A good renovation can breathe fresh life into even the drabbest kitchen. Whether your latest kitchen renovation was facilitated by damage being done to the area or you’re simply ready for a change of scenery, getting a brand-new kitchen can be very exciting. However, to ensure that these renovations go off without a hitch, there are a number of mistakes you’ll need to avoid. Steering clear of the following blunders can mean the difference between a simple, stress-free renovation and a relentlessly stressful nightmare.
Not Investing in a Good Home Warranty
Appliances are the lifeblood of any kitchen. In the absence of a functional refrigerator, oven or washer, you’re liable to have considerable trouble with food storage, meal prep and cleaning up. Furthermore, these appliances generally aren’t small investments. With most major appliances costing hundreds – sometimes thousands – of dollars, it’s in the best interest of every budget-conscious homeowner to get the maximum ROI. More often than not, getting the most for your money entails providing major appliances with proper care and maintenance – and one way to do this is investing in a good home warranty.
A comprehensive home warranty will cover a broad range of issues for a broad range of appliances. This ensures that the next time an essential device begins exhibiting problems, you won’t have to worry about spending a small fortune in repair costs. Investing in a dependable home warranty will give you peace of mind and prevent you from putting a hole in your finances every time a major appliance goes on the fritz. Since kitchen renovations are often synonymous with appliance upgrades, you’d be wise to protect these purchases with a solid home warranty. Spending a little bit of money in the short term can effectively take the sting out of repair costs for the foreseeable future.
Failure to Make Proper Storage Arrangements
If not properly secured, major appliances can incur quite a bit of damage throughout the renovation process. Since these devices can get in the way of the work crew, it’s generally a good idea to make storage arrangements before the project commences. For example, if there’s any wide-open storage space in your home, consider turning it into a temporary home for your wayward kitchen appliances. Alternatively, if in-home storage isn’t an option, you may want to consider outside solutions, like renting a spacious storage unit.
If none of these options pan out, you’ll at least need to secure your major appliances to minimize the likelihood of damage. This often entails covering them in a durable protective film.
Not Having Sufficient Funds
Kitchen renovations are far from inexpensive. Depending on the scope of the project, you could easily wind up spending tens of thousands of dollars. In addition, there are a variety of reasons for which costs ultimately wind up exceeding contractors’ quotes. With this in mind, take care to avoid undertaking a project you can’t afford. In the worst-case scenario, you could wind up with depleted finances and a half-finished kitchen.
Failure to Properly Vet Contractors
Working with independent contractors always represents a risk. Just because someone is able to present themselves well doesn’t mean they can be depended on to complete a project on time and on budget. Fortunately, you can minimize this risk by doing a little bit of research before committing to work with a contractor. For example, consumer feedback websites can provide you with a solid idea of how dependable local contractors are. If a person you’re thinking about hiring has garnered a fair amount of bad feedback, you’re better off moving on to the next candidate. Hiring an unqualified or untrustworthy contractor may ultimately result in you having to hire another contractor to fix their mistakes.
A newly-renovated kitchen can do wonders for your home. In addition to increasing the property’s value, a redone kitchen will provide your family with a fantastic spot to congregate, enjoy one another’s company and sit down to meals. Of course, this isn’t to say that all kitchen renovations are easily-affordable, low-stress undertakings. In the absence of smart planning, necessary resources and solid research, an ambitious kitchen renovation can turn into a ceaseless headache. In the interest of helping your next renovation proceed as smoothly as possible, take care to avoid the mistakes discussed above.