Remodeling the kitchen is a big deal. After all, this is often the room where the family spends most of their time: cooking, eating together, doing homework, or partying. In many ways, the kitchen has become the heart of the home in recent decades.
So when you go to remodel your kitchen, it’s important you’re as prepared as possible. That means doing your research to avoid some of the most common, most costly mistakes homeowners make during renovations.
To help with your research process, we’ve listed some of the costliest kitchen remodeling mistakes we’ve seen homeowners make. These are the kinds of things an experienced contractor can help you avoid.
Kitchen Remodeling Mistake #1 – You Change Your Mind in the Middle of the Project
There’s little more damaging to your budget than having to tear down work that’s halfway done. Yet this happens way more often than you’d think, since lots of homeowners start working before realizing what the project will actually look like.
On average, “change orders” add about 10% to the budget of your kitchen remodel, which could easily mean a few thousand bucks extra. This is why it’s so important to draft detailed plans before work gets underway, so you know exactly what you’re getting into. Working with someone who’s experienced with the materials you plan to use can really help with this.
Kitchen Remodeling Mistake #2 – Spending Too Much on a Single Aspect of the Kitchen
You really, really want custom marble countertops, so you pour most of your budget into this one facet of the project. As a result, your cabinets and appliances get little funding, forcing you to install materials you don’t like or worse, that don’t hold up over time.
In the end, you pay more money replacing these things than you ever planned, all because your budget was severely unbalanced.
Prioritizing the things you want is good, but not at the expense of overall quality. Again, making the most out of your budget is something an experienced contractor can assist you with.
Kitchen Remodeling Mistake #3 – Skipping the Background Check on Your Contractor
We keep mentioning how contractors can help you – but the wrong one can blast your budget. Don’t forget that nearly one in five general contractors don’t have a state license or insurance, and one in ten don’t have either. Just because a company has a name or a logo doesn’t necessarily mean they’re legit, and non-accredited contractors are famous for going way over-budget.
All in all, knowing you’re working with a contractor who has an amazing record is worth the cost.
