kitchen renovation cost

The kitchen is one of the most worn out places in the house. It is the chef’s working area. It is a mother’s favorite meal preparation area. It is where a lover boasts of her cooking recipes. Actually, this is the ultimate storage room for all cooking utensils. Probably, the kitchen door will always be tired being banged every now and then. Most of the sooths, grease and cooking fumes are painstakingly pasted in the kitchen door. Most of the time, it is the last area to be cleaned. Ironically, it should be the first place to be cleaned up everyday as food is prepared in this part of the house. The food that we will ingest must be free from bacteria.

After every meal preparation, it is suggested that the working area must be sanitary right away so that no insects will visit the tables or the sinks. The pots, pans and cooking saucers must be squeaky clean after every use and be hanged dry in the cupboard. The sink area must be checked if food residues have caused it to clog. All the wet towels and kitchen rags must be washed afterwards and dangle it under the sun to let it dry. All the plastics and trashes gathered in the garbage can must be disposed since the rotten trash will give a foul smell to the kitchen.

When cooking food, do not forget to close the kitchen door so that the odor of the food will not reach to the living room or to the bedrooms. This will avoid the clothes from being smelly. For the cupboards which contain foul smell, try to clean up the mess inside the cabinet by putting a baking powder or wiping it off with water and vinegar in order to die out the stinking smell. But the technique to avoid general cleaning all the time is to clean up every mess day by day.

Kitchen must look great all the time. It must be properly organized and kitchen appliances must be put in proper order according to the immediacy of its use. It must also be free from wetness and clutter. It is motivating to work when in a clean environment. From the very start, a colorful and cool design must be devised. A heavy duty kitchen door must also be installed to keep it looking immensely great.

Diy kitchen renovations

Homeowners with the time and expertise can perform many DIY exterior home renovations and with the right tools and equipment can accomplish many minor projects in a couple of days. Depending on your level of knowledge about construction, the types of projects that can be done as DIY exterior home renovations include new siding, gutters, window trim and even adding a patio to the house. Appropriate planning is the cornerstone for any home renovation project and unless you have performed this type of work previously, it will pay to look at the many aspects involved in a project. For all DIY exterior home renovations there will be materials needed and there may be some expensive equipment required, although for most rental companies will probably have what you need to get the job done without the added expense of buying equipment only used for one job.

Painting the exterior of a home is one of the DIY exterior home renovations that many people tackle, but before beginning the existing surface will have to be prepared to receive the fresh coat of paint. Whether the entire home is being painted, or just the exposed wood of a brick home will need to be sanded and clean to insure the finished job is smooth and looks professionally done.

The trouble many people run into with DIY exterior home renovations is trying to do everything at once and not properly planning out the sequence of the job. For example, if you are planning to paint the exterior, the first impulse may be to prepare all of the surface all around the house at once. If the job involves ladders or scaffolding, you will be setting it and moving it for each side of the building.

Custom kitchen renovation

So you are considering doing a major kitchen renovation but are reluctant to embark on it because you have heard from your friends and relatives that such a big project is definitely not fun or cheap and in fact can be down right difficult. Well such views can be well founded but are usually because the project they were involved in was poorly conceived and badly executed resulting in cost over-runs and requiring some very major rectification work.

From the outset if your kitchen renovation is to be successful you have to commit to following a successful process that helps eliminate the vast majority of problems before they occur.

The first (and most critical) aspect of your kitchen renovation is planning the project with care and in doing so you have to address simply every individual aspect of the project. By this we mean that well before you even entertain the idea of engaging a design consultant or contract builder you need to sit down with pen and paper and list every area of your kitchen that needs improvement.

This involves analyising the layout of the kitchen - determine if more space is required, are the current features like sink and work benches in the optimum places, do you have enough storage areas and are structural amendments (like constructing or demolishing walls) likely to be needed. At this point you need to consider the need to improve your kitchen’s functional aspects as well as its aesthetic appearance.

By the rooms aesthetic appearance we mean more than just the color scheme of the room, for example how you need to go about successfully blending the required wall coloring along with contrasting and complimentary colors and texture of the materials used to construct cupboards and work benches.

Functional aspects that need to be addressed also include the decision as to where to relocate essential items such as cookers, ovens, sinks and areas designated for the housing of fixed appliances such as dishwashers and water heaters.

Once you have identified all the areas that your current kitchen lacks (and have put together your wish list of item would like addressed in your new kitchen) you now need to prepare a cost budget. Preliminary costings can be gathered by undertaking some simple research into the cost of the material types and quantities that will be required in any structural work undertaken during the kitchen renovation. Additionally you can visit a local home appliance center and get a guide as to the cost of fixtures, fittings and appliances that you will need. Don’t forget if you buy all your fittings and appliances from one retailer it is likely that you will be able to negotiate a better price than the advertised retail price.

Now here comes the most volatile component of the project and that is the contractors charge including labor rates. For those of you who are going to have to consult directly with a builder and physically show them the room and fully explain the changes you want, you should be open and frank and disclose any problems you currently have regarding the building structure or services like plumbing, electrical and gas. You should ask the contractor to provide a written estimate as to the time the project will take and an approximate cost. If possible try to negotiate a maximum all inclusive fixed cost.

kitchen renovations

Most homeowners could rhyme off a list of things they would like to change in their home design or decoration. One of the most rewarding projects I have worked on in recent times was a do-it-yourself kitchen island. By following the instructions below, you will be able to transform your simple kitchen into an island oasis…or something like that.

If you are like most homeowners, you have spent a fair amount of time in antique markets looking for that perfect new addition for your home. The next time you are out at the antique market or even a local garage sale, keep your eyes open for an old buffet. You can likely find one for less than 50 dollars, and it could well become your favorite piece of furniture.

Most buffets were designed to rest against a wall, and they generally have a cheaper wood covering the back side. When you get the buffet home, remove the cheap back board and start cleaning it up. I would recommend replacing the back board with tongue-and-groove pine. It is relatively cheap, and it looks great!

If the buffet is in poor condition, why not consider painting it? There are some wonderful colors available in paint today, and you could really have some fun with it. I particularly enjoy the paints that leave an aged, antique finish.

Next, you will need a piece of plywood for the top surface of your island. It should be cut so that there is approximately three inches of overhang on all sides. Once you have the plywood cut to the right specifications, place it on top of the buffet and secure it with screws.

kitchen bathroom renovations

One of the most important rooms in your home is your kitchen, and nowadays it is much more than simply a place to prepare and cook food. Today most people use it for relaxation, eating and entertaining, a major reason why most opt for home improvement and home repair by using kitchen remodeling and utilizing the various options of ideas and designs. Kitchen remodeling lets you get the fresh look you want, and dependent on your budget and personal needs, you will be able to make a marked difference to your special room. Redesigning a kitchen can be a valued form of home improvement that benefits you two ways: you have the pleasure of using it while you live there; and your home’s value increases. Most buyers do put great weight on the kitchen on the list of their most important needs, and so making improvements to your kitchen can increase your home’s salability if you opted to move or sell at some point in the future.

Whatever option you choose for a kitchen, it will be greatly dependent on your personal needs, saving you a fortune in money, especially is your choose to reface your kitchen cabinets and countertops. However, if your kitchen cabinets and furnishings were not salvageable then you would be surprised at the fantastic deals you can choose from in regards to kitchen fixtures, cabinetry and furnishings. You may even choose to make additions, and if you do not presently have one, you could opt to install an island, adding needed workspace, extra storage, and a stylish new look. Whichever option you go for, installing new kitchen furnishings and cabinetry or simply refacing existing ones, you can access some amazing deals and also an excellent range of choices. This will enable you to find the best look for your kitchen. You can choose from a broad selection of finishes as well, meaning that whatever theme or look you want to get for your kitchen, you will avoid all the problems of finding the best answer to that needed look.

Small kitchen renovation

To update the carcass of existing kitchen cabinets, you only need to replace the countertop and the cabinet doors to refresh the look of your kitchen. Using low-cost materials like paint, zinc sheeting or wood-veneer, the cabinets can be transformed into designer-look pieces at cost-conscious budget. The key is to match the color and look to a theme. For example, old cabinet doors can be replaced with MDF doors which can be customized by spray-painting them in tones to complement the color scheme of the kitchen.

If you’ve got a bit more money to spare, you can go for trendy brushed steel doors and a stainless steel worktop to go with white or pale wood laminate cabinets. A darker wood tone can be matched with a white postformed laminate countertop and matching doors for a brighter, airier look.

For either wood color, using sleek metal handles add an edgy accent to the cabinets. The mix of steel with wood ensures that the kitchen looks contemporary but does not end up feeling too cold.

However, you can’t assume that the cabinet’s structure is still sound. Often, wooden structures that look pretty good from the outside can be rotting in areas you can’t see. This is especially true of kitchens which are perpetually damp; the humidity as well as frequency and the way which kitchens are cleaned (soap plus lots of water) affect the degree of dampness.

Ideas on the Costs of Kitchen Renovation

The idea on kitchen renovation costs is this. The lower the budget is for materials and appliances, the higher the average of the labor cost. Conversely, the bigger the budget allocated for materials and other construction cost, the lower the cost of labor.

Here are the kitchen renovation average costs:

When working from a very low budget, say $ 15,000 to $25,000, the homeowner will very likely do the kitchen renovation himself. This is practical when the homeowner has earned the skill, has the time and the patience to conduct most of the work. Many low budgeted projects were done successfully in this manner. This of course is practical when the project is done on very limited spaces, does not need relocation of plumbing and gas lines and the use of low end and low-grade products. Cabinetry and appliances will also have to be on the low to mid range grade.

When the budget for kitchen renovation is tight, say $35,000 to $55,000, the homeowners should be willing to do part of the project themselves like some flooring, demolition and painting. To cut costs, features will be minimized, design would as much as possible avoid relocation of plumbing and gas lines, wood items will be semi stock, counter tops will rather be laminates but appliances will already be of good consumer grade. Labor cost, take majority of the expense, and the homeowner could already expect a durable and (and when chosen well) attractive materials. Expect 80% of the budget to go to labor.

The mid range kitchen renovation design will already be very satisfactory. The budget here is about $60,000 to $90,000. With this budget, a homeowner could already expect additional spaces and structures although the construction will be incorporated with the original structure of the house where non load bearing walls will have to be removed and sometimes some amount of load bearing walls. Cabinetry for this kind of kitchen renovation will already be custom-made using woods that are less expensive and the appliances will already be on the best range of consumer grade. This budget will allow you to get a very high construction quality and durability. Expect some tradeoffs though so that you stick to the budget. For example, if you want more expensive cabinetry, you will have to save money from other areas. Labor cost in this project range will take about 65%.

When the kitchen renovation budget is in the range of $90,000 and over, counter tops and flooring will already be on mid range quality. With this budget, you could already have the best grade of appliances and custom cabinetry. Expect labor cost to take up about 50% of the total budget, cabinetry, and appliances driving most of the cost of the remaining 50% and other items such as decorative finish, lighting, etc. taking up the balance.

Kitchen Renovation Ideas

Afriend and her family of 4 kids had moved into an imposing Victorian-styled late 19th century home and for the first year that they had been staying there, the homeowner did not touch nor change a single thing. All her friends thought that maybe the homeowner liked the charm and beauty of the old house too much that she didn’t want to change it. But at a small party when the homeowner and her friends gathered at the old kitchen, it dawned on them (and the homeowner admitted it) that the woman was terrified about coming up with kitchen renovation ideas and implementing them. The homeowner was just too intimidated by the age of the house. The kitchen clearly needed a lot of work and right there and there, all her friends (one of whom was a decorator and building contractor) pitched in to come up with an appropriate set of kitchen renovation ideas.

Homeowners have this perception that old houses are especially difficult to renovate because of their age, but this is not entirely true. Whether the house is old or new, a kitchen renovation almost always turns out be very cost effective in the sense that renovation, not restoration (unless you have the cash), can effectively marry old elements with new ones. Kitchen renovation ideas for old homes can be planned in such a way that your new stainless steel refrigerator can be in the same kitchen as an old wood-burning stove. The key to effective kitchen renovation ideas is in the planning and this is applicable to any kind of home, whether new or old. First on the list of sound kitchen renovation ideas is costing. You seriously cannot attempt a substantial renovation unless you have substantial financial backing. But take heart in the fact that you can cut costs in some areas without sacrificing over-all quality. Remember to reserve your cash for design, labor costs and fixtures because these are the major components that make up a tip-top kitchen. As much as possible, keep changes within the layout and avoid structural changes that would inevitably cost more.

But if you must change something structural, get a builder who can work with a tight budget. See if such structural changes such as the addition of a divider (or the removal of one), a seat-window or a skylight will work for your kitchen; these structural alterations are easy and will cost relatively less.
Smart kitchen renovation ideas always consider the dirty-parts and it is always sound thinking to see if your plumbing, heating and electrical requirements are in good shape. There are aesthetically pleasing kitchens which may be pretty to look at, but are revealed behind their walls to be fire-hazards or energy-monsters. In old houses, these may be the first areas that need immediate attention. Current trends in plumbing include environmentally friendly systems and fittings if you’re the type who has recycling and resource-saving tendencies.

kitchen renovation design

Have you ever heard of the urban legend about the woman who wanted some new tiles for her kitchen? The legend goes that the woman not only got her new tiles, but a brand new kitchen, a gas leak and a $30,000 dollar debt as well. Such stories for some are actually not exaggerations but possibilities for homeowners who begin ideas for a kitchen renovation in their heads and never advance from there. A kitchen renovation for all intents and purposes is a change far from simply getting new wallpaper or a new dinette set. If you don’t want to think out the difference between renovation and redesigning you could always hire a professional. But if you balk at the costs of hiring one, then you have no choice but to get down to the nuts and bolts of what a proper kitchen renovation should accomplish.

If you simply want to change your tiles or your cabinets then you should summon a force of will to do just that, nothing more, nothing less. But if you happen to be among 6 out of 10 Americans who suddenly discover something far more serious than ugly furniture, please be reminded that you have been warned. Houses grow old and kitchens especially bear the wear and tear of being a major hub of family activity. It is but natural that at some point, the problem may be more than just leaky pipes or bad drainage.

Ideally, depending on the age and condition of your home, the ideal time for a kitchen renovation should be about a year and a half if it’s a brand new home. If it’s an old house, you may want to renovate immediately according to you specifications. Old homes in particular make it easier for planning a kitchen renovation because you get to spot the problems almost immediately. As in any endeavor that involves labor and expense, planning and organization are important components that should be written down, not stored in your head. It would be better if you take a larger approach to your kitchen renovation rather than doing it piece-meal. If you make a thorough assessment but could not afford all of it, you can do the more important renovations today and do the rest later. The important thing is that you’ve taken the trouble of understanding your kitchen as a whole unit which means that you are better equipped to handle problems that may come along the way.

The primary concern that prompts a kitchen renovation is when the size is clearly no longer working or it may have structural problems. Renovation of this kind may mean expansion or a change of lay-out. Either way, this is a major renovation and would need some expert help. Don’t worry about the extra expense because re-doing something you’ve done yourself is twice more expensive. Second major concern are kitchen components; not enough storage space? Outdated or worn out appliances, fixtures and cabinets? If you’re doing the whole bunch and have concerns about design elements, pick complementary ones from a single retailer so you can easily match them with the rest of the kitchen.

kitchen renovation plans

Nothing can help freshen up an older home, or help in the sale of a property or inspire your kitchen workspace like a new or remodeled kitchen. Kitchen design is becoming increasingly more important as space is rapidly growing smaller. Designing or remodeling your kitchen can be an incredibly exciting adventure but with it can come a lot of stress, and complication! Although there will always be some element of stress felt through a kitchen renovation it is possible to eliminate much of it with a solid plan. If a kitchen make-over is in your near future you should consider the following and make the best of this otherwise stressful period.

Build a Foundation

During the design process the most important question you can ask yourself is “Why do I want a new kitchen?” Is it because you are looking for more storage space? Is your space not being maximized? Does your cabinetry need to be replaced? Are your appliances in need of change as well? Is your kitchen too dark? Is your space too small or too big? Too Boring? Or simply, too much??!

By asking yourself these important questions you will have a much better idea of what you need to get out of your kitchen space. This information will become the foundation for your kitchen design plan.

Make a wish list

Once you have your “foundation” in place it is important to ask yourself a few more questions. Now that I know what I need, what is it I want? What you would like to have in your kitchen? Give this a lot of thought because design today can incorporate special storage and space savers into the cabinetry design today! Write a list of everything you couldn’t live without. This list will also become a very important guideline for you, your contractor, or designer to follow. Here are a few questions to paint an example for you:

Do you want stainless steel appliances? Granite counter tops? Tiled flooring? Is it heated? Gas or electric? What will your color palette be? What kind of cabinetry will you use? What can I not live without?

Budget

How much can you afford to spend on your kitchen space? This is a big question that can affect the entire project. Kitchen design projects are rarely inexpensive so you must get out and do some pricing on items that are necessary for you to fulfill your foundation and wish list. Beware that if you plan on replacing your cabinetry it will account for more than half of your budget!!

When building your kitchen design budget you also want to include the cost of all labor (electricians, carpenters, gas technicians, plumbers, contractors etc.) and then consider the possibility of hiring a designer.

You must stay within your budget when planning a new kitchen. Account for as much as possible and add on another 20% or more just incase. Unexpected costs arise all the time in kitchen renovations and the best way to overcome it is to create a great budget. Dreaming big is one thing, but placing importance on price and affordability will ensure that you get what you are expecting and save some money for unexpected emergencies.

Time Frame

It is also very important to know when your project needs to be completed. Kitchen projects are notorious for being drawn out. Set realistic goals. The remodeling and new construction industry is booming and this can have a direct affect on your project. Many crew are working on several projects at a time so be sure to communicate your completion date with your contractor and demand a realistic response. Labor is not cheap so the shorter the time frame the higher the cost. It is also helpful to plan for you and your family to prepare meals at an alternate location or account for dining out into your budget. Remember that being inconvenienced at home can also cost you more money at the end of the day.

Designers

Hiring a designer can really help you get onto the right path sooner. These professional consultants can take care of every aspect of the design process like choosing the appropriate layout for you and your home. Coordinating color & lighting that is appropriate. Making sure all your trades and contractors are working in unison and of course ensuring that your dream kitchen becomes a reality. Designers will sit with you and go through a detailed interview process to get the best idea of what you are looking for. Their objective is to design a plan and develop a kitchen that works best for you. Your designer will combine your foundation and wish lists and weigh the pros and cons to balance them against your needs, space limitations and budget. Your designer will put together all the planning, logistical needs and contractors for your project. They can be expensive but many kitchen and bath showrooms will have in house designers working for them. You can set up an appointment or walk in and speak with someone almost immediately. This service helps the supplier get your business and they will do everything for you, from measuring your space to arranging packages for you that suit any budget.

Designers are usually well worth it, but do your research and find a design consultant with a portfolio that really connects with your own personal style.