Think about the room’s existing space and your budget when planning your kitchen remodeling project. Your kitchen should be a reflection of your lifestyle and taste. It should as well accommodate your cooking needs, and provide the type of space that is conducive for preparing and storing for a holiday meal such as Thanksgiving or Christmas. The decor should complement the house’s architecture and sets the overall mood for the gatherings that happen there. A lot of factors play into the design of your new kitchen, but the first step should be choosing your appliances and then to a showroom floor for cabinets. Start by reflecting on why your remodeling and what your family needs to get out of the new space. A kitchen remodel is not an easy task so really ask yourself the hard questions. When we asked Jonathon Mitchell owner of Mitchell Construction in Menifee, CA he said these are the first things to take into consideration:
- Size of Space
- Sunlight
- The kitchen’s connection to adjacent rooms
- Lifestyle
- Budget
- Condition of Home
- Infrastructure
- Infrastructure
Depending on the age of your kitchen, you might confront electrical or plumbing concerns as you remodel. Work with an architect-engineer team to ensure that the “guts” of your kitchen can accommodate the technology (appliances, lighting, etc.) you will install. “In an older house, you may find yourself with drooping floors that need to be updated or crooked walls that need to be straightened out,” Mitchell says, pointing to a couple of budget busters that many homeowners do not plan for. “Keep an open mind at the start of the process,” he continues. “Understand your needs, but recognize the variables that a builder might need to deal with during the building process.”
Lifestyle
How will you use the kitchen? What type of cook are you? How do you entertain? Jonathon likes to keep the conversation general when first identifying kitchen likes/dislikes, “identifying the underlying problems rather than solutions, and wishes rather than details,” she says. “This is because the architectural design will evolve as all acute variables are considered, and targeting onto a specific feature or function at the start may solve one problem but preclude a better design that solves five other problems.”For example, choosing professional appliances that take up 80 percent of the space may not allow enough room for cabinetry storage or area to expand a window to let more light into the kitchen.
Budget
The fastest way to go over your budget is to change your mind on materials and finishes. Decide where to save and where to splurge. Set a realistic budget, figuring between 6 and 10 percent of your home value for a complete kitchen remodel. Jonathon Mitchell says his clients that spend about 10 percent of their overall home value realize a return on their investment at resale. Call Mitchell Construction to help you decide where to spend your budget.
