Estimating Kitchen Remodel

When it comes to making changes to the way your kitchen looks estimating kitchen remodel costs is usually the first step. In coming up with an estimate you need to identify the items that you need to change and the type of changes that you are going to effect. The types of changes you put into place will be related to many things.

Are you going to go for a new kitchen layout or maintain the existing one? The kind of materials that you are going to use will have an impact on the overall cost. Most kitchens mainly comprise of units made out of chip board. Chip board is not very durable unless it comes coated with some other water resistant material. You could also opt for genuine wood units or ones made of stainless steel.

Compare the costs of the different materials taking the issue of durability into consideration. Another thing that will determine how much you are going to spend is who going to carry out the remodeling. You could either opt to do it yourself or get a contractor to do the job. There are contractors who will be happy to come to your house and help you with estimating kitchen remodel costs for free.

They will come and look at the scope of work involved and come up with a rough figure of how much your intended repairs will cost. You must understand that remodeling the kitchen yourself will only be cheaper if you know how to do it. Also if you have all the necessary equipment needed to finish the project and if you have lots of free time available.

It is really of no benefit trying to do it yourself if you risk doing a shoddy job that won’t look nice at all. Estimating kitchen remodel costs will be more accurate if you make use of a professional. Remember to explore all your options first. LKN Cabinets will give FREE estimates.

www.LKNcabinets.com offers full service remodeling for the greater Charlotte area.

Remodeling Your Kitchen is an Investment Which Pays For Itself

The price of kitchen and bathroom remodels range widely depending upon several factors.  One of the biggest factors that will determine how expensive a remodel will be is the quality of materials.  Higher quality grades of cabinets, countertops, and flooring all require more highly skilled laborers to produce.  Most of the highest quality materials are not produced in a cookie cutter fashion, such as the average run of the mill cabinets or laminate countertops which can easily be found in any large brick and mortar hardware store.

 A jump in price is extremely common from basic laminated chipboard cabinets, which are found in every basic new home,  to real solid wood cabinets, whether it be oak, maple, or especially exotic woods like African Sapele.  The same is true of countertops. 

Laminate countertops are the easiest and cheapest manufactured countertops available.  Much like laminate cabinetry, laminate countertops are simply a manufactured pattern that is glued onto a section of chipboard.  While the selection of colors and patterns of laminate countertops has increased, granite and engineered stone countertops have almost infinite color variations not to mention that granite countertops are the most durable and versatile of all countertop material.

Invariably, when a homeowner remodels a kitchen or bathroom, cabinets and countertop material make up a very large part of the budget.  The reason for this is due to the fact that both components receive the highest amount of wear and tear.  The cliche “you get what you pay for” is very true in regards to kitchen upgrades.  The actual kitchen hardware, such as, drawer pulls, drawer slides, fold out racks, etc. can either last 3 months or 20 years. Many home owners are surprised and shocked to find out the cost of the hardware alone when remodeling a kitchen can easily reach into the thousands depending upon the size, layout, and features a kitchen offers.

As of 2007, the average price of a kitchen upgrade was in the neighborhood of $40,000.  This figure is largely skewed due to the housing and overall real estate market enjoying a huge boom in the past decade.  A realistic everyday expectation for kitchen remodels can be achieved for well under $20,000.  While that is still a substantial figure, it should not be viewed as an expense, but an investment.  Homeowners can realistically expect to recover at least 97% of the cost of upgrading a kitchen with the sale of the home.

www.LKNcabinets.com

Design Your Kitchen Charlotte Market

Today, we spend more and more time away from our house. Phones and Internet keep us connected and mobile in ways no one ever could have imagined. Our homes are safe places, to relax and reflect on our lives, a place to spend time with loved ones.

But, where is the heart of the home? There exists within the home a living, breathing room, where people live, and work, and congregate. The kitchen is very important. It only makes sense to spend a little extra time and money on that room. However, there is no reason you need to break the bank when considering a new design.

When thinking about how you will designing it, there are two important factors to consider. The first thing to think about is function. It is the room that probably gets the most actual usage. Also it has a number of different appliances, each with a number of different powers and plumbing needs.

The appliances must be situated in such a way as to allow the most access without interfering with the other appliances. Everything must be accessible, yet still unobtrusive. It must also be designed in a way that can grow and change as your family and needs.

The second feature to consider in your kitchen design is style. What does the style of the kitchen say about you, and your home? Are you trying to create a modern, sophisticated look, or would you rather have a warm, classic feel to your kitchen? Aside from considering how it looks, you must consider how the looks are in relation to the rest of the house. Each room of the house must create a unified theme, reflecting your personality and needs.

Once you have deeply looked at both aspects of the design, it is time to look at your options. For those looking to do a total overhaul, new appliances might be called for. These appliances can create a new look, while offering more powerful and cost conscious alternatives to the appliances already in your kitchen. One might also consider new cabinetry and flooring, to create new and better storage options while completely overhauling the look of the room and home.

For those of us on a budget, there are less obtrusive, expensive ways to change the design. Simple refurnishing of the cabinet doors and hardware may create a whole new looks for pennies on the dollar compared to more invasive redesigns.

The amount of time and thought you put into designing it today may make for a greatly increased home value down the road. In order to get the most change for your money, consult with a trained design expert. They may be able to mold your ideas into a solid and cost effective plan that fits your needs for today and tomorrow.