12 Checklists Before Kitchen Renovation And Remodeling

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12 checklists before kitchen renovation

A kitchen renovation is an exhilarating mission. But before selecting the latest kitchen cabinets or floor tile’s design, consider a checklist of tasks and agendas. Since kitchen renovation is timely, expensive and overwhelming, bids by pros mission is to provide ease and steady step-by-step planning to make this renovating task as fun as possible.

1. Designing and consulting

The main stage to start after planning a renovation is consultation. Unless you fully are qualified to plan the estimate and design every angel considering zoning and permits, the first stage is consulting a qualified designer and contractor to increase your awareness for how extensive the project is going to be.

After the consultation, with the obtained knowledge from the interior designer and skilled contractor, the homeowner can decide the work sequence, time frame and budget to provide for the extend of the kitchen renovation project.

2. Work staging and sequence

The first stage after the detailed consultation, before assigning the time frame or budget is work sequence and stages required for kitchen renovation. Record every step from start to finish, including all the unpredictable “problem stages”. The “problem stages” are the tasks that are unseen until removing walls, tiles and cabinets. Problems include molds; leak, insulation and many related unseen problems that cannot be addressed until the start of the remodeling. As a homeowner, provide a space in your work sequence log for “problem stages” to estimate the time and budget as best as possible.

3. Setting and estimated time frame

One of the worst experiences which homeowners experience when deciding to remodel part of their house or their entire house is the time period, which the house is under construction.The decision to remodel is so exciting and or necessary that the homeowners forget the time frame. Not knowing of the length of the time a renovation project requires is creating difficulty specially when the homeowners are residing within the house while it is renovated. The best way to estimate the time any home renovation project requires is to know every stage the task needs before completion. Estimating the length of time the kitchen renovation requires is based on the work sequence predicted in the second checklist.

When being aware of the length of project time, as a homeowner, you can plan accordingly to provide whatever is needed during the renovation period and your lack of access to the most important facility of any house, the kitchen.

4. Set a higher budget
Another important stage to plan is the budget that covers the cost and expenses of the kitchen renovation project. Many homeowners make mistake by going through the project without considering every detail of expenses. They get disappointed when confronted with the highly priced invoice. Again the best way to obtain a detail expenses is to know every stage of the project even hidden costs. For that consulting either with a professional interior designer or directly with the contractor is the must.

I suggest even after consulting and going through every detail of the stage for costs, add an extra budget for unpredictable costs. Setting that aside as insurance, will make every stage less stressed and if this extra budget is not needed at the end, consider it as a big saving.

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5. Predict unpredictable
You already have mastered this stage if gone through previous checklists. A perfect plan to renovate and remodel your kitchen is to hire a qualified professional contractor with full knowledge of the kitchen requirement. By hiring a professional, you assure your project to go smoothly from start to finish and get the result expected. Skilled contractor follows every plan and detail assigned from the interior designer. The extent of the kitchen renovation determines the depth of hidden problematic repairs popping up during the project.

To predict these unpredictable problems consider what your kitchen is built upon. Some unforeseen troubles are structural deficiencies in the floor framing, improper vented plumbing, electrical issues and fixtures, old pipes leaking causing mold, ventilation of the kitchen air including insulation and the not to forget safety issues.

6. Sizing and measurement based on design

Many contractors and designers rely on your skills as homeowners specially when you are involved in every decision making of the project. You as a home owner might take control over ordering new supplies such as cabinets, counter granite, kitchen sink size, amount of tiles needed for walls and floors and even ordering proper size appliances.

Every inch in measurement and proper sizing matters since if it is a wrong size, delays and expenses occur.

Hiring a professional contractor or interior designer?
Need to hire a professional and qualified contractor or interior designer?

Bids By Pros is a free social community to help community members connect to local service professionals by posting their needs in bidsbypros.com project format. To get the best recommendation, share your perfectly framed project format with friends via social media and let them refer the best service pro they know.

7. Extending storage and cabinets
Other than making your kitchen look more up to date and refreshing based on your choice of design, another reason for remodel and renovation of the kitchen is extension of storage and creating more space.

A kitchen designer can help homeowners to expand the kitchen space and create more practical storage spaces. With a perfect design and planning the remodeled kitchen accommodates more cabinets and bigger appliances with up to date design based on our liking.

8. Designs for walls and flooring tiles
When making decision what tiles to choose for floor and walls of your kitchen, other than considering the color theme of the design you prefer, choose proper water-proof tiles that extend the life of your kitchen. This simple decision can increase the home value.

If hiring a designer to coordinate your preferred choice of design, always choose the professional one that has connection in purchasing high quality items with better prices. Most of interior designers work in team hand in hand with contractors and suppliers and can arrange the best pricing possible to save on your budget.

A good select of interior designer will also help the home owners with zoning laws in their district and having a good networking in the city municipality to speed up the permits time frame. Some homeowners ignore the fact that hiring a good interior designer and great architect can save the cost of their project and speed things up.

9. Lighting and fixtures considering safety
A kitchen can be downright dangerous and unworkable without sufficient lighting, so plan for electrical changes and lighting fixtures that are efficient. The lighting fixtures in the kitchen must create the perfect atmosphere you desire in the kitchen relevant to your planned design. The bulbs used in the kitchen should also pass safety measures according to health and safety department. Many restaurant use specific Food and safety approved lighting fixtures and bulb. The reason behind this control of safety is that regular bulb and light fixtures that are not approved by food and health safety department can burst and cause unsafe environment. But this regulation is only for food facilities that serve food to public. I argue why not use a safe and approved lighting system for our own house.

10. Accessories

Although it might sound not important in the big picture of kitchen remodeling and renovation,   but the project is not complete without proper accessories.
Purchasing the accessories is based on the design selection and the theme of the remodeled kitchen. Hand towel, cabinet’s nubs, oven mitts, bread holder, flower vase and arts placed around the kitchen are simple examples of how any accessories can improve the theme of your kitchen design.

11. Heat ventilation, considering proper air circulation

Kitchen is the hottest part of your house because of many appliances condensed in one area. Other than the heat the oven and ranger can produce while cooking, proper ventilation must consider the heat produced from fridge, microwave, dishwasher and maybe extra accessories such as wine seller, toaster and electrical air convection oven. Many designers plan for extra ventilation system other than the hood system above the ranger based on the other appliances performance in the kitchen.

Is your planning earth-friendly?

Some homeowners don’t care about earth-friendly designs and are careless about going green. But the market is trending toward going green and earth-friendly designs. The biggest reason the homeowners tend to avoid going green is the misconception that it is more costly. I called it a misconception since with the market trending toward earth friendly design and going green, the appliances, tiles, flooring, light fixtures and all water system are now can be replaced with even lower cost than a traditional materials and most of all many cities offer credit in taxes to encourage going green.

12. Final stage, cleaning

Last and final stage of kitchen renovation checklist is cleaning up after the project is finished. This stage should include cleaning of all cabinetry inside and out, thorough cleaning and sterilizing all new appliances, all new light fixtures, windows and edges, walls and floors.

Many professional contractors have cleaning companies under their contract and offer final stage cleaning as part of their service. It is the homeowner’s responsibility to consider every work sequence after a detailed consultation with designer so this most overlooked checklist is not forgotten.

If the cleaning stage of the kitchen renovation is not part of the contract with the hired contractor, locate the best and the most professional quality cleaning company by posting your need of a cleaning company in bids by pros project format. The best recommendation and referrals come from your trusted network of friends. So share your project format in many social media network easily accessed in your project page.

Don Z

www.bidsbypros.com