Does this sound familiar? “It’s perfect! Except, well, maybe the floor should be changed from linoleum to hardwood. And, since we’re at it, maybe the light fixture should be a little brighter. The countertops need to be revised from the time of the Flintstones. What about adding in an island?”
If you’re not careful when remodeling your kitchen, you can end up with more headaches than when you started. Here are some of the most common kitchen remodeling mistakes.
1. Mismeasurement
There is a moment in many projects when you look at the project and realize that you cut something a little too short, or that the cabinet does not exactly land square, or something just doesn’t line up right. Mismeasurement can be seen in buildings and kitchens from the biggest to the smallest. There are times when you’ll be able to cover it up, and sometimes that you won’t.
The way to minimize it? Measure things carefully, then write down and label those measurements. If you’re feeling like you will forget, write it down in more than one place. You can’t take back a cut, but it’s easy to measure again.
2. Choosing the Wrong Materials
It doesn’t matter if it looks great in the store. Honestly, it’s always going to look great in the store. But there are people who took the perfect ‘store’ material home and found that it doesn’t make theperfect floor covering.
Do your research. Get samples to take home, talk to people who are in the industry about what you want in a floor, and widen your horizons for possible counter and floor coverings. The experts will help you steer clear of headache-inducing material.
3. Bit Off More Than You Can Chew
Have you ever watched Gordon Ramsay cook? How about Bobby Flay? They can produce a three or four course meal in short amounts of time because they’ve had long years of practice. If you’ve never remodeled a kitchen and you’re learning from videos, remember that everything takes a long time to complete. Installing an Ice-O-Matic GEMU090 ice machine for the first time? It’s easy, but installation might be slower than reported.
Be honest with yourself about your skill level and your willingness to make mistakes with a do it yourself kitchen remodel. There’s no shame in saying that you might not be the best person for the job. If it goes off the rails, professional contractors can bring the project back, for a price.
4. Getting in Trouble With the City
If you’re planning on doing any serious work in your kitchen, it’s sometimes necessary to get permits. Hitting snags and then having the city tell you about codes and regulations don’t sound like the best way to spend an evening.
Having the right permits on hand means that you have to have plans, and that you are able to bring in a building inspector. If you are within city limits, they may want you to pay a fee to remodel your kitchen. Find out what you have to do to stay in compliance before you get a contractor or rip a wall out.
5. Too Many or Too Few Cabinets
Cabinets are not like bookcases. There is such a thing as having too many cabinets. While it’s possible to line your entire kitchen in cabinets, it’s most likely not going to be feasible – much of the space may not be accessible.
When you’re mentally redesigning your kitchen, take a few moments to design the crazy unrealistic one just for fun. Then pick it apart for problems. That will get it out of your system before you start the work on the real one.
6. Too Little Light
Light is necessary to have in every kitchen, but we’ve seen it where there aren’t enough outlets or fixtures to truly make a dent in the darkness. Romantic lighting is great in other rooms, but it is completely uncalled for in the kitchen. You want to see what you’re chopping.
Talk with someone who not only understands your lighting needs, but can help you in the design of the kitchen of your dreams. They will have up to date information on the types of lighting effects which you can use in the new kitchen.
7. Bad Planning
Bad planning can be in money, in the plans, or in any other area. There are some out there who are determined to start the remodel without knowing how much the material costs, and are shocked when they find out the price. This is a bad mistake, as it can lead to unfinished kitchens and strained relationships.
Plan, plan, plan. Plan some more. Write out drawings, then turn to the experts and have them offer suggestions. Write out more drawings. The more perfect that your plans are on paper, the more perfect that they will turn out in real life, if you measured correctly.
Avoiding kitchen remodeling catastrophes isn’t as hard as one might think. By planning out your every move, you can prevent the above errors and more from happening to you.
About the Author
Mark Masterson is from IceMachinesPlus.com with over 10 years of experience in the restaurant and bar industry. With an extensive background and entertaining writing style Mark is focused on providing quality information and advice to managers and contractors about the best practices on choosing the right type of equipment.
