Planning a kitchen remodeling project for your Atlanta home? Perhaps no other home improvement can be more profitable and beneficial. The road ahead, however, will not always be easy. There will be inconveniences and even an unwanted surprise or two.
Here’s a look at some of the rather unpleasant things you will likely experience in the course of the remodel and what you can do to minimize their effects.
1. Expect noise, mess, and strangers coming and going
Any construction work comes with plenty of noise, mess, and debris. In addition, workers will be tracking through your home for weeks or even months.
The best way to deal with this is to find a place where you can live temporarily while the renovation is going on. If this is not possible, ask your contractor if they can recommend ways to minimize the disruption. Perhaps they can erect a temporary, preferably soundproof wall to contain the noise and the mess to the area under construction.
If possible, provide a separate entrance for the contractors. If you work from home, set up a work area far from the kitchen and have noise cancelling headphones handy.
Dust is also inevitable in any construction work. If a temporary wall can’t be put up, keep the dust from spreading throughout the house by putting up plastic barriers. Set up an area where people moving around the house can take off dusty clothes and shoes. Vacuum and mop the house a few times each day to avoid dust accumulation.
2. Be prepared to compromise
You may have been dreaming of top-of-the-line finishes like granite countertops or hardwood cabinets. If they’re priced well above your budget, though, you might just have to settle for something less expensive but will still do the job, such as hardwood veneer or a more affordable laminate countertop.
On the other hand, you might find the need to spend more in order to get more. Some materials may be more expensive, but will give you plenty of savings in the long run because of their durability. Before the actual work begins, make sure to thresh out as much of these details as possible with your contractor to avoid unpleasant surprises.
3. Expect changes from your plans
Even the best laid out plans will need some changes. Careful preparations can help minimize these, but in most home renovation projects, deviations from the original plans are inevitable. You might suddenly want a different finish from what you originally planned, or a structural problem might require some adjustments. It’s hard to predict what could happen until you’re already in the thick of the work.
This is why it’s always wise to set aside an allowance of 10% to 20% of your budget. When it comes time to decide on a change, weigh the potential benefits versus any additional cost, and make the decision based on that. Consult your contractor about the best possible option, and assess quality versus cost. It might make sense to simply lay down the foundation now for a more expensive renovation in the future, or to go ahead and make all your desired changes in one go.
The right contractor will be supportive of your preferences and provide you with the needed guidance to make your kitchen renovation a success despite the challenges.
Sources:
Surviving Stressful Renovations, CIDNetwork.net
15 Tips on Surviving a Kitchen Renovation Project, STLToday.com
