Mistakes You Should Avoid While Remodeling Your Kitchen

Kitchen remodeling jobs are one of the most common, practical, and economical home improvement jobs you could undertake, providing a huge return on investment in the form of easier meal prep, a happier family, and a noticeable bump in resale value. However, it’s a complicated and tricky process with a lot of pitfalls lying in wait for the inexperienced homeowner. In this article, we’ll look at everything you need to know before starting the job to make sure your kitchen remodel comes out picture-perfect and ready to cook!

Why Kitchen Remodeling?

The kitchen is the heart of any household, where heat and warmth come together to create a space where a family shares that most ancient and humanistic tradition of them all: breaking bread together. Lots of home remodeling television shows focus heavily on the kitchen area because, as every homeowner knows, it’s almost impossible to be truly happy with your home if the kitchen is too small, outdated, or lacks functionality. Finally, kitchen remodeling jobs have proven over and over again to be an excellent investment that pays for itself in resale value if the house ends up on the market. Nothing is more frustrating than going to cook and running out of counter space or bumping into someone while holding a hot pan! With that in mind, let’s look at the top mistakes to avoid when undertaking a home remodeling job.

Main Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make

1) Neglecting the Planning

As a general rule for all home improvement and contracting jobs, planning out everything in detail is of the utmost importance. This will allow you to anticipate what might go wrong and lay out a concrete action plan that everyone working on it can follow. Before beginning, sit down with anyone who will be using the kitchen and sketch out a vision of the finished kitchen, such as what aspects it will include and what it will look like.

2) Breaking the Budget

Here’s where the professionals will come especially in handy, as many DIYers underestimate the cost of a kitchen remodel. Before demolishing and taking out those old countertops, be absolutely sure that you know what you’re doing and can afford to complete the process. Kitchen jobs have a lot of different aspects, from plumbing, to gas hookups, to cabinetry, so don’t neglect the budgeting part of the planning process. 

3) Putting Form Over Function

A kitchen is, first and foremost, a place to do work, use tools, and create meals that can feed a family. Don’t get too caught up in the aesthetics of everything that you lose sight of the functionality it needs to have. For example, you might really like a certain cabinet setup, but will it have clearance to open while the oven door is open as well? 

4) Choosing Cabinets and Counters Before Appliances

When beginning your dream kitchen remodel, selecting appliances should be one of the first things you do after the initial planning phase. It’s easy to see why - when it comes to putting together cabinetry or a countertop, a few inches here or there can make a critical difference and cause major issues or delays. It’s important to have accurate measurements for your appliances like the oven, dishwasher, and refrigerator before moving on to the next steps. 

5) Installing Flooring Before Cabinets

One rookie mistake that many DIYers make is installing the flooring before cabinets, which can cause several issues in the future. When the flooring is under the cabinetry, regular expansion and contraction due to temperature and humidity fluctuations can increase the risk of cupping or crowning, where the edges of wooden flooring rise above or below the rest of the board. Installing cabinetry first will also prevent damage to the flooring underneath them, make it easier to remove in the future, and save money, as you will need less flooring material in the first place.

6) Neglecting lighting and proper wiring

It’s easy to lose sight of this aspect of a kitchen remodel and get too caught up in picking the perfect oven, creating the sink island, or creating the perfect “chef’s triangle” between the stove, sink, and refrigerator. Lighting plays a critical role in how the kitchen appears, as well as how well you will be able to perform tasks in a certain area. Finally, don’t forget to make sure the electrical outlets are wired properly, as they may need to be wired differently than the rest of the house, and include circuit breakers to prevent fires or injuries. Homeowners tend to spend a lot of time in the kitchen either cooking, eating, or passing through, so it’s worth it to make sure it looks the best it can be. Get in touch with an expert home remodeler today and bring your dreams to life with the kitchen you’ve always dreamed of!