5 things you need to know before you remodel your kitchen

If you are thinking about remodeling your kitchen I would like to help. This is a big deal and a big project that should be done with a bit of thought before you do the big demolition. So here’s the list.

1. contractor or contract yourself? Answer these questions honestly. Do you know which subs you will need for your remodel? And if the answer is yes, do you mind taking on a part time job coordinating all your subs? If so then you could contract the job yourself. You will have to have an architect create the plans, pull permits for each sub you will need, and find all the subs you want to work with. Simple…..Maybe…..but you need to be a little handy in this area and know what and how things are done in order to get it done quickly and efficiently. All in all if you contract the job yourself you will save about 20% of the cost but if your sanity isn’t worth the 20% hire a contractor.

2. what trades do you need?

Have you thought about all the different parts you need to replace in your kitchen? If so these are the trades you will need to get your kitchen back in order.

Cabinet maker (that’s me 🙂 You will need to find a great cabinet maker that you can trust to build the type of cabinetry you would like. And preferably you will pick me.

Electrician: Your electrical outlets could be outdated looking or even the wrong color for your new color scheme. If you are moving things around like the refrigerator then you will need some electrical outlets added or moved. Also new lights are usually part of remodeling your kitchen and they will need to install those for you.

Plumber: The plumber! You will definitely need one for your remodel. The new sink needs to be installed, the refrigerator needs to have the water line put in and the dishwasher will need to be connected to the new sink area too.

Painter: After you tear out all your existing cabinets, and move the electrical and or plumbing, you should have a painter come and re-texture and paint the walls. Sometimes there are old popcorn ceilings to remove and re-texture or sheet rock that needs to be replaced because when you took the cabinet out it ripped the sheet rock with it. You will also want the painter at the end to do any minor touch ups and caulk the crown to the ceiling.

Flooring Purchase and Install: If you are demoing your floor and installing new you will need to put this in after the cabinets go in, but before the appliances.

Countertop Purchase and Install: The countertop guy or girl will come over after your cabinets are installed and make a template, then he/she will go back to their shop fabricate the tops then bring them back to place on top of your cabinets. Usually the countertop person cuts out for your sink area and sometimes they can supply the sink, it just depends on the type of material you are using.

3. are you going to change the footprint of your kitchen or keep it the same?

If you like the layout of your kitchen then great, you can go on to number #4. If you want to move stuff like the stove or refrigerator stop here. This is where it gets tricky if you are contracting yourself. If you are moving the refrigerator you will have to move the water line. If you are moving the stove then the electric or gas line will need to be moved. The same goes with the plumbing. If you decide you want your sink in another area the plumbing needs to be moved as well. These are all simple things for the subs to do but make sure you are clear on where the moved electrical, plumbing, etc. are going to be. This is where you can coordinate with your cabinet maker. They can give you the measurements you will need to make sure the items are moved to the correct spots.

4. what type of style are you wanting?

Nothing is worse than someone who wants to remodel with no idea what they want. Make sure you do some research. Plan ahead and get photos of the different styles you like. This will give your cabinetmaker a good idea of your taste. That way they can design the cabinetry and positioning of the appliances close to what you will like.

5. what wood or finish do you want for your cabinets?

This is a big one and I’ll tell you why. For example, once you figure out that you want cherry wood that is stained a brown color that is a great start. After you pick the wood and color or finish you will be using you can use that to coordinate everything else. This color should “go” not match with the flooring, the countertops, the backsplash, the fixtures, and the appliances. It’s easier to pick out everything else after you decide on the color or stain you want your cabinets to be in.

Well there it is the five things you need to know about remodeling a kitchen. I hope this helped in some way and if you do have any questions you can always send me a note here.

your custom cabinet girl