6 Things You’ll Wish You Knew Before Starting Your First Kitchen Remodel

Are you thinking about upgrading your kitchen, but feeling concerned about the process because you’ve never attempted a kitchen remodel before?

Here at RTA Wood Cabinets, we work with many homeowners on their first kitchen remodel, so we know the common patterns of renovation difficulties that come up again and again. Beyond the fundamentals of kitchen remodeling, there are also insights from seasoned kitchen renovation experts that you’ll wish you knew to incorporate into your remodeling plans.

In order to make sure you’re well-prepared for your first kitchen remodel, here are 6 things to consider:  

1. Remodeling Your Kitchen Might (or Might Not) Be Very Expensive

Statistics show that remodeling a kitchen can cost anywhere between $4000 to over $50,000 depending on how large your kitchen is, how many changes you make, and how luxurious you want your materials to be. The average cost is typically between $12,000 to $35,000.

A significant portion of a kitchen renovation budget typically goes toward new cabinets. This is especially true when you want high-quality cabinets that will last through all the heat and humidity fluctuations, the grease, and the food messes that generally happen in a kitchen.

However, it is possible to get high-quality cabinets at a more affordable rate when you buy ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinets that you put together yourself. Best of all, here at RTA Wood Cabinets, we make the DIY process super easy and straightforward!

2. Your First Concern with Countertops Should Be Practicality

Many homeowners dream of countertops made of luxurious stones, like marble or soapstone. As beautiful as marble countertops are, however they do unfortunately require a lot of maintenance. So, if you don’t have a lot of time to be spending on regular kitchen cleanup, you might want to choose a more practical alternative.

The good news is there are a variety of new countertop materials – like Quartzite – that will give you the look and feel of expensive masonry, but in a low-maintenance, lower-cost form.

3. Don’t Forget Small Details – Like Kitchen Vents and the Location of Your Electrical Outlets 

It’s easy to obsess over the big-investment aspects of a kitchen, like the new cabinetry and countertops, but don’t forget about the small details that will have a large impact.

For example, you want to make sure you plan for proper ventilation, otherwise your kitchen might easily fill up with smoke. Also, think carefully about the placement of your electrical outlets. If you’re going to use a coffee maker, a toaster oven, or an electrical mixer, you want to make sure you have outlets nearby where you need them.

4. You Can Save Money with Pre-Owned Appliances

Appliances are often one of the major expenses in a kitchen remodel. However, just as you can save money on your monthly auto bill by buying a used car, you can also save money by choosing pre-owned appliances.

Craigslist, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace might be options to find “gently used” appliances for a great price. You might also want to check out sites such as Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore or ApplianceXChange..

5. A Double Bowl Sink Can Make It Easier to Wash Up

A single-bowl sink might seem like the way to go in a small kitchen when you’re trying to save space, but a double-bowl sink might be more useful and worth the space it takes up.

With a double bowl sink it’s easier to separate dirty dishes from clean dishes. You can also easily wash your vegetables and rinse out glasses far away from a pile of dirty dishes. If you’re not someone who immediately rinses out a dish the second that you’re done with it, you might find yourself wishing for a double-bowl sink.

6. You Might only Need (and Want!) a Partial Kitchen Remodel 

If renovating your entire kitchen feels like an expensive and time-consuming hassle, maybe the problem is you’re planning a full-blown renovation when all you may need and/or want is just a few upgrades at a time.

Maybe all you need is a fresh coat of paint or a new tile backsplash or some updated appliances or a wall’s worth of new accent cabinets – sometimes just a few changes are all that’s necessary to make a big impact.

Are you ready to start making plans for your first kitchen remodel? Let our team help make sure you get a kitchen design that’s perfect for your home and preferred lifestyle. We offer a FREE design from one of our kitchen design experts. You can get yours by calling: 1-800-788-7575.