Don’t Tempt Fate! Kitchen Remodeling Mistakes To Avoid

I’m sure you’ve heard at least one horror story about some home improvement work that went wrong. You may not think that you’re at any risk of these things happening to you, but guess what? Those people didn’t think they were either! Whether you want to make your home more attractive to buyers, or you’re doing it totally for yourself, here are a few big mistakes to avoid in your kitchen remodeling…

Expecting Everything to Run Smoothly

You may be the most organized person in the world, but if you’ve never dealt with a kitchen remodeling before, there’s a pretty good chance that things are going to go wrong. The important thing to remember here is not to let it get to you! Yes, this is a big and expensive project, but if you manage to get too worked up about one little slip you’ll quickly drive yourself crazy with stress. So you spent a small fortune on high-end light fixtures and totally forgot to leave enough in the budget for those marble countertops you wanted so badly. It’s okay. Take a deep breath, do the math, and figure out the best way to carry on with the project.

Expecting a Working Kitchen Sooner Than Guaranteed

Because kitchen remodeling has so many different things that can go wrong, another common mistake made by homeowners is expecting to be able to use the kitchen before they’ve got a firm date from the contractors. More accurately, they fail to make arrangements for everything that they can usually use their kitchen for. Sure, refacing your cabinets won’t mean that you have to go on living without the use of your kitchen. However, replacing your countertops and getting a new cooker might. It’s possible that you’ll be without running water and gas for a day or two, so make sure your contractor is keeping you updated. When you know you won’t be able to use your kitchen, get in touch with a friend or family member, or even better a very generous neighbor, who will be willing to let you use their facilities while you wait for your own. You could always live on takeouts for a week, but your doctor won’t be happy with you!

Paying for Work That Hasn’t Been Done

Kitchen remodeling, by and large, requires a pretty big down payment. This is totally reasonable seen as your contractor needs to make orders for the products which have to be designed specifically for your kitchen. If you suddenly wanted to cancel the project, then this money will be their safety net. However, you shouldn’t let yourself get locked in without setting up one of your own! It’s a good rule of thumb to hold onto a portion of the overall cost until the kitchen is completely finished. 10% is usually a good mark. This way, if there’s some kind of freak occurrence in the work or a major disagreement with your contractor, you’ll come out knowing you haven’t wasted any more money than is necessary!