-wrenching and frustrating step. It’s often where your lofty goals meet reality.
Deciding on a budget will mean making decisions about what you can reasonably expect to take on. Shopping for those pieces may result in cuts to your original plan. By the end of this step, you may find the project was not at all what you initially intended.
Bring in the Professionals
The two primary professionals for kitchen remodeling are kitchen designers and general contractors. The designer makes sure your space is functional and practical for your best budget, while the contractor builds out the designer’s plans. There are few general contractors as highly respected for a kitchen renovation in Portland, Oregon, as C & K Custom Remodeling.
Consider speaking with the professionals earlier in the process, as it may help ensure they have the available time and resources to take on your project.