Kitchen Renovations: Where To Start
Like most people, you may be feeling overwhelmed with the thought of taking on a kitchen renovation project.
I completely understand. A kitchen renovation is not as simple as buying a new pair of shoes or changing a light fixture. Making the decision to renovate your kitchen is no easy feat. There are so many things to consider, not to mention the stress it can cause. So many people contemplate if it’s worth doing the renovations themselves or if they would be better off hiring someone. You might be having this battle right now. If so, you are not alone.
For quite some time now, my parents have been playing this back and forth game with their kitchen.
What do they each want in their new kitchen? Do they want to change the layout or stick with the one they have? How much is it going to cost? Should they hire someone to do it or do they try to do it themselves?
They spent a lot of time contemplating these questions. Neither one knew what would work the best for both parties nor did they really know how to go about getting started. So I stepped in to offer my help and finally get them started on their kitchen renovations!
Here in today’s post, I am going to walk you through getting started on your own kitchen renovation project.
Time to bring out the hammer!
Where Do You Start?
If you’ve started watching HGTV for inspiration and guidance, chances are you are either more stressed out by the prospect of doing a renovation or you are thinking that it’s as easy as taking a walk in the park. One minute the client has a dated, horrible-looking kitchen, 3 commercials later and it’s this beautiful, and spacious kitchen that looks like it cost an arm, a leg, and a liver to get.
That being said, it is very much a possibility to do a kitchen renovation on your own and yes, it can still look just as beautiful as the ones on HGTV. How? Here are a few things for you to consider to get you started.
Planning What & How Much You Want To Renovate
This was one thing my parents seem to come to a quick consensus on, especially since they have been working with their kitchen for nearly 30 years!
Now, this is not about the exact things you want to change, this is about how much you want to change. Do you want to renovate the entire kitchen -everything must go, or are there specific areas that really are not working for anyone? Most people are contemplating the whole kitchen getting a face-lift, which is fine, but you might need to come back to this step if you find you cannot afford a complete remodel.
It might be worth it to think small first -minor changes and improvements. If it turns out that you can afford more then you can come back to this step and plan more changes.
Creating A Must-Have/Must-Change List
Let’s start dreaming!
Something that you may find super helpful during this step is each person writing out their own list and then coming together to discuss.
Honestly, this was a section that my parents got stuck on. They continued to have back and forth conversations about what they wanted to do but never came to a fully agreed-upon list of wants and needs. There were things that my Dad, who does the majority of the cooking, wanted and there were things that my much-organized Mother wanted. One person would get an idea about something they wanted, and more times than not the idea would get discarded because it wasn’t conducive to the other person’s wants or needs.
I mean this is all very typical of relationships, especially during renovations. I believe that both parents creating a separate list and then comparing the two ended up working out the best for them.
To get started on your own lists, you’ll need to determine what are your wants and what are your needs. Make two separate lists or sections for this exercise, so it’s clearer as to what areas you should be spending your money on.
I offer several templates-like ones for the above section and much more useful information in my Kitchen Renovations Workbook. Check it out!
Planning The New Layout/Design
To me, this is the fun part, but for most this can get frustrating. Trying to figure out how everything you both want and need is going to fit into the kitchen space you have will seem impossible.
It’s a simple enough task to do, but if you do find yourselves getting frustrated, see if there is a place that will design the space for free.
My parents ended up using 3 different places, counting me, to find their perfect layout and design. Lowes and Home Depot are popular places for this, especially since most of the materials you will be using will come from these stores. It is also worth mentioning, to check out a lumber company store. Some lumber companies may also offer you a discount if you use their materials.
Doing a kitchen renovation by yourself is a big decision to make, but it is something that you can definitely do! Once you know where to start-which now you do, it’s just a matter of taking those steps-like the ones I mentioned above, to get started
~MeganRelated Posts:
If you are dying to get started on your dream kitchen then consider getting my Kitchen Renovation Workbook. It will have everything you need to make your remodeling that much easier. It is super simple to follow and hardly time-consuming. Once completed, you’ll be able to use it as your guide and support throughout your entire project!
Subscribe below and get your FREE Kitchen Renovation Workbook!
I can’t wait to see how you use your workbook and the results of your kitchen remodel!
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