Kitchen Remodeling Tips – Advice to Prepare for Your Remodeling Project

Renovating Your Kitchen is Great, Especially When it’s Finished!

A kitchen renovation can improve the overall aesthetic and functionality of your home. We prepare food in the kitchen for a family dinner and our loved ones enjoy whipping up new concoctions on the kitchen island. A kitchen renovation is one of the most popular home improvement projects because it is such a heavily used area of a residence. When completed properly, a home improvement can make a positive impression for years to come.

Reliable Home Improvement is here to help you achieve the kitchen of your dreams. We are a modern kitchen designer and renovation partner who will provide you with any type of remodel, from a traditional kitchen to a contemporary build.

Planning Your Kitchen Renovation Project

As you may have read in our previous blog on beginning a kitchen remodel, we offer several kitchen remodeling tips and pieces of advice to ensure all aspects of your kitchen remodeling project are given thorough consideration from start to finish.

Previously, we discussed many of the important planning steps that go into preparing for a kitchen remodeling project. Those include:

  • Considering how your kitchen is used.
  • Determining which appliances to include.
  • Selecting an appealing, custom design.
  • Budgeting for the project.
  • Choosing an experienced contractor

This time, we are going to take you further into the kitchen remodeling process by laying out additional steps you can take to achieve that dream kitchen.

Step #1: Make Sure You Get What You Want

From custom cabinets and countertops to flooring, appliances, and backsplashes, every element of your kitchen design should reflect your personal style. If you have specific materials and brand names in mind, it is important to put in the leg work and place orders for the exact pieces you want. Looking for some examples of fashionable, classic, or modern kitchen fixtures? Reliable Home Improvement can present you with plenty of high-quality options. Visit our 15,000 sq. ft. kitchen and bath showroom in Naperville to view an extensive collection of items.

If you plan to begin the search for your personal touch on your own, you may need a little help. From the big box stores to flooring and cabinet outlets, it may take some time to review all of the different colors, patterns, and features, available. However, finding the elements you want and having them installed by a professional will make your finished product that much nicer. An experienced home improvement specialist can help you narrow down items that fit your personal aesthetic, especially if you are having trouble finding exactly what you want. Sometimes, it is even possible to locate hard-to-find items or products that are no longer widely available.

Step #2: Complete Your Own Demolition

One of the best ways to become part of the renovation project for your kitchen is to get your hands dirty! With a pair of work gloves, safety goggles, and a couple of basic tools, almost anyone can remove kitchen cabinets, disconnect faucet supply lines, take out a sink, and pull down a soffit. Doing your own demolition (or at least the beginning stages) can save you money. However, if you aren’t comfortable completing the demo, your renovation partner can easily take on the task. If you do want to give it a go, determining where to start with your demolition depends on how soon the remodeling stage of the project is going to start.

If you are still going to use the kitchen for a few more days, up until the start of (and perhaps during the work), it may not be the best timing to remove old appliances. Consider the timeline of your renovation project, and choose when to begin item removal.  For example, cabinet doors and drawers are always an easy place to start.

A few words of advice for miscellaneous demo work:

  • Locate anchors. Before you can remove countertops, you sometimes need to find anchors or other hardware on the underside, inside the cabinet.
  • Turn off valves. Shut off supply spigots to the kitchen faucet under the sink. If there are none, you will have to turn off the water supply to your home. You can also use this as an opportunity to have modern kitchen spigot valves installed by your kitchen remodeler. Sinks are usually fastened and secured on the underside as well.
  • Use caution. If you are keeping the same flooring, be sure to cover the work area with tarps and be cautious not to scuff the flooring by dragging or dropping items.
  • Take it easy. Some heavier items, such as wall cabinets, are a two-person job. Always exercise caution and if you need assistance, a professional should can help.

With a little sweat, time, effort, and the right tools, anyone can take a kitchen down to the studs.  Taking care of the demolition yourself can be a great way to reallocate funds to new stainless steel appliances, vibrant lighting features, a new set of upper cabinets, and more. Keep in mind, before completing demolition on your own, we recommend consulting with your remodeling contractor, as certain parts may require more care than others to maintain the structure and avoid any mishaps.

Step #3: Hand it Over to a Professional Kitchen Designer and Contractor

Once your remodeling team gets started, leave it to the professionals to provide you with your requests. From open shelving to pendant lights and newly installed cabinets and countertops, your kitchen remodeler has the expertise and resources to give you exactly what you want. Give them a little time to complete the work to the high standards Reliable Home Improvement requires. That’s not to say you shouldn’t inspect the work at the end of each day and discuss any questions or timeline issues each morning. However, spending too much time at the worksite, even if you mean well, can create an unsafe work environment and can cost time, instead of making valuable progress.

You did your due diligence and selected a trusted and competent contractor. Now it’s time to let the professionals do the job you hired them to complete. A contractor is only as good as their most recent project. We value your feedback and will work hard to complete the job to your specifications. Your referral is important to us, as well as your complete satisfaction.

Once everything is completed, residents are encouraged to take part in a final walk-through to ensure every last “punch list” item is finished before workers pack up and leave for the last time.

Let’s Recap

Remember, three steps make it easy to receive a beautifully remodeled kitchen that is completed on time and to your satisfaction:

  1. Do the leg work and order the materials and appliances you really want.
  2. Save money by getting involved with the demolition.
  3. Let your contractor do the job for which they were hired

When everything is said and done, you will be left with a kitchen that not only looks great and enhances the time you spend in it, but also one that will increase the value of your home.

Check out the kitchen remodeling projects completed by the Reliable Home Improvement team! To get started with your remodel, contact us today for a quote.

Need a Project
Quote Request?

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Scroll to Top