7 Tips for Kitchen Remodeling
The kitchen is often called the heart of the home. As the hardest working room in a home, it’s understandable that a kitchen remodel is one of the most common remodeling projects homeowners undertake. People spend a lot of time in their kitchen. They want it to function well and look attractive. And, a kitchen remodel can be a smart investment. An updated, renovated kitchen adds to the value of a home.
Kitchen Remodeling Tips
Because of the importance to your home, and the complexity of the job, a kitchen remodel may not be well-suited for amateurs. It makes sense to consult an architect, a designer or a kitchen contractor before undertaking such a project.
Smart tips for kitchen remodeling:
1. Keep in mind your home’s architectural style. An Asian-inspired kitchen would look out of place in a country farmhouse.
2. What items are ‘must haves’ in your new kitchen? Do you want the latest in appliances or accessories? Or, do you want high-quality cabinets? Or both?
3. How much do you want to spend? Kitchen makeovers can range from a new coat of paint and new appliances, to gutting your kitchen and starting from scratch. Your budget will likely dictate the extent of your project. Set a budget and plan for cost overruns. Have a clear understanding of anticipated costs and know that most remodeling projects go over budget.
4. Don’t forget about lighting. A kitchen needs good overall lighting as well as task lighting. The single overhead fixture in the middle of the ceiling doesn’t cut it in today’s modern kitchen design.
5. Think outside the box, or in this case, the triangle when it comes to designing your project. Although the traditional work triangle has dictated kitchen design for years, the functionality of your new kitchen should be designed around your lifestyle.
6. Inject your personality into your kitchen, but not in a big way. You want something you can live with over time, and that will appeal to potential future homebuyers. You may want to go crazy with accessories and make more reasonable choices for the big-ticket items.
7. Set up a temporary, auxiliary kitchen. Yours is going to be out of commission for a while, but you don’t want to be eating out three meals a day. It’s hard on your wallet and your waistline.
For additional tips, download the FREE kitchen remodeling workbook.
Taking the next step
With visions of a new kitchen swirling in your head, you might be thinking about the next step — how to pay for this dream kitchen remodel. If you haven’t saved up the cash for your gourmand makeover, you might consider using available equity you may already have in your home. It can be a smart use of home equity to reinvest it back into your home.
A home refinance loan or home equity loan could give you access to available home equity and the cash you need, and the interest you pay may be tax deductible — check with your tax advisor. As one of the largest home mortgage lenders in the nation, Countrywide has a wide range of loan options. Call our loan experts today at 1-866-436-0620 for a free, no-obligation loan consultation.
