A kitchen is the centerpiece of a home; some may call it the heart of the home. Everyone from family to friends to, at times, strangers can take up residence in your kitchen. The place where meals are made, parties are planned, and conversations had. All the more reason to remodel your kitchen to match your style, needs, and wants.
However, if you ever intend to sell your home, having a kitchen that adds value to your home and appeals to potential buyers is important. How do you remodel your kitchen to your liking while adding resale value to your home? Good question. Contacting a local real estate agent could help answer this question.
One of the most important things you need to do before remodeling your kitchen is to set a budget; a firm budget. A kitchen remodel can cost you $5,000 to more than $100,000 (and everywhere in between). How much are you willing to or can afford to spend on remodeling your kitchen? Setting a budget and determining what needs to be remodeled first is a good starting point in the process of remodeling your kitchen.
In addition to setting a budget, it’s a good idea to create a remodeling plan. You don’t want to purchase a new range hood only to find out it doesn’t fit with your cabinets. Do some research. Identify what you absolutely must have and what you can live without. Are your appliances on their last limb or simply outdated? Can a backsplash liven up the space and make sense of your color scheme? Doing so will help you stay within your budget.
Tip#1: Commit to spending the bulk of your money on items you don’t want to replace often (i.e. appliances and cabinetry).
Tip #2: Don’t over-improve your kitchen. You won’t be able to recover the costs of remodeling your kitchen (no matter how nice it is) if it makes your home the most expensive one on the block. A local real estate agent familiar with your area can help.
Tip #3: Allocate 10% to 15% of your budget for unexpected expenses (trust me, they happen). Kitchen remodels never cost less than expected.
