There is a saying in the real estate industry:
Kitchens sell homes.
But in fact, because of low housing inventory, many people are deciding to remodel instead of selling.
In addition, according to the Zillow Housing Aspirations Report, 76 percent of Americans surveyed would prefer to upgrade their home to meet their needs – especially their kitchen. From a financial standpoint, the best (and smartest) kind of kitchen remodel is one that you can enjoy yourself for a few years before selling.
Here are some basic steps to take as you plan a new kitchen.
Form vs. Function…Function First
Few other rooms in the house have as much functional value as the kitchen. And the reasons we choose to remodel a kitchen are often rooted in functional issues with the current kitchen – the corner you always bump your hip on, the pot or pan you can never reach, the cabinet door or drawer that slams shut.
Cabinets of the Desert has resources on our website to help with this first stage of a kitchen remodel:
- General Kitchen Remodel Overview: Covers broad categories to consider like cabinetry, counter tops, flooring, and appliances.
- Kitchen Remodeling Checklist: Answer these functional questions to decide what practical concerns have to be addressed and what your wish list for your ideal kitchen would include.
- Kitchen Design Principles: Need some more technical specifications? This page has key measurements.
Financial Framework – Set a Budget
Now that you know what your priorities are in your kitchen remodel, and what would be nice to have, create an initial budget. The cost of a kitchen remodel depends on the size of the space, the quality of the materials, and whether you change the layout of the room.
According to Home Advisor, a good rule of thumb is to spend between 10 and 15% of your home value on your kitchen renovation. Some additional steps to take to get a more accurate budget include researching materials and working with a Professional Designer.
Do Some Research
This is the fun part – visit sites like Pinterest and Houzz to find out what materials and options are available and how much they cost. This way you can balance costs across categories. For example, if you really want custom cabinetry, invest your money there, but choose a less expensive flooring or counter top option.
Bring in a Pro
An experienced kitchen designer can save you time and money by heading off potential problems. Kitchen planners know all the tricks: how to maximize storage, smart substitutions for high-end materials, even the best local sources for your job.
But where kitchen designers really excel is their space-planning expertise. At Cabinets of the Desert, we schedule an interview in your kitchen with our Master Certified Kitchen Designer to get an idea how you actually use the space and what is and isn’t working.
Some homeowners avoid kitchen designers out of a desire to save money, but a few hours with a kitchen designer can spell the difference between a purely cosmetic makeover and making actual functional improvements to the space you use in your home every day.
Inspiration
Cabinets of the Desert has the products to make your functional kitchen a beautiful kitchen too – visit our showroom to view Color Boards created in partnership with local tile and flooring manufacturers. These boards show designer chosen match ups of our cabinetry, plus suggested countertop, backsplash, and flooring finishes.
The Color Board at left features Bellmont Cabinet Co.’s Tivoli Contemporary version of a classic Shaker door style in Griege, and partner Arizona Tile’s Cementine Retro 1, Digitalart Denim, and Aequa Cirrus Hex.