Are you tired of looking at your plain and old kitchen walls? Are the fixture and furniture designs starting to fade and lose their attraction? Is your countertop already stained and showing signs of damage? Well, this is not just a case that a simple tear-out can solve. Instead, what you need if you find yourself in this situation is a complete kitchen redesign.
Renovating your kitchen may be among the major projects you’ll be working on in your lifetime. It might even be one of the most fulfilling ones yet. As the heart of the home, it is vital that you focus on its details, too. When you do, you will not only end up having a beautiful and cozy kitchen space but also a home with a high market value.
However, it is also true that renovating for the first time can be overwhelmingly scary. It is a big project, after all. That is why before diving in, you have to know a few things beforehand, and having a list of things to expect during the revamp can be your starting point. Listed below are what you can expect to help you better plan (and survive) your kitchen renovation.
1. Working with the Experts
You should know firsthand that redesigning the kitchen is not something that the unprofessional can handle well. Expect that the job will be a bit messy with all the materials, noisy from the equipment used, and even dusty from the demolition. That’s why, unless you’re an expert yourself, working together with remodeling professionals is more advisable.
Aside from handling the “dirty” work, they can also help you be in the trend. Take, for example, the benchtops. The trend among most homeowners nowadays is to have them made from concrete. If you want to apply this to your kitchen, you definitely need experts to do the job.
Among the most trusted companies with reliable benchtop architectural professionals is Concrete Society. With their team of professionals, you can ensure that your project will be taken to a whole different level.
2. Preparing the Equipment
It is important that all the equipment, tools, and other essential materials to be used are already ready and complete. Unfortunately, as the project goes on, most people get stressed and tend to forget to buy the hardware that ran out. Sometimes even, they will not have enough time to pick them out because of their busy schedules.
It will definitely slow down the whole project when this happens, and you wouldn’t want that to happen to you. That’s why it is essential that before the project starts, try to sit down and talk with your designer and contractor. This way, you can have a rough sketch of what the kitchen is going to look like and what and how many of the materials are needed.
Once you get this information, you can then order them in your trusted hardware stores. When buying, though, it’s good to have an extra of the materials because you’ll never know when they’d run out.
3. No Kitchen For Some Time
When the renovation starts, a lot of things take place. Appliances, cabinets, and other furniture are moved, noises from the hammering of nails, sawing of wood, and scratching of sanders are heard everywhere, and the likes. In short, everything in your kitchen gets messy — from the kitchen walls down to the floor. So you might have to be without a functioning kitchen for a while.
In this case, finding a temporary kitchen space in other areas of your home is the best thing to do. Just make sure that you can place your refrigerator and set up a portable stove you can use to cook. On the one hand, you might also find a spare microwave convenient. Having a place in your home to eat is significant, especially in this situation. Meanwhile, it can also be good if you have nearby friends who can allow you to cook in their kitchen occasionally.
4. Anticipating for Delays
While you may have hired the best contractors to work on your project, you still have to expect that there will be days of no progress. This could be because of delays in your item orders, people getting sick, or maybe the car breaking down. Sometimes, you might even change your mind about a particular design, and while this is rare, it does happen in some households.
When delays happen, try not to put too much of your energy and attention into it. Instead, try to be more productive by focusing on your work, checking out other areas in your home, or giving yourself some time to rest.
When you do, you can lessen the stress of the situation, and you won’t have to worry too much. Then, when the needed equipment and people have finally arrived, you’ll have renewed energy, and the project continues.
5. There Will Be Extra Costs
Aside from the delays, unexpected things might also come up during the renovation. You will not know how or when, but it is highly likely that you might see something you didn’t plan. For example, maybe somewhere between the project, you decide that it’s best to stay at a hotel for a while because the dust from the renovation is not good for your health. Or buy paper plates and disposable utensils to avoid ending up washing in the bathroom sink.
In such cases, you might have to spend a little more money. Unfortunately, some people do not anticipate this, and they end up delaying the project for a long time because they did not have an extra dollar to spend in emergency cases. So to avoid getting yourself surprised in the end, it is best that you set aside a little extra of everything, from the materials to your budget, and keep track of overruns.
Takeaway
The kitchen is the place where the family usually gathers around and bonds. Its walls have witnessed waves of laughter spent and stories told; that’s why it is also called the “heart of the home.” When you decide to renovate it, there are many things to prepare, and by knowing what to expect during the renovation, you’d surely survive the entire duration of the project.
