Ultimate Kitchen Remodeling Guide | Lakeside Renovation & Design

Find Answers to Your Questions About Kitchen Remodeling in the St Louis Area

Your kitchen is the center of your home and your family’s activities. It’s not just where you cook. It’s where you gather, talk, and entertain. That’s why it’s frustrating when your kitchen’s size or layout makes connecting with loved ones difficult.

Old kitchens can be cramped, awkward spaces that detract from modern family life. If a dysfunctional kitchen is disrupting your lifestyle, a kitchen renovation is your best solution. With the right kitchen remodeling contractor, you can redesign your kitchen to have more space, better functionality, and an updated aesthetic that meets all of your needs.

Not sure if you’re up to the challenge of a kitchen renovation? Read on for an overview of everything you need to know about kitchen remodels and how to get started. With this guide and the advice of your kitchen remodeling contractor, you’ll be ready to finally get that dream kitchen your family deserves!

Guide Chapters

Overview

Reasons to Remodel Your Kitchen

Benefits

Cost

Steps

Why Hire a Professional?

Kitchen Types

Homeowner Tips

DIY Mistakes

What Are the Main Reasons to Remodel Your Kitchen?

Maybe your average kitchen has worked well for you until recently, or perhaps you’ve dreamed of remodeling your unsightly kitchen for years. Maybe you’re looking to sell your home soon and need to spruce it up.

Whatever your circumstance, there are many reasons why St. Louis homeowners desire a kitchen remodel. If you aren’t sure if you need a kitchen remodel, consider these common reasons why other homeowners decide to take the plunge:

Update your kitchen for 21st-century life
Increase your home’s resale value
Make much-needed repairs to keep the kitchen functional
Increase energy efficiency and energy savings
Create an inviting social space
Add square footage and storage space
Accommodate special needs and mobility difficulties
Outfit the kitchen for gourmet cooking
Want a change in aesthetic to suit personal tastes

Whatever your reasons for a kitchen remodel, look for a kitchen remodeling contractor who will take your needs and wants into consideration and give you a final say in the new design before they begin work on your kitchen.

What Are the Value and Benefits of a Kitchen Remodel?

Right now, your kitchen remodel might be for your own enjoyment. But what about when you sell your home later?

Kitchen renovations are one of the best investments you can make in your house. When polled, 80% of homeowners place the kitchen in the top three most important living spaces in a home. A beautiful kitchen makes a significant impact on a buyer’s decision to make an offer and what they’re offering.

What’s the actual ROI of a kitchen remodel? This depends on a few different factors, such as:

How large of a renovation you choose (minor changes or a major overhaul)
Where you live (hot housing market or slow)
Quality of materials (luxury or budget)
Quality of appliances
The time between the remodel and selling (within five years versus 20 or more)

Even with these factors to consider, experts estimate that a major kitchen remodel with upscale appliances and materials can get you an average return of about 54%, while smaller renovations average an ROI of 81%.

Ultimately, you should select the kind of kitchen remodel that will benefit you the most. If you plan to live in your home for a long time, choose renovations that will make your life more comfortable. However, if you expect to move in the near future, a remodel that increases your home value is a good investment.

How Much Does It Cost to Remodel a Kitchen?

Every homeowner considering a kitchen remodel wants to know the cost before they start. It can be challenging to estimate kitchen remodel costs because so many factors are at play, such as:

Kitchen size
Appliance brands
Cabinetry style and material
Countertop materials
Fixtures and hardware
Floor material

Generally, the more time and materials your renovations require, the higher the cost. If your kitchen remodeling contractor has to reroute plumbing and electrical wiring, for instance, that time will cost you. If you choose name brand appliances with all the bells and whistles, you’re going to pay for them.

The best way to estimate your kitchen remodel costs is to add up the prices of labor and materials with your contractor. They should be experienced enough to calculate those approximate costs accurately. To avoid going over budget, always leave yourself some room to cover unexpected expenses.

What Are the Steps in a Kitchen Remodel?

Besides price, many homeowners worry about the timeline of their kitchen remodel.

Discussing the steps of a typical kitchen remodel and your kitchen remodeling contractor’s timeline will help you know what to expect. An experienced kitchen remodeling contractor can give you an accurate estimated completion date and will be able to complete the project quickly without cutting corners or compromising the quality of their work.

Here are the usual kitchen remodel steps that most homeowners can expect:

Measure call with the design consultant to discuss your vision and what is possible for your kitchen
Follow up appointment to present a preliminary design and budget estimate and discuss necessary changes to the plan
Design selections and pick out materials while your contractor pulls permits and preps for the job
Demolition followed by construction
Inspection and final walk-through
Enjoy using your new kitchen

Why Hiring a Professional Kitchen Designer Is Crucial to Your Remodeling Project

Have the perfect design in mind for your kitchen? It’s probably a great one, but unless you’re a professional kitchen designer, chances are your dream design only works as a dream and not in reality.

Home improvement channels and online tutorials have many homeowners these days going the DIY route when renovating their home, but this can be a huge mistake. Designing a kitchen takes much more than looking up inspiration on Pinterest and making a few sketches.

Good kitchen design requires many vital considerations, and hiring a professional kitchen designer will save you from missing them and making costly mistakes. For instance, a professional kitchen designer can:

Answer questions about knocking out walls, building an island, or other construction concerns
Visualize how to alter your current layout into one with better flow
Help you understand the pros and cons of different materials, fixtures, and appliances
Anticipate and account for electrical and plumbing issues
Obtain the correct work permits

With such an expert on your team, you’ll be able to avoid major mistakes that cost both time and money. A reputable professional kitchen designer will consider your ideas while creating plans that will work the first time and allow the project to go smoothly.

How to Determine the Best Kitchen Type for You

You know what type of kitchen you have and that it doesn’t work for you. The question now is what type do you want?

There are many kitchen styles to consider, all with their own advantages. How do you choose?

The key is to choose a kitchen style that fits your family’s needs and lifestyle. Need some prompts? Below are the three most common kitchen types and questions to help you identify which style is the best match for you.

Gourmet Kitchen

Do you love to cook and cook often?
Do you keep a lot of ingredients on hand?
Do you own a lot of specialty cooking appliances and tools?
Do you love having friends over to try your newest recipe?
Do you prefer name brand appliances over budget models?

If this sounds like you, your culinary interests will benefit from a professional-grade kitchen with high-performance appliances, a functional layout, and plenty of space for whipping up delicious treats.

Family-Centered Kitchen

Do you feed a crowd daily?
Are there sometimes too many cooks in your kitchen?
Is dinner usually a casual affair?
Is the kitchen also your office, TV room, and homework spot?
Is easy cleaning a higher priority than luxury finishes?

If your kitchen is the hub of family life, a family-centered kitchen is your best option. You’ll want plenty of open space and light and non-fussy features that make cooking and cleaning easier.

Entertaining Kitchen

Is your home the central gathering place for your social circle?
Do you style your home to have a cohesive look throughout?
Do you frequently host formal events?
Do you enjoy cooking for a crowd?
Is your kitchen spotless throughout the week and a disaster on the weekends?

If you’re a popular host, a kitchen designed for entertaining is a must. Consider features like raised counters for relaxing at or serving from, a double dishwasher for easy cleanup, and beautiful finishes to create the right ambiance.

Tips for Homeowners during Installation

A kitchen remodel installation can be disruptive to normal life. The results will be worth it, but you might have to endure some inconveniences in the meantime.

To make the process less of an ordeal, here are some tips to try:

Set up a temporary, mini kitchen in another room. Use small appliances like your microwave, an electric skillet, and a college refrigerator for your food needs.
Use disposable plates and utensils to reduce the number of dishes you’ll have to wash in the bathroom.
Budget for restaurants and carry-out meals.
Find different accommodations for pets who will be bothered by noise and strangers in the home.
Be prepared for dust. Expect to clean more frequently and find ways for family members with respiratory sensitivities to avoid the worst of it.
Stay somewhere else for the duration, like a rental or friend’s home.

Avoid these DIY Mistakes and Hire a Professional Kitchen Contractor

Sometimes homeowners try to save money by attempting renovation projects themselves. However, unless they have extensive previous experience remodeling, most will quickly find themselves in over their heads.

DIYers inevitably make costly mistakes that set them back and make the project harder. Some of the most common DIY remodeling headaches and mistakes include:

Using cheap materials that can’t withstand daily use
Leaving workflow out of the design
Not researching the best way to do things
Forgetting permits
Overlooking storage space solutions
Not leaving enough room for appliances
Getting stressed out and arguing

Want to avoid these problems? Your kitchen remodel will go much smoother when you hire a professional interior remodeling contractor. As the expert, your interior remodeling contractor won’t overlook anything and will complete the project correctly and quickly, saving you time, money, and frustration.

How to Find the Right Kitchen Remodel Contractor

Now that you understand the necessity of hiring a kitchen remodel contractor, how do you hire the right one?

Every St. Louis kitchen remodeler contractor will tell you they’re the best. What you really need is a contractor who can prove they are qualified and experienced in the type of remodel you want and will make the process stress-free for you.

To find that contractor, speak to several in the area and ask them these questions:

Are you licensed?
Are you and your crew insured?
Do you offer free quotes?
How often do you do kitchen remodels?
Can I see some projects you’ve completed?
Will you obtain the necessary permits?
What’s your kitchen remodel process like?
Who handles cleanup?
What are your payment options?
Can I talk to current clients for a reference?

Ready to Transform Your Kitchen into the Kitchen of Your Dreams?

Getting the kitchen of your dreams may seem out of reach, but with the right kitchen remodeling contractor, the project can be quite simple and give you excellent results. Your contractor can solve space and function issues with a custom design that complements your home and lifestyle.

No one should have to live with an outdated kitchen. If your St. Louis area home and family would benefit from an expert kitchen remodel, Lakeside Renovation & Design has the design solutions you need. Our experienced team walks you through every step of the design and build process until your remodeled kitchen meets your expectations.

To get started, schedule a free design consultation today.

Get a FREE Consultation

Recent Kitchen Remodeling Articles:

Facebook

Twitter