Most people have never remodeled a kitchen before, though they may have been around it. To be fair, a new kitchen remodel happens rarely, and a remodel is a different animal than a new kitchen build. The main idea of a kitchen remodel is to get a new and updated kitchen, but saving money on it never hurts! Here is a short guide to help you know the steps you will have to take.
Choose the Depth
How far will you go on your kitchen remodel? This is the question that you have to ask yourself, as it is a pretty important one. Most of the time, it depends on your budget, but not always. It also depends on what you want out of your kitchen. Are your cabinets good quality, and you are just looking for a change? Do you need to replace your appliances or will they be okay until the next remodel? Or do you want to strip everything down to the walls and start over? Once you have the answers to these questions, you can begin on your remodel.
First Steps
Let’s assume you decided to gut the place and go for a complete remodel. The first step you should take is to choose what your new kitchen will look and feel like. As we said before, saving money is always a good thing, and heading over to a website such as RTA Cabinet Store’s site will help you get a great idea of your new kitchen and save you a bundle of cash over a big box store or custom cabinets. After choosing your new kitchen, measure your existing one.
You might want to go ahead and order your cabinets, provided you have a place to store them while you work. Begin by getting everything out of your kitchen that you can—all plates, cups, utensils, everything. Then, clean it all up. One of the things people forget is that they can avoid disposal fees, and sometimes make some cash back by offering their old cabinets on a website such as Craigslist.
Take out countertops first, then appliances, then bottom cabinets, and finally top cabinets. Leave the floor for last, if you are going to replace it. If not, make sure you put down a piece of thin plywood or something similar, as things fall and accidents happen, and you don’t want to ruin your floor if you are not replacing it.
Moving On
Once your kitchen is stripped, it is time to think about wiring if you are putting in new lamp fixtures and/or outlets. Go ahead and get that taken care of, and the spackle any places on the wall you chipped out. Let it dry, sand it and fix any spots you need to.
The same with plumbing—now is the time to get it done. After those, it’s time for the floor. Then paint and begin your cabinets. Top cabinets go in first, and pretty much always will in a kitchen remodel. Then, your bottom cabinets, appliances, and finally countertops and other things like sinks and inserts. A kitchen island should be the last thing to go in, as you will need the working space before that.
Finishing Up
When you have the large kitchen features finished, any door and drawer hardware should go on, and any kitchen accessories, for example Rev-A-Shelf inserts, which are carried by RTA Cabinet Store, should be installed. Once done with that, fill your kitchen up with your normal kitchen items, add your flair, and enjoy your new kitchen!
