Are you planning a kitchen remodel to enhance your home, change up design features or add new usability to the space? Whatever your plans, you may be wondering where to start when remodeling a kitchen. After all, it’s a big task to tackle! You have a wide range of factors to consider to help you create your dream kitchen, and you want to do it right.
Whether you’re considering selling or want to build a dream kitchen in your forever home, a remodel can significantly increase your overall home value. It’s a great choice that can provide increased return on investment for the long term.
So how do you plan a kitchen remodel? One of the best ways to begin is to make a remodeling project checklist. With a list in hand, you can keep track of your progress, ensure you’re staying on task and budget and make sure you don’t miss anything along the way.
From initial planning to post-renovation, having a strategy for the process will help you be prepared for each step. Consider printing out a kitchen remodel checklist PDF to post in an easy-to-see place in your home so you can check back on your progress at any time. To get started, take a look at our handy kitchen remodel guide.
Before you begin your kitchen renovation, you’ll want to develop a kitchen design checklist that sets your project scope, budget and design goals. With a clear focus in mind, you can tackle your project more efficiently and get the result you really want.
Your first priority is to establish a budget that fits your unique requirements. Once you know what funds you have available to spend, you can plan your project more effectively.
Evaluate the overall financial resources you have available, and be sure to give yourself space for adjustment or unexpected costs. Take the time to research the average price of specific project steps and products, and decide what you can afford to spend on each category.
To help you funnel your resources into the changes you want most, make a list of everything you’d like to renovate. Then, go through each item on the list and categorize it as a low, medium or high priority. Your list can help you decide what to focus on first.
After you know what you can spend on your project, you’re ready to decide on the best colors and styles for your project. Take a look at current trends and explore home design magazines for inspiration if you’d like. Consider the overall tone you want to set in your kitchen and decide how your style fits with the rest of your home’s aesthetic.
For example, if you have a classic style throughout the rest of the house, think about how you can use complementary color and design features in your kitchen. Or maybe you have a dynamic, modern flair throughout your house, and you want trendy colors and design features for your kitchen. Decide what’s most important to you and explore how you can use different kitchen styles to your advantage.
You’ll want to consider how different elements of your home can work together to form the best layout for your needs. Think about your floor plan’s form and function. What items do you need to be most accessible? What will you use most often?
Consider your space needs as you work on your kitchen layout too. Do you want an open format for your kitchen? You might incorporate your dining area and kitchen into one large room with an island in the middle. Maybe you’d like your kitchen to open up into your living room for an airy, spacious vibe. Or perhaps you’d prefer a cozy, closed-off area for your kitchen, set apart from the surrounding rooms.
Choosing a contractor you can trust throughout the renovation process is another priority. You need to find professionals who can handle each step of the process as seamlessly as possible for you. Whether you’re planning to do some of the work yourself or want contractors to manage each step in the process, you’ll need professionals to help you create your dream kitchen.
Do these things to help you find the right contractor for your project:
Once you’ve finished preliminary planning, you’re ready to begin remodeling. You’ll need to keep track of a few main items during the process.
Make sure you are on the same page with any service providers. Discuss what you want from your kitchen renovation project and any time constraints or special considerations you may have. Also, talk with your contractors about expectations for work. Will they be arriving at set hours? When can you expect them to leave at the end of the day? When is the latest they would have the project complete?
Knowing what you can expect and ensuring you agree can make the process smoother for you. Setting expectations for each contractor’s working hours will help you coordinate each step more efficiently. If you’re working with multiple service providers, clear communication will also help you keep the project on track.
Now that you’re moving into the remodeling process, you can select the materials you want for different appliances and structures in your new kitchen. Consider what options would work best for your day-to-day activities. Do you want a specific aesthetic, or is durability more important to you? How much maintenance are you willing to do for items such as flooring and counters?
You need durable flooring that also sets the right tone for your kitchen. Whether you choose tile, wood or laminate, your material choice will shape the overall aesthetic of your kitchen. For example, light floors tend to open up the space, while dark floors will draw eyes downward.
As you evaluate different flooring selections, also think about what options will withstand daily foot traffic, and decide how much maintenance you’re willing to do.
The color, handles and layout of kitchen cabinets change in style at least every decade. Updating cabinetry to the most recent style will give your kitchen space a modernized look overall. Replacing your cabinets can refresh the entire aesthetic design of your kitchen, and you can also look into making functional changes to provide more storage space.
If you tend to lack space for your kitchen supplies, installing additional cabinets or including a build-in pantry will look and feel like getting a larger kitchen. Find a provider like Wolf Home Products offering high-quality cabinet options so you can pick the exact design and usability features you want for your home.
Lighting can dramatically change your kitchen. Try to let in natural light as much as possible, whether by fitting in a new window or taking down a wall. Then, incorporate accent lighting and decor pieces to enhance your space’s visibility and visual appeal.
You might include accent lights, wall sconces, ceiling fixtures and other ambient lighting in the room. Consider using dimmers to adjust the lighting as you wish. To help light up dark corners, add some task lights under cabinets, under the stove hood and in other places with limited lighting.
You’ll use your countertops all the time, so invest in something durable. Depending on your preferred aesthetic, you could consider dependable quartz, luxurious marble, sturdy granite or perhaps colorful tiles. Make sure you have plenty of counter space for day-to-day food prep too.
Choose the range, refrigerator, oven and other crucial appliances in your home based on how you’ll use them. Are you a prolific cook who could use a double oven? Do you need an extra-large sink, or would you prefer a smaller sink with more surrounding counter space? What size and depth do you need for your refrigerator and freezer? These considerations will help you get the most use from your appliance investments.
The handles or pulls you choose for your cabinets can change the feel of your kitchen. Many are available in chrome, brushed nickel, gold, silver or other metal tones. You might want a uniform look and prefer to match your faucets and the rest of the kitchen hardware to the doorknobs and light fixtures. You can also mix up your hardware styles and colors to draw attention to specific features.
Expect to have limited access to the kitchen during your remodel. Before contractors arrive for the first day of work in your kitchen, move all major appliances out, set aside supplies you may need, and find an alternate eating and meal preparation option. It’s a good idea to have a microwave and other portable cooking appliances available in another area of your home to make meals.
Try to plan for easier meals you can prepare without needing access to the entire kitchen. If you want, you could also ask a close neighbor or friend if you could use their kitchen occasionally during the project.
As contractors may be coming in and out of the house, identify the best entrance for them to use. You might also want to establish the best place for you and your family to stay while contractors are at the house. That way, you’ll have more privacy while workers are tackling your kitchen project.
How long will it take to remodel a kitchen? The overall timeframe largely depends on your project scope and goals. Generally speaking, the process can take anywhere from six weeks to five months depending on the scale of the work.
After the remodel is finished, prepare to enjoy your new kitchen with a few final steps.
Once work is done in your house, there will probably be some leftover materials, dust and debris. Go through your kitchen and clean thoroughly to make sure it’s ready for use.
Ensure you have records of any equipment purchases, contractor agreements and other paperwork. Also, keep track of warranties for any cabinetry, appliances and other items you added to your home. You can also register any new devices or hardware to make claims easy if you have any issues in the future.
Make sure you’ve documented all the changes you’ve made to your home. Depending on the scale of the remodel, you may need to contact your insurance agent and update your coverage plan for enhanced protection.
Keep track of your project bills and stay up-to-date on payments. Setting up a payment plan or paying off outstanding bills once you’ve finished remodeling can help you ensure you don’t miss anything. If you took out a home equity loan or another type of loan, schedule your payments and research your best options for paying off the remaining sum.
To help keep your new kitchen in optimal shape, create a maintenance plan for different areas of the room. Keeping up with regular cleaning and care for your new kitchen items will help you get the most value from your investment.
Some things you’ll want to service regularly include:
When you need trusted solutions for your kitchen renovation, Wolf Home Products is ready to assist you in any way we can. Our Perfect Service Guarantee empowers our employees to make things right for our customers every time. We provide what you think is a fair reparation, and we work to resolve all complaints within 24 hours.
Known for delivering consistently courteous and reliable service, we’re committed to providing trusted services that meet your operational needs consistently and reliably. Whatever your requirements, our team is here to help with quality services and dedicated support.
If you’re ready to explore how we can help meet your kitchen remodeling goals, reach out to your local Wolf dealer today.
