10 COMMON MISTAKES YOU MUST AVOID WHEN REMODELING YOUR KITCHEN
Even with professional contractors, there might still be mistakes during your kitchen remodeling. Therefore, you should pay special attention to these 10 mistakes most homeowners make during renovation.
1. Having an Unrealistic Budget
You can’t definitely choose the best materials without the money to realize them. Unrealistic budgeting leads to cutting corners which can mar your renovation project.
Just bear in mind that in North Vancouver or West Vancouver, you’ll be needing $25,000 and above for a complete kitchen renovation.
Then labor cost for contractors is usually below 35% of the entire project cost. There are always cheaper alternatives, but it is a question of quality.
2. Dismissing the Idea of Extra Cash for Unforeseen Events
After raising money to foot your budget, it is advisable to set aside about $5,000 to $7,000 for events unseen. If you don’t do this, you’ll likely choke on your renovation project.
This doesn’t imply that you have a poor budget. Instead it is a necessary thing to do to stay on the right side. This is in case if anything you don’t expect comes up; you won’t have to disrupt your budget.
3. Making No Tangible Plan on How to Cope During the Period of Renovation
For a complete kitchen renovation project, you won’t be using your kitchen until completion. So, make plans of how to feed until the 4 – 12 weeks of kitchen renovation elapses. Sometimes, you may need to leave your home for a while due to dust and other things that can affect your health. You must have a place in mind to go to. So, plan these out before going in for a renovation project.
4. Choosing a DIY Project Over an Experienced Contractor
This wouldn’t be a problem if you’re experienced on the field. If you know your way around plumbing, electrical fixtures, ductwork, and other technical works, then maybe you’re good to go.
If not, better get a contractor to help you out. The Vancouver Building By-law (VBBL) insists that you have permits for your project which only a professional contractor can obtain.
5. Poor Contractor Consideration
Don’t be too quick to choose a contractor due to appearance. Make sure to assess them properly before making your choice. A better experienced contractor works with your ideas and gives you the best suggestion to make it come alive.
6. Neglecting the Essence of Ventilation
With the heat generated in the kitchen, ventilation should be a top consideration for renovation. If you fail to give ventilation a due consideration, you may end up keeping in odor and smoke. A functional range hood and ductwork will eliminate any odor or smoke.
A good contractor would check ventilation because it’s a necessity. Some styles of range hood are under cabinet,island, wall-chimney, and down draft range hoods.
Ductless range hoods also exist however, may not be as effective as the one with duct.
7. Not Investing in Lights and Electrical Outlets
Lights bring out the beauty of your kitchen. They make you appreciate your kitchen the more. Also, with enough lighting, you can use your kitchen with ease. Low lights can affect your psyche, hence make plans to include enough light in your kitchen.
Provide also enough outlets for your electrical appliances. Consider upgrading your electrical panel before introducing extra outlets.
8. Overlooking the Importance of Extra Storage
You need as much storage space as possible in your kitchen. This will help you to declutter your kitchen and make it look tidy. Extra storage at any point in your kitchen will help you a lot. Don’t forget that you have so many items you’ll need to store. For example, your utensils, small appliances, cleaning equipment, cookware, linens, etc.
9. Making Wrong Kitchen Material Choices
The materials you use in your kitchen should be reflection of the activities going on in the kitchen. Choosing cheap inferior materials where heavy cooking is done, then you’ll be renovating anytime soon.
Also, choose materials according to the equipment you prefer using. For example, cast iron cook pans wouldn’t go well with laminate countertops or other inferior materials. The result is quick deterioration of the materials.
Another important consideration is maintenance requirements. If you don’t have much time on maintenance, go for materials with easy maintenance requirements. For instance, quartz is easier to maintain than marble. Meanwhile, both have high end appearance.
10. Not Planning Your Kitchen’s Workflow Adequately
If you face any difficulties using your kitchen, then you likely have poor workflow planning. A professional kitchen designer before construction would prevent this. Your workflow revolves around your cooktop, sink, and refrigerator forming a “work triangle”. The 3 elements are usually 4 – 9 feet apart in a good workflow design.