Kitchen Remodel Tips
Remodeling a kitchen is no easy task, and you can expect the whole thing to take a lot of time, effort, and money. Even at the best of times, it can take weeks or months to finish. If that isn’t stressful enough, there are many costly mistakes you don’t want to make which can skyrocket prices.
Since your kitchen is seen as the center of your home, it’s understandable that you want to make sure your kitchen looks perfect. It’s why so many people put themselves through this in hopes of making it everything you dreamed it would be.
To ensure success, you need to know homeowners’ common mistakes to avoid them. We want to share our advice on a Santa Barbara kitchen remodel. We hope to help with the complicated design of a kitchen and all the moving parts with this.
Of all the millions of kitchen remodel projects, some end up with the kitchen of their dreams. On the other hand, others make costly mistakes that leave their project taking much longer than it should. We will share the top remodeling secrets that you need to know about your kitchen remodel in Santa Barbara to ensure your project’s success.
1) Your Kitchen Remodel Should Consider Function Before Form
Style is usually what drives a kitchen design. People want to change their kitchen to make it look better, not necessarily improve function. You will need paint, kitchen equipment, backsplash, countertops, lighting, and ventilation.
All of these beautiful items can make your kitchen pop. But that shouldn’t be the only thing on your mind. The functionality will be more important than the attractive features in the long term.
Excellent kitchen design focuses on clear work zones. The stove, refrigerator, and prep counter should be nearby for food prep.
Sometimes homeowners design a kitchen with the refrigerator further away from the prep area than it should be. It might look great, but it will be very frustrating over time.
A range hood will do a much better job removing smoke and odor than the built-in ventilation or an over-the-range microwave. Lighting is also essential; it doesn’t cost much to add under cabinet lighting, and it’s necessary for food prep.
Of course, you’re doing a remodel to end up with your dream kitchen but don’t only focus on the aesthetics. You will be spending every day working there, so it needs to function well. If the designs aren’t functional, you will find that it creates more work for you when doing your everyday tasks.
Another common mistake during a kitchen remodel is not considering how your cupboards, refrigerator, microwave, and dishwasher open. You can still have a beautiful kitchen that works great for your needs.
2) Don’t Change Your Mind Once You Start The Kitchen Remodel
Changing your mind in the middle of a kitchen remodel is the biggest mistake. A remodel is already expensive, usually around $28,000. However, changing it up in the middle can cost extra to correct the things already there.
By now, materials are already ordered, and workers are already working. If you change your mind, it can be a massive setback. They need to make adjustments, send items back, and have workers redo things takes time. Changing your mind on tile, cabinets, fixtures, or countertops can cause issues.
To make changes, workers have to stop what they do while waiting for the contractor to solve these issues.
- Contractors to pay additional costs to re-order materials.
- Extra funds are needed to cover the difference in pricing between materials.
- Applicable restocking fees of the original material.
- Clear up labor and material delays that are holding up your project
3) Your Kitchen Remodel Needs to Including Enough Storage or Countertop Space
You can never have too much storage space in the kitchen, and there is always something to fill up between snacks, condiments, spices, and other ingredients.
A good design for your kitchen remodel contains adequate storage in the needed places.
Nobody has ever complained about too much storage. Experienced general contractors, like Toro Construction, can advise you on the design so you’ll have adequate storage for everything.
A common complaint about a kitchen is not enough counter space, so keep this in mind when planning your kitchen remodel.
You can’t work efficiently in a kitchen without space, and your general contractor should be able to share some ideas to help increase your countertop space for your kitchen remodel.
One way to extend your counter space is by adding decorative elements to the ends of your cabinets, such as corbels for shelving supports to create added room. Another idea to help with counter space that many Santa Barbara homeowners love is adding a peninsula or freestanding island.
4) A Kitchen Remodel Needs Sufficient Electrical Outlets
Almost everything in the kitchen needs power, including items that aren’t necessarily kitchen tools. Your KitchenAid, and your toaster, for sure, but don’t forget about your smart device that you need when cooking.
Maybe you need to watch your tablet to see your favorite chef explain the details of how to make a complex recipe. You just need to charge your phone, or your guests need to charge their phones.
All of those electrical appliances need outlets to plug them in. When working on remodeling, make sure you consider that.
Before your kitchen remodels, talk to your general contractor about ways to hide additional outlets within the island, backsplash, or in a drawer when you need another nearby socket.
Other concerns people have with outlets include placement to make sure they are spread out. Waterproofing is another issue since many things can short circuit wires in your kitchen.
5) Don’t Wait To Choose your Appliances
While you’re remodeling your kitchen, the last thing on your mind might be the new appliances. After all, those go in later and are the easiest to install. However, choosing your devices last in the design phase of your project can cause a lot of extra work.
You don’t want new appliances sitting around your house before installing them, but it’s essential to decide.
The size and specifications of your appliances are imperative and will play a role in how contractors design your kitchen. They have a direct effect on the size of the surrounding materials.
By choosing your everything first, it’s easier to design the cabinetry and countertop around it for a perfect fit instead of the other way around. While you don’t need to install them right away, getting information like the dimensions can help make things go smoother. Contractors work best when they have all the information.
6) Don’t do a kitchen remodel by yourself
If you’re an HGTV fan, you probably think it’s as easy as it looks on TV to renovate your home. Reality TV isn’t as accurate as you might think. If you think you can handle all of the work of remodeling. There’s a reason people spend tens of thousands of dollars to hire contractors.
Everyone seems very excited to get started on their kitchen remodel but be careful what you wish for. Doing some work yourself can cost more money and time than hiring someone else.
A fill renovation requires experience in plumbing and electrical engineering, and maybe even structural engineering. That’s not even mentioning all the legal requirements just to get approval. There is so much to plan for that can leave just one person’s head spinning.
While there is a lot you can do, it’s better to rely on a general contractor. A licensed professional knows how to plan and organize all of this. You can still help them out, but you shouldn’t shoulder everything yourself.
7) Be Smart About Your Spending
Your general contractor can advise you on any aspect of your kitchen remodel, including spending. However, you are the only one who knows your budget and has the final say. Make sure you know your budget before you get started.
When planning how to spend, you have to know how much everything costs, like your current home value and primary goals with the kitchen and remodel. All of this can help answer questions like settling needs vs. wants.
Contractors take cost-saving options that can still deliver a beautiful look. Like marble countertops and hardwood floors, some natural materials can be luxurious. However, they are costly and often susceptible to wear and tear. Instead of marble, consider low-maintenance quartz that offers entry-level lines that combine looks, durability, and a competitive price tag.
On the floor, consider porcelain tiles instead of hardwood, and they resemble the real thing and earn near-perfect scores on tests. The difference, though, is they cost less than $4 per square foot, which is half what you’ll pay for some solid hardwood floors.
Some items are difficult to change, while others are easier. Spend a little more on cabinets because of higher-end cabinets. These last long and are costly to replace, and light fixtures can return later.
Be sure your budget includes a way to pay for contingencies because it is inevitable that there will be some issues that require a little extra expense.
Kitchen Remodel Conclusion
A good kitchen remodels increases the value of your home and makes it warmer, inviting, and comfortable. A bad renovation can be stressful, costly, and time-consuming, and mistakes only worsen, so you should do everything you can to avoid errors during the kitchen remodel.
As a licensed Santa Barbara general contractor for over 20 years, Toro Construction can walk you through your entire project and provide a free estimate.
Santa Barbara Construction Services We Offer
- Kitchen Remodeling.
- Home Office
- Carpentry.
- General Construction.
- New Construction.
- Home Renovations.
- Home Remodeling.
- Retrofitting.
- Bathroom Remodeling.
- Design and Build.
- Framing.
- Sun Room.
- French Drains.
- Water Proofing.
- Doors & Windows.
- Architect and Design.
- Additions.
- Turn Key Construction.
- Finish Carpentry.
- Custom Cabinets.
- Custom Decks.
- Roofing & Repairs.
- Wood Floors.
- handyman Services.
- ADUs
- Structural Retrofitting.
- Plumbing.
- Painting.
- Staining.
- Electrical.
- Tile.
- Service and Repair.
WHY HIRE TONY TORO CONSTRUCTION OF SANTA BARBARA?
We value you as a customer and we’re grateful for you. We make communication and project planning easy. Our company is licensed and insured. With over 2 decades of experience, we can accomplish the most challenging tasks. We’ve done countless construction projects in Santa Barbara, Montecito, Goleta and surrounding area’s. We are detail oriented. We want you to be happy with our work. Our team is valued at Tony Toro Construction. We understand that treating employees and customers well is critical in the construction business.