Renovating your kitchen is often the last project to tackle in a house. Unfortunately, because the kitchen is the room that works hardest in your home, this renovation is often the most disruptive. Before you tackle this area, it’s important to consider what you need from the space now and what you’ll need in the future.
Determine the Layout
The wide variety in kitchen cabinet styles and countertop options means that you can create any number of designs for your kitchen. Islands can be movable or permanently placed, and some appliances such as dishwashers can be portable or countertop. Before you tear into any kitchen renovation, spend some time in the space determining the footprint or layout. Consider work triangles. For example, raw ingredients come from one corner of the triangle (refrigerator), and tools are collected from another corner (cabinet). Cooking is finally accomplished at the third corner (stove).
Don’t Forget the Walls
Drywall can get pretty beat up when you’re moving large appliances around. When stripping the walls, check for any potential damages to the drywall in order to prevent further problems down the road. Additionally, if you have to open any walls to run power, water or gas lines, you may need to patch or repair the sheetrock before setting cabinets and appliances in place. If you do end up opening a wall and running new utilities, take photos of the changes for future reference before you seal up the opening. Provide these images to the new owners when you sell the house.
Work Slowly
If you’re doing any of the work yourself, do your best to work in a slow, organized fashion. You can save money on the project by doing your own demolition but not if you hurt your back moving the refrigerator. Reduce lifting requirements for cabinets by undoing the hardware and removing the doors. Before you pull the screws, set a brace or a block under the cabinet so you can lower the casing gently. Keep your walking paths clear of debris, tools and supplies. Finally, always wear your safety gear to protect yourself.
Renovating can be exciting. If you have a clear vision of how the new space will work and how much easier cooking and cleanup will be when you’re done, your renovation will be worth the hassle, mess and disruption. Be certain to spend a lot of time in the space determining the best working layout before you get started.
If you’re looking for some new appliances to put in your renovated kitchen, take a look at our cooking appliances!
