Economical Kitchen Remodeling

In the last century, kitchens have gone from being very small spaces with one purpose only to becoming the central area of a home. The average person today spends an estimated total of 3 years of his life in the kitchen, which is no small number.

If you’re the type of person who loves looking at new kitchen appliances and have always dreamed of starting a kitchen remodeling project but haven’t had the money to be able to do it, here are some tips on simple economical ways to remodel your kitchen.

1) Replace the lighting. New lighting makes a world of a difference and can give a room a completely different look. Pendant lights which hang over-head have become extremely popular in the last several years. Built-in lights which are housed in the ceiling or on the walls are also quite popular, but make sure you set up separate light switches so you have the ability to change the mood of the room without having all the lights on or off.

2) Replace kitchen cabinet knobs or handles. Knobs and handles become tarnished easily in kitchens and switching our the knobs or handles can give the affect of all new cabinets without the hassle involved in buying new cabinets.

3) Refinish your kitchen cabinets. Kitchen cabinets are not too expensive but you’ll save money refinishing them yourself. There are many DIY (do-it-yourself) websites which can give you simple instructions on a DIY project such as doityourself.com’s wide range of projects.

4) Repair your appliance exteriors. Metal ovens and fridges get a lot of use and can become discolored and stained. In most home repair stores and even in car repair shops you can find heavy duty metal cleaner which can handle the majority of the stains.

5) Paint the walls. A fresh coat of paint can make your kitchen look years younger.

6) Install new flooring. Laminate flooring or tiling can be quite cheap and modernize kitchens which haven’t had a kitchen remodeling project in fifteen or more years.

7) Change your kitchen decorations. A new set of kitchen towels, oven mitts, a table cloth, salt and pepper shakers, plates and silverware may be the last thing you think of when you think of kitchen remodeling, but these accessories are used daily and new modern accessories can change the feel of a kitchen easily.

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Kitchen Remodels – It’s What’s on the Menu For Your Next Home Improvement Project

Most homeowners planning on a kitchen remodel or renovation are easily able to find themselves wanting a 20 karat upgrade on a 2 karat budget.  Given the fact that the national average cost of a complete kitchen remodel is approximately $40,000, it is easy for those looking to upgrade to realize how quickly the expenses add up to $40,000.  Many kitchen remodels though, don’t even approach that figure.  The majority of families in today’s economic climate may not have thousands upon thousands of dollars available to spend on a kitchen remodel.  However it is quite common to obtain a small home equity loan for such home improvement projects.

Creating a new kitchen layout is not as simple as one would expect.  There are basic industry standard heights, distances, and depths that need to be observed when positioning cabinets, lighting, ventilation, electrical outlets, doorways, and much more.  Every county within each state has their own particular building codes to adhere to depending on the geographic location of the county.  Because of this it is important to retain the services of an experienced professional builder conversant with the local and state building codes.

Unless the homeowner is exceptionally skilled and knowledgeable about kitchen renovations and building codes, a do-it-yourself approach will involve inordinate amounts of time, frustration, patience, and quite likely several cuts, gashes, and bruises.  Just in itself, researching styles and kitchen materials from countertops and cabinet hardware to range hoods and electrical appliances can be an exhausting endeavour.  Then the truly hard work begins.

Demolition, cleaning, and prepping, if done by the homeowner can take weeks.  Demolition and removal of fixtures needs to be done carefully and safely in order to minimize any damage to the floors and walls.  Should a professional builder and remodeling company be utilized, what may require weeks of work for the homeowner can be shortened to just one or two days.

The easy decision to choose a reputable home builder and remodeler over the homeowner performing the kitchen upgrade themselves is the length of time the kitchen remodel will take.  A realistic time estimate for a do-it-yourself kitchen remodel can easily take over 4 to 8 months depending upon the extent of the remodel.  A kitchen remodel carried out by professionals may take as little as 3 to 5 weeks.  The time savings with using a professional company are readily apparent and the homeowner need never get injured themselves.

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Great Kitchen Remodeling Ideas

Simple changes in the kitchen can create major changes in the atmosphere. Whether you repaint or decide to do a complete remodel, there are a lot of options.

Usually, when we think of remodeling our kitchen, we picture a complete replacement of the cabinets. Typically, better quality work can be done for less financial expense by refinishing the custom cabinets that were originally installed. Unfortunately, the modern world of efficient business can equate to cutting corners to save costs; products of today are often not built like they used to. Cabinets are no exception.

You have probably seen plenty of ugly stained cabinets that have quality hardwood cabinets hidden beneath. If refinished, this one transformation could reveal an entirely different kitchen. Sometimes this can be accomplished with a simple repaint. Other times, this will require stripping and staining. Either way this can produce fantastic results and be a real budget saver.

The way you style your kitchen can give the atmosphere a completely different feel. Put some thought into the type of impression you want to create. Some prefer the feel of a country kitchen with good old-fashioned cooking. Others want an innovative modern kitchen that is alive and active. The colors, textures, and the style of appliances all play a big part in creating this ambiance. For example, if you are doing some kitchen remodeling in Huntington Beach, it would feel natural to follow an ocean or beach theme.

Lastly, flooring is an important area of the home because it can receive the most wear and tear. Choosing tile versus carpet can make a big impact on the feeling of the room.

www.LKNcabinets.com