Your kitchen remodel should not be an overwhelming experience. Although, many times, home owners dive into this situation without any forethought. Doing so, could lead to less than stellar results.

If you take a little extra time to plan ahead, you will save yourself a headache in the long run.

Let’s take a look at the simple strategies for planning your kitchen remodel:

1. Consult With A Professional

First and foremost, don’t try to tackle a kitchen remodel by yourself. That is how people end up in trouble and end up spending more than they have planned into their budget.

Contact an experienced designer, who can guide you throughout the entire remodeling process. You will be able to discuss your budget as well as your vision for your new space. From that point, you will be able to choose the various elements that will go into creating the kitchen of your dreams, without overspending.

2. Consider Your Floor Plan

It is always a good idea to keep your kitchen in a work triangle floor plan. This is where the stove, sink and refrigerator are placed in a triangle formation to make cooking more efficient. It is not recommended to veer away from this traditional concept because it will interfere with your productivity when preparing meals.

If your current layout does not follow the work triangle, then be sure to budget in the extra expense of moving your appliances and possible gas lines or plumbing.

3. Determine Your Appliances

Once your budget is determined, you can move forward to choosing your appliances.

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that all of the appliances should match in color and brand. For example, you should avoid having a mixture of finishes, such as traditional stainless and black stainless or white with black. It doesn’t flow and will not give your kitchen the continuity that creates a cohesive appearance.

You should also factor in the cost and the size of the appliances. If you decide to go with an extra large cooktop, you will lose counter and cabinet space. You will need to determine if it is worth the sacrifice of space as well as the extra expense of a larger appliance.

4. Assess Your Current Lighting

When you are currently preparing meals, do you find that it is difficult to see what you are doing? If so, you may want to consider adding a task light above your counter to brighten things up.

Another great alternative, is to add can lights around the perimeter of the kitchen. They make excellent accent lights and can really brighten up your space.

You should also take into consideration the natural lighting of your kitchen. Do you have enough light in the daytime or would it look better with a larger window or sliding door? If your budget allows, you may want to think about adding new kitchen windows to create a brighter and more open feel.

5. Staying Within Your Budget

Once you start looking at all of the options that are available, you can easily go over budget if you aren’t careful. Try to cut corners where you can. For instance, you may not be able to afford all new cabinets, but this article suggests that you can alternatively have your existing cabinet fronts professionally painted for much less.

Conclusion

Now that you have some tools to prepare you for your new kitchen, start thinking about your vision of how you want it to look.

It is evident that taking time to pre-plan your your kitchen remodel job will make the process flow much smoother and you will be able to enjoy your new space before you know it.

For further reading, check out: The Biggest Design Mistakes People Make and Handy Tips For Remodeling Your Kitchen.