A kitchen renovation project is expensive. In fact, among all the home renovation projects, kitchen and bathroom renovation tend to be the most expensive.
One of the most common mistakes made by homeowners is not researching properly when choosing a renovation contractor. Also, they often do not properly estimate the costs involved and that usually leads to a lot of avoidable stress. If you are considering a kitchen renovation project, here are the top 4 mistakes you should avoid to have a rather stress-free experience:
1. Not Planning the Budget Well
One of the most common mistakes is under budgeting. It is one of the main reasons people often end up spending a lot more money than they initially thought. Everything has become more expensive. There is this thing called inflation and that applies to materials, labour, appliances and anything else you need for your new kitchen.
People often forget that in addition to installation of new appliances, cabinets, sink and other hardware, the existing appliances and other things also need to get removed. Sometimes, modifications to ceilings, floors or walls are also required to install those new shiny appliances. At times, additional plumbing or electrical work is also needed.
You may need a licensed plumber, licensed electrician, licensed gas fitter, a flooring specialist and other such professionals to rebuild the kitchen and all these professionals cost money. This is why you should take your time to research everything before finalising your budget.
2. Not Researching before Choosing a Contractor
Another common mistake is choosing a contractor or a kitchen renovation company without proper research. More often than not, people end up choosing anyone who offers the lowest price without checking out their work, their workmanship and their reputation.
Cheap contractors are cheap for a reason. Their workmanship is substandard and the materials they use may not be up to the mark. This is why you should always thoroughly research all the contractors and subcontractors before signing a contract.
3. Prioritising Looks Over Functionality
You don’t want to prioritise looks over functionality. After all, your kitchen is a functional space. You are going to use it multiple times, every day. It has to be user-friendly.
You shouldn’t have to move every time you need to get to your stove, sink or refrigerator or other parts of your kitchen. Everything should be easily reachable. This is why you need to partner with a designer capable of designing a functional and aesthetically pleasing kitchen.
4. Good Things Take Time
The kitchen renovation is not going to finish in a week or two. Usually, an average kitchen renovation project takes anywhere from 6 to 10 weeks.
It includes the time taken by the designer for coming up with a good design, finalising the materials, ordering those materials, creation of custom cabinetry, getting the appliances and all the other parts of the project. Removal of old appliances and other things in the kitchen will also take time.
This is why you need to have a realistic timeline for your kitchen renovation project. Do not push the contractor to finish it as quickly as possible as you might force them to cut corners.
Final Thoughts
A well-planned and properly organised kitchen renovation project will not only allow you to get the kitchen of your dreams but you will have a rather stress-free experience. Make sure you have an adequate budget and do proper research before hiring a renovation company.
