Many people think that old houses are especially difficult to remodel purely due to their age. In fact, this is not entirely correct. Whether the house is old or quite new, a kitchen remodeling nearly always turns out to be very cost effective and the habitants will see a marked improvement in the area.
Kitchen remodeling for old homes can be planned so that new items and appliances can be integrated along with the kitchen’s older features. The true key to affordable and effective kitchen remodeling ideas is in the planning stage and this applies to any kind of home, whether new or old.
First on the list of all sound kitchen remodeling ideas is to adequately cost your planned remodelings. This is the most critical aspect as you should not attempt any substantial renovation project unless you have enough funding available or you can enlist the help of your bank or mortgage provider. Notwithstanding the fact that you require substantial funding, take heart in knowing that you can reduce costs in some areas without sacrificing the over-all quality of the renovation. It is important that you allocate adequate funds for the key aspects of the renovation, namely the design component, labor costs and appliances and fixtures.
When you are reviewing you’re your kitchen remodeling ideas always build in an allowance for unexpected contingencies such as repairs being necessary to plumbing, heating and electrical equipment. There is nothing worse than having an aesthetically pleasing kitchen which is great to look at but in reality is a fire-hazard or energy-monster because of the old and ineffective equipment. In old houses it is highly likely you will need to spend money upgrading this type of equipment.
Once you have addressed the structural and services (heating, lighting, plumbing etc) aspects of the kitchen renovation you can then turn your attention to other aspects like choosing counter tops, cabinets and floor coverings. This is a great area in which to control costs as it is possible to use many alternate materials, that are just as durable and impressive as for example marble or granite, however they cost a fraction of the price of the real material. It is also recommended that you consider buying stock cabinets instead of custom-fitted ones as this too will save you a great deal of money.
SOURCE: http://8rd.org/decoration/