Is a kitchen remodel on the horizon? If you’ve been catching yourself dreaming of an update the heart of your home (which may or may not be screaming late 90s/early 2000s), we’ve put together a list of things to consider before a kitchen remodel goes into play.
We gathered our team to discuss common factors that we encourage our clients to consider before taking the renovation plunge. Not that we don’t think it’s a great idea (we’re in that business after all), but just that things will go a whole lot smoother once you have a clear direction in place.
Novero’s List of Things to Consider Before a Kitchen Remodel
BUDGET
This is by far the MOST important thing to consider. There are many factors that come to play here but at the end of the day your budget needs to be your budget. There are also underlying costs that are unforeseen that we won’t know about until we open up walls and demolition takes place, so we suggest to our clients to have a 10-12% contingency fund of the total cost of the project put aside for the ‘what ifs’. It’s best to be prepared and if you don’t need it – all the better!
LAYOUT
Speaking of budget, do you want to keep the existing layout? Or add/remove walls? That will significantly affect the cost (relocating plumbing, electrical and such can vastly change the budget). If the walls are load bearing, permits may be required depending on the structural work being done (which can make another hit to your budget). Something important to consider for condo owners–are strata approvals necessary?
DESIGN
If you’ve been dreaming of a kitchen remodel for a while, it’s probably safe to say that you have a specific look/style in mind. With the powers of Pinterest and Instagram, we have access to amazing inspiration. Interior design is best left to a professional, which is why we have an in-house designer at Novero. To ensure you get exactly what you wanted (and more), our Design Team works closely with our clients to decide on everything from plumbing fixtures and paint colours to cabinetry profiles, etc. We also start by asking our clients, how they want their kitchen to function, because functionality is important and often missed without the help of a professional designer to help you see the bigger picture.
CUSTOM CABINETRY
While renovating, you’re putting in all of your effort to create a space that reflects your style and personality while still being a fully functioning space. The importance of custom cabinetry can often go unrecognized. So why should home owners consider going with a custom cabinet maker rather than buy “off the shelf” stock cabinetry? It offers you complete flexibility in project design as well as works around sizing constraints which many kitchens and bathrooms can face during renovations. Read more about it here.
APPLIANCES
When considering a kitchen remodel, appliances can eat up to 15-20% of your budget. A good thing to do, is really research brands/makes/models prior to your renovation beginning so you aren’t finding yourself scrambling at the last minute and potentially not getting something that you want.
LIGHTING
You can put forth the effort to completely re-haul your kitchen, but if the lighting is inadequate, all that hard work can fall short of fantastic–a real bummer. For this reason, we like to remind homeowners the importance of lighting when considering a kitchen remodel. Is there a lot of existing natural light? Great! But what about in the evening?
Also, there are layeres of light that make that overall wow factor. Pot lights, puck lights, under cabinet lighting, dimmers, drawer lighting, pendants over an island, chandelier over the dining table… you get our point. But don’t worry, at Novero we won’t leave you hanging by yourself with all these decisions. Our team will be happy to help you every step along the way.
DURATION
This is a huge factor to consider before a kitchen remodel. For those who have never been part of a renovation before, it’s always a bit of sticker shock when it comes to the timeline. But when you think about all the moving pieces (design process, product/material selection and ordering, labor, etc) you can start to understand.
Depending on the scale of the renovation, it can take anywhere from 2-3 months. There are several weeks of planning that go into a kitchen renovation before it even starts, and we typically recommend 4-6 weeks to work with us on the labor and design as well as getting products on order to make sure we are all ready to go for the start of the project.
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What to learn more about our kitchen renovation process? Don’t hesitate to reach out.