Real Estate News

If you want to sell your home over the coming year, it’s essential to find ways to get it looking its best, inside and out. In particular, pay attention to the heart of the home – the kitchen. This room is one of the key ones buyers notice, and if yours is in a state of disrepair or otherwise not up to scratch, it can make it challenging to sell your home quickly and for a reasonable price.

As such, it’s worth considering remodeling your kitchen sooner rather than later. While this isn’t the cheapest project, if you follow a few helpful steps, you’ll make the process easier and more affordable for yourself.

Come Up with a Budget

Before you start buying materials or booking contractors, come up with a budget for your kitchen renovation. Since remodel work can quickly spin out of control and end up costing more than expected, you should have a figure in mind that you’re okay with spending, and work back from there. This will ensure the process doesn’t become an incredibly stressful one because you end up much more out of pocket than you can afford.

Your budget number should include all the various expenses involved in renovating a kitchen. While the obvious costs are things like tradesperson fees, charges for new appliances, and the expense of other materials, don’t forget to factor in other elements.

For example, there could be fees for finance, if you don’t already have the money saved up for the job, and you may need to outlay funds on additional insurances, and the cost of home warranty plans to cover yourself against problems down the road.

Plan the Work

The next step that will help the remodeling project go smoothly is planning. The more you put into planning upfront, the fewer issues that should crop up as the job progresses.  While you can’t plan for every contingency, you can create a schedule for the work and determine the order in which tradespeople need to do their jobs, so things flow well from person to person.

If you’re using a builder or project manager for the renovation, speak with them about timeframes. Their experience in this kind of work will give them a good idea of how many days or weeks will be required. Allow for some extra time, though, as it’s rare for everything to run perfectly as planned; some problems invariably pop up and delay the proceedings.

Once you understand the approximate timeframe you’re looking at for the remodel, you’ll know whether you need to stay elsewhere or bring in additional cooking facilities while you’re without a working kitchen. You’ll also be able to arrange to have all the materials you need for the job on hand at the times when different contractors need them. This organization will provide more control over the project and reduce your stress as a result.

Be Smart about Materials

To end up with the kitchen you want but without the worry of major cost overruns, be smart about the money you spend on materials. For example, start by seeing if there are any objects already in your current kitchen that can be salvaged and reused.

You might have quality flooring that can be left as is, or you could ask your contractor to keep some of the appliances if they’re in decent condition and have them re-installed in the new kitchen. Also, if you don’t mind the general look of the cabinets in your kitchen right now, these could be modernized with a coat of paint in a trendy color and finished off with new handles or knobs.

When it comes to buying new materials for your kitchen, look for ways to save money here, too. For example, go shopping during sale periods (such as the end of the financial year when retailers are discounting goods), or pick up bargains through online platforms or auctions.

Choose Contractors Wisely

One of the most significant factors involved in concluding a kitchen renovation project with your sanity intact is choosing the right contractor(s). Don’t rush into picking the tradespeople you hire; instead, research options carefully, ask lots of questions of the people on your shortlist and ensure anyone you select is suitably qualified, experienced, and licensed.

Check out the social media reviews of the people at the top of your list, or ask around to your friends and family members for recommendations of trusted tradespeople. When it comes to finances, get all costs and other details (such as scheduling) in writing, and read over the contract closely before signing it.

Getting a new kitchen is an exciting thing as long as the result is what you hoped for, and the process isn’t too stressful. By following the steps outlined above, though, you’re much more likely to achieve success on both fronts.