Average Return on Remodel Investment

Remodeling a current home instead of buying a new one is a popular decision among homeowners in today’s economy and housing market. It’s also a wise choice, for when the time comes to sell, the return on investment for many remodeling projectsis significant, especially in the kitchen.

According to the 2008-2009 Cost vs. Value Report from Remodeling Magazine, the national average cost recouped from a major, mid-range kitchen remodel is 76 percent. And until you’re ready to resell, you’ll have a beautiful kitchen designed for your lifestyle.

Before you take that first step and begin demolition, here is a few vital tips to help create your dream kitchen, save precious time and increase your home’s value.

Plan, Plan, Plan — Good design begins with a great plan. It takes thoughtful preparation and while a bit complex, it’s also exciting. A kitchen remodel is a big investment, so know how much you are willing to spend and plan ahead on the layout and design features. If you do, it will be easier to manage your budget and completion date. Keep in mind that hardware, paint and wall coverings can easily be updated to reflect the latest trends, but make sure your big purchases like cabinetry, countertops and appliances are something you can live with for years.

Think About the Way You Live — Your new kitchen design should be based on the way your family lives. How many people will be in the kitchen at one time? In addition to cooking, will you use your kitchen for dining, entertaining or homework? Does anyone in your family have special needs? Do you need a lot of storage? Prepare an inspiration folder of ideas you’ve seen in magazines or digital pictures you’ve taken of elements you like. The more you share with your kitchen design specialist, the easier it will be for them to get that sense of your family’s lifestyle.

Your Personal Style — When selecting your kitchen cabinets, are you traditional, contemporary or somewhere in between?

Before you head to your local Lowe’s, it’s important to know your style so your designer can help create a unique, customized look. Think about what appeals to you — styles, finishes, colors, etc. From a practical standpoint, review your priorities — your “must haves” — against your target budget.

SOURCE: At Home Magazine.

www.LKNcabinets.com offers high quality affordable cabinetry in its kitchen remodels surrounding the Charlotte, North Carolina area

Shopping for Kitchen Cabinets: Your Price Range

Kitchen cabinets are by and large the core of any kitchen. They can be highlighted by kitchen appliances such as the refrigerator, stove, cooktop, dishwasher and microwave, or these appliances can be modified to blend in by using panels that match your kitchen cabinets.

Shopping for kitchen cabinets can be intimidating, especially for a first time buyer. There are hundreds/thousands of major kitchen cabinet companies, and many more smaller custom kitchen cabinet shops where you can get any cabinet made from any species of wood that your mind can imagine. Add to that list the explosion of RTA Cabinet importers, and the laminated cabinet manufacturers, and suddenly the list can be overwhelming. Not to mention the fact that higher price always means high quality in construction, or more features being available.

In the past, pricing had always been the way to categorize kitchen cabinets. Traditionally, the higher-quality cabinets simply cost more money. As I mentioned before, with more and more importers conforming to the KCMA (Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association) building standards, some of the RTA Kitchen Cabinets or stock cabinets can actually be a sturdier cabinet than the traditional, made to order cabinets. Regardless of what type of kitchen cabinet you decide to go with, it does not take much effort to spend tens of thousands of dollars on the actual kitchen cabinets.

Most kitchen cabinet manufacturers build their base and wall cabinets in standard sizes. The kitchen base cabinets are often 34.5 inches tall and 24 inches deep. They come in widths starting at 12 inches and can go up to 48 inches often in increasing width increments of 3 inches. Kitchen wall cabinets are often 12 inches deep and 30 inches or 42 inches tall. They also come in the same size widths as the base cabinets. Wall cabinets also come in several different heights and depths for locations such as over the refrigerator or over the microwave/hood range unit. With custom kitchen cabinets, you have even more choices available, since the kitchen cabinets will be created specifically for your kitchen space.

Different semi-custom kitchen cabinet manufacturers make different-sized kitchen cabinets for all sorts of special looks and situations. It is not uncommon to have one cabinet extend beyond adjacent cabinets to create a distinguished look. It pays to shop around to see all of the different possibilities and special cabinet features offered by the custom and semi-custom kitchen cabinet manufacturers.

One of the biggest advantages to true custom kitchen cabinets is the ability to make one giant base or wall cabinet instead of separate boxes that are screwed together by the installer at the jobsite. A  custom cabinet maker can easily make one giant base cabinet 8 feet long that installs as if it were a piece of furniture. The same is true for wall kitchen cabinets. The advantage of this method is the lack of vertical seams where two traditional cabinet boxes would mate up to one another.

Pay particular attention to the materials used to build the kitchen cabinets. Some kitchen cabinets are made with minimal-quality engineered lumber, particleboard, or fiberboard. . If you plan to load a wall cabinet with heavy traditional china, the weight of the dishes may cause the cabinet to pull apart over time. This is particularly true when it comes to the semi-custom cabinets that the name brand cabinet manufacturers sell at the big box stores (which is why price is not always an accurate gauge of cabinet quality). Many of the RTA Kitchen Cabinet manufacturers use solid plywood sides, which obviously creates a strong kitchen cabinet box than a particleboard or fiberboard box. When it comes to custom cabinets, the material choices are endless and can usually be specified by the customer.

Another factor that will determine the price of kitchen cabinets is the material used to hold it together. Custom kitchen cabinet manufacturers will often use a combination of dovetailed joints, wood biscuits, and glue to create tight joints. Mid-grade kitchen cabinets will have a wide range of materials holding them together (staples and nails on the lower end, to cam lock assembly and wood glue on the higher end). Most RTA Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers utilize the cam lock system, which creates a nice sturdy cabinet, and when enhanced with wood glue, can last a life time. Steer away from any kitchen cabinets that are using staples, wooden dowels, or just screws. The strength of the cabinet will be compromised at the joints with these weaker joining materials.

SOURCE    www.articlebase.com

www.LKNcabinets.com   supplies a very affordable high quality cabinet to clients in the Charlotte to Statesville region of NC

Kitchen Remodel Design Layouts

A family cook often walks 100 miles a year. As much as one third of this kitchen pacing may be wasted motion, due to appliances placed for saving dollars in the construction or remodeling process. Sizing a kitchen is very important prior to the start of a new kitchen project. Plan ahead and understand the best kitchen layout for your family.

In an efficient kitchen there are three ” activity centers”.  The kitchen activity centers consist of the refrigerator, the sink and the range. These activity centers in a kitchen should lie within easy reach of the cook – and according to a study made at Cornell University, better placement of these activity centers can eliminate as much as 40 miles a year from the kitchen marathon.
 
There are Four Basic Kitchen  Layouts
 (There also are variations to the four basic kitchen layouts

The corridor kitchen.
The L kitchen.
The U kitchen.
The one – wall kitchen.
 
Two variations are the Double L and the G kitchen layouts.

The 3 activity centers make up 3 points called the “work triangle”
(The refrigerator, the sink and the range)

Usually – The smaller the triangle the greater the efficiency

In an efficient kitchen – the sides of the triangle add up to no more than 23 feet.

Additional Kitchen Considerations: Each activity center must also have a minimum of counter area and storage volume. 48″ between facing base cabinets or appliances. (There is Enough space to stand at an open cabinet, refrigerator, or oven while another person edges past)
Wishing You The Best Life Can Bring And Kitchen Remodeling Success!

Source: www.articlebase.com

www.LKNcabinets.com is a Kitchen and Bath Remodeler serving the Charlotte and Lake Norman areas of NC