The professionals at Remodel Professionals of Idaho realize that dramatic changes in how Americans conduct their lives in public have caused paradigm shifts in how they live at home. Outdoor living spaces, including outdoor kitchens, are gaining in popularity. In fact, activity in indoor kitchens and around the kitchen table has taken on new life with remote working, sheltering in place, self-isolating, and social distancing. Homeowners are re-thinking life at home and what is required to make it more enjoyable and more efficient. Upgrading the kitchen is one aspect of this total life makeover.
According to HomeAdvisor, a kitchen remodel, on average, is in the $12,567 to $34,962 price range. A small-scale kitchen remodel can have a cost as low as $4,000, while a more elaborate remodel can cost as much as or more than $50,000. A key factor in determining the cost of the kitchen remodel is the size of the kitchen — a smaller kitchen generally will cost less than a larger kitchen to remodel.
The kitchen is the most expensive room in the home to remodel. Consider the number of appliances, including the refrigerator, dishwasher, oven, stove, microwave, and the numerous countertop gadgets. With an average cost upwards of $15,000, cabinets are usually the most expensive element of any kitchen remodel. New appliances come in second place, costing, on average, around $8,200. The countertops are the next greatest expense, pricing out at a little under $6,000.
Never Do These Mistakes in a Kitchen Remodel or Upgrade
With kitchens being the most expensive living space inside the home to remodel, the team of professionals at Remodel Professionals of Idaho offers advice on mistakes to avoid when upgrading the kitchen.
Mistake #1. Designing a beautiful kitchen rather than a functional kitchen
The best practice is to design the kitchen around the actual traffic patterns of the home’s residents. The kitchen triangle works best when the refrigerator, the sink, and the stove are located near each other. Steps add up at the end of a long day in the kitchen.
Consider what really happens in the kitchen. Disorganized cooks should not adopt the open shelving trend in cabinets and cupboards, since the kitchen will always look disorganized. As for countertops, surfaces that camouflage crumbs, dirt, spills, and smudges work well with small children and pets.
Mistake #2: Adopting design elements that are fads, such as trendy tile backsplash
Go with a classic look that flows with the décor of the home and is not bound to ever-changing trends. Will the design element go out of style in a year or two? A kitchen remodel needs to have a design lifespan of more than just a few years. Will the selection of design elements be undesirable for potential buyers five years from now? That could be a problem if the kitchen makeover cost $40,000.
Mistake #3: Choosing surface materials, hardware, and other items without seeing them in person first
Purchasing a $6,000 stone countertop without setting eyes on it until the crew shows up to install the feature is asking for trouble. A slight color variation or pattern deviation could wreak havoc on the selected color scheme or cast a nauseating clash every time the lights are turned up.
The kitchen is as much about the visual as it is about the tactile. How does the countertop feel to the touch? Are the cabinet and drawer pulls ergonomically pleasing? Is the flooring comfortable to the feet and back? Sometimes the cook will be in the kitchen and on their feet for hours at a time. Is the flooring quiet? Does it absorb sound, or is the kitchen an echo chamber? This annoying feature could squelch conversation and ruin social gatherings.
For a great kitchen remodel:
- Never choose a pretty kitchen over a practical kitchen.
- Never choose faddish design elements over the classics.
- Never choose surfaces, hardware, or other materials for the kitchen without laying eyes on them first.
The design team, along with the contractors at Remodel Professionals of Idaho, will assist the client through every step of the kitchen design and remodel process. Making the best choices and avoiding costly and unsightly mistakes to produce the perfect kitchen is the goal of the professionals at Remodel Professionals of Idaho.
For more information about home and business remodeling services, visit the Remodel Professionals of Idaho at remodelprofessionals.net. Contact the office by phone at (208) 715-9700 or by email at info@remodelprofessionalsidaho.com.
