The ideal kitchen is a perfect blend of purpose, functionality, and style. Although a well-thought-out kitchen remodel project adds value to your home, transforming your existing kitchen into your ideal kitchen calls for prudent planning and design. The key to a successful kitchen remodel is to identify your vision and ensure its meets your budget.

Remember, big decisions like choosing the kitchen layout, cabinet finish, and materials are important but do not forget the smaller details because it is the small details that can make or break your kitchen remodel.

Here are a few factors that can make or break your kitchen remodel project:

A Good Kitchen Remodel Budget

Make a Budget and Stick to It

The most important step of a kitchen remodel project is to figure out your budget. Once you have set a budget, make sure to stick to it. Here are certain things you need to keep in mind while setting your kitchen remodel budget.

Affordability

The first thing you need to keep in mind is how much you can afford to spend. Take a look at your finances to assess how much you can assign to the kitchen remodel project.

How Long Will You Stay In the House?

The second thing you need to see is how long you plan to stay in the house. If you are planning to shift to a new home soon, there is no point in assigning a humungous budget to the kitchen remodel. However, if you are seeking a good resale value for the house, it is better to upgrade your kitchen accordingly.

Neighborhood

Before coming up with a remodel budget, survey your neighborhood, especially if you are remodeling to increase your house value.  If you live in a modest neighborhood, upgrading your kitchen will not add much value to the house; however, if the neighborhood is upscale, you will need to upgrade your kitchen accordingly so that it justifies the value you are seeking.

Breakdown Of Cost

Break down your tasks and assign a budget to each, so that you can reassess your tasks if the budget exceeds. The best way to do this is to make a list of the work that needs to be done, what you need to buy, and the professional help you need to hire. Then, you can do a market survey and check the costs for all these. A good way to do this is to assign percentages to your tasks e.g.: 20% of your budget to labor, 30% to cabinets, 20% to appliances, and so on.

Make a List of Renovation Priorities

Your budget should include a list of all the things that you are planning to change or renovate. This will help you assign a budget to everything and give you a fair idea of how much you are going to spend. In case the budget is more than you can afford, you can remove or delay some tasks and address them later.

Try to Do The Small Work Yourself

One of the most important costs in kitchen remodeling is the cost of labor, which usually takes up to 20- 30 % of the total budget. This cost can be reduced by dedicating bigger tasks to experts and doing the smaller ones yourself.

Set Out a Percentage For Unexpected Expenses

Renovations are full of surprises! Be prepared for your actual cost to exceed the budgeted cost. It’s a good idea to set aside a certain percentage for unexpected expenses.

Avoid Adding Extra Tasks In The End

When winding up the renovation project, you may often get tempted to add extras to the kitchen remodeling. It is best to resist these temptations because budgets often get blown by last-minute changes.

Survey Designs

Market research gives a vision and purpose to your kitchen remodeling project and direction to your scattered ideas. By going through magazines and online shops, you will know what is trending and once you have a fair idea of what you want, you can conduct a survey of the prices and see that it matches your budget.

Hire Experts

If your budget allows, it’s always a good idea to let a professional designer help you design your kitchen remodel. Kitchen experts have the talent and expertise to give your kitchen the design and functionality that you have envisioned. A good designer can help you choose the right mix of colors, design, and lighting to bring out the best value for your kitchen. Along with the layout of the kitchen and appliance placement, a designer can help you with the following:

Hardware Choice

Choosing the right hardware greatly contributes to your kitchen’s overall design and space management. For example, only a kitchen expert will know the right shape, size, and finish of cabinet pulls,  brackets, and knobs that go perfectly with your kitchen design.

Overall Color Combination

Colors have the power to make a kitchen look bigger, cleaner, and classier. This includes the paint of the kitchen wall, the cabinets’ colors, and the color of the grouts. A kitchen expert will always consider the area you are working in, the size of the kitchen, and the material used in the counters, floor, and cabinets.

Size of Cabinets and Appliances

The size of cabinets and appliances plays a major role in the space management and overall presentation of the kitchen. Many people go for larger refrigerators and dishwashers when they remodel their small kitchens. An expert, on the other hand, will always suggest slim cabinets and compact appliances that meet the users’ requirements while making the kitchen look more spacious.

A Kitchen Island Is a Must for Your Kitchen Remodel

A kitchen island plays a major part in your kitchen’s layout and adds space for storage, eating, and cooking. Choose an island that enhances the design of your kitchen, complements its colors, and functions perfectly with the rest of the kitchen. A useful tip to utilize space is to replace the walls between your kitchen with an island. You can also install a sink on your island to save on counter space.

When designing a kitchen island, here are some important factors that you should consider:

Your Lifestyle

If you have a busy lifestyle, you can get an island with stools and an overhang where you can have a quick meal before you go.

Your Kitchen Space

If you are short on space, you can have an island with additional cabinets and storage along with dividers and a pot rack on the roof.

Your Guests

If you like to entertain guests at your house, your island should be big enough to allow cutting and prep space. You can also place it where you can face your guests while you cook.