7 Tips on How to Manage a Small Kitchen Renovation

Remodeling a small kitchen can be tricky. You probably want to choose elements that make it look larger and brighter, so taking some time to look at photos of small kitchen renovation projects and researching all your reno options is important before you take the plunge and decide to spend your hard-earned money.
Here we’ve offered some tips on how to get started and how to manage your small kitchen renovation so that it goes smoothly and doesn’t cost more than you intended to spend.
⦁ Decide on a budget – Determine how much you want to spend and stick to your budget. Sometimes it’s a clever idea to break it down into categories. For example, if you’ve saved $10,000 and you have cabinets in mind that cost $7000, you’ll need to figure out how to allocate the remaining $3000 and which items you can afford to purchase. You might discover you have plenty for everything or you may have to make some adjustments on your small kitchen renovation plans.
⦁ Determine what is most important to you – If your budget isn’t going to give you everything on your small kitchen renovation wish list, you’ll need to decide what you simply must have and what you can live without. Its luxury vinyl flooring is more important than new lighting, then put the lighting plans aside until a later date. It doesn’t mean you can never change the lighting. You just can’t do it right now.
⦁ Pick a design style – Look at some samples of small kitchen renovations and pick some of your favorites. Keep in mind that small kitchens often look best with light, bright colors that open up the room. This is especially true if you don’t have a lot of natural light. Also consider keeping it simple. Small kitchens look best when you take a minimalist approach rather than adding lots of “gingerbread” to the mix. In addition, because your kitchen is tiny, it’s a little harder to personalize it since you may not be able to add a lot of unique touches. Instead, personalize it with colors and patterns instead of things.
⦁ Organize and prioritize tasks – Decide in which order things should be done. For example, you might want to prioritize painting if you’re putting new color on the walls. You’ll most likely want to do that before you install or reface cabinets or put in new countertops. Or if you’re putting in new countertops AND a sink, you’ll probably have to do the countertops first. Certainly, specific tasks need to be done before others so that your remodeling goes smoothly.
⦁ Consider a timeline – If you’re hiring a kitchen renovation company, a cabinet refacing expert, or other contractor, you won’t have total control over this timeline but you can put together a document that estimates when each task will be performed. This helps you take control of downtime when you might not be able to use your kitchen or other parts of your home due to construction noise. This is especially important if you work from home.
⦁ Zero in on any DIY tasks – Sometimes it’s possible to do some parts of your small kitchen renovation on your own. For example, if you’re good at tiling you can do the backsplash on your own but you can leave the luxury vinyl flooring installation to the professionals. Or you can hang new lights but let your contractor do the wiring. Anything you can do on your own saves money, but make sure it’s worth your time.
⦁ Choose an experienced contractor – Whether you’re gutting your entire kitchen or perhaps just refacing your cabinets and changing your countertops, you’ll need an experienced kitchen contractor to do the work well and efficiently Your contractor may also bring in some subcontractors to do things like lay that luxury vinyl flooring you’ve been wanting. So, check credentials carefully, look at photos of recent jobs they’ve done, ask for references, and – by all means – get everything in writing before any work begins or money is exchanged.
At KCR, we’re small kitchen experts. Our cabinet refacing professionals have decades of experience working in kitchens of all sizes and we can suggest the right style and products for your compact space. To view some photos of our small kitchen transformations and to hear comments from satisfied customers, visit us at www.kitchencabinetrefacing.com.