The kitchen is the lifeline of a house that’s accessed by every family member. Remodeling a kitchen is one of the most significant tasks because it redefines your lifestyle. Also, kitchen renovation tends to increase the value of your house drastically. And now that you’re already on this blog, we’re sure you’ve thought of these reasons and many more which have made you decide to renovate your kitchen.

So have you started collecting pictures of inspiring kitchen designs already? Or are you still struggling between your dream kitchen and budget? Well, we know how brain-wrecking it can be. But do not worry! Today, we’re going to take you through an elaborate step-wise guide that will help you crack open the perfect kitchen remodel plan this year.

Evaluate your need

This step is about evaluating your needs depending on how you use your kitchen and your household lifestyle. Do not open up the box of your wants at this step; stick to evaluating only your needs. You should factor in the number of people who will cook or gather there, and how they’ll move around in the new kitchen layout. Consider if you need an addition in the existing kitchen footprint. At this step, you can search for kitchen photos on the internet and save those that suit your lifestyle.

Research & set your budget

Before you move on to finalize your design, it’s important to set your budget. At this stage, you should be able to determine the scope of work and a preliminary budget accordingly. This might require some research to figure out the cost of the items you need. You can visit the kitchen/home showrooms, or might as well have a look at the neighbor’s layout for a realistic plan.

This budget is subject to alterations later because renovation projects often end up consuming more time & money. Thus, when you’re defining your budget, you should add 10-20% for unplanned expenditure. This preliminary budget gives you a perspective and makes sure that the project does not come across as a shock later.

Sketch a schematic design

This step includes space planning, sketches, preliminary floor plans, and determining cabinet sizes and layout. Use your existing kitchen to identify priorities for the new plan. Remember that the kitchen is supposed to be functional and practical. A good contractor can assist you here by making sure that your plan is safe and sound. He can provide you with practical figures about spacing, countertop size, etc. For instance, there should be at least 30-48 inches of open space around fixtures, especially for swinging appliances like refrigerators.

Find the professionals for your project

Once the schematic design is final, you need to get the ballpark estimates to find out if you’re on the right track. Unless you’re planning to build cabinets and do plumbing yourself, you are going to need the help of professionals. Some people start by hiring architects and designers. Others simply prefer to work on their own with builders or contractors. You can also find specialized professionals who take care of everything, including contracts, planning, budgeting, choosing fixtures, etc.

You should start interviewing contractors; you can discuss your expectations and the scope of work to get an estimate of the cost.

Financing

We understand how expensive such renovation projects can be. It’s hard to spare that amount from savings. Thus, financing turns out to be the best option. While you’re shortlisting your contractor, you can take into consideration those who provide financing options as well. This way, you will not have to hustle between the banks and retailers. However, we recommend you to consider other options as well to make your project not just convenient but cost-effective.

We hope this read will help you map out your perfect renovation plan. Now that you’re ready with the plan, it’s time to put it to action and make your dream kitchen plan a reality. We have many contractors on board who have built their customers a dream kitchen at the convenience of easy finance options.

Are you a contractor too? We understand how hard it’s to struggle with both work and financing for customers. That’s why we’re here to help you finance your customers while you go and simply knockout your core tasks. Sign up now for all the details.