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Secrets of a
Painless Kitchen Remodel
You've had it. Your kitchen floor is old and stained, your
cupboards are so awkward its impossible to keep them
organized, your appliances on their last legs. You've
wanted to remodel your kitchen for years, but you fear you
have neither the money nor the time to embark on a
lengthy, expensive remodel.
Never fear. Your kitchen remodel does not have to be a
grueling experience. Many homeowners decide to do the work
of a remodel themselves, opting to finish the work on
evenings or weekends. If you have a high tolerance for
disruption and want to get the most bang for your buck,
this may be the best option for your kitchen remodel.
However, it is probably not going to be painless. Another
thing to consider is to hire out all the individual
contractors for your remodel yourself. For instance, you
do the legwork and find a tile layer, you decide who you
want to install your sink and garbage disposal and hook up
the dishwasher. This may save you some money, but
certainly will not save you any time. You'll spend hours
asking friends and family who they used for their kitchen
remodel, and you'll want to also be sure to check
references and view samples of their work for each one.
When you consider how many different people it takes to
complete a remodel-plumber, tile-layer, floor specialist,
cabinet installer-to name only a few, you can see that
this is a time-consuming occupation. Many people enjoy
this process, but others may be more comfortable with
having one professional to oversee the entire process of
the kitchen remodel.
If you are pressed for time, and want a relatively
painless kitchen remodel, you would be well advised to
hire a professional contractor. This is perhaps the number
one secret to a painless kitchen remodel. A reputable
kitchen remodel contractor can save you hours of time in
finding and overseeing individual contractors, guide you
in design and configuration choices, and be your
hand-holder throughout the entire process. And let's face
it, while there are ways to make your kitchen remodel as
painless as possible, it's still going to be a disruption
of your home. Having a professional at your side can ease
a lot of the disruption.
How to find a kitchen remodel contractor? Word of mouth is
always a good starting point. Ask friends and family for
recommendations. Get online and check websites. Browse
your local yellow pages. Many large home improvement
stores offer contracting services, as do smaller, local
companies. Talk to several; have them visit your kitchen
so that you can discuss the specifics of your remodel
onsite. A remodel contractor will give you ideas and
present options you might not have thought about.
Your next step is to get bids from all the remodel
contractors you've talked to. Then compare those bids, but
there are considerations beyond just price. Did you feel
the contractor understood the goals of your remodel? Are
your design ideas similar? Do you feel comfortable
personally with the contractor? You'll be spending a lot
of time together over the course of the remodel, so this
is important.
Once you've chosen the contractor, he can give you tips on
how to schedule and what to expect over the course of the
remodel. He'll be available to answer questions and
troubleshoot. Your remodel will be done before you know
it-and you'll be basking in the beauty of your new
kitchen. |
