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San Diego real estate library
Secrets of a Painless Kitchen Remodel
You've had it. Your kitchen floor is old and stained, your
cupboards are so awkward its impossible to keep them arranged,
your appliances on their last legs. You've wanted to remodel
your kitchen for years, but you fear you have neither the money
nor the time to embark on a lengthy, expensive remodel.
Never fear. Your kitchen remodel does not have to be a demanding
experience. Many homeowners decide to do the work of a remodel
themselves, opting to finish the work on evenings or weekends.
If you have a high tolerance for disruption and want to get the
most bang for your buck, this may be the best option for your
kitchen remodel. However, it is probably not going to be
painless. Another thing to consider is to hire out all the
individual contractors for your remodel yourself. For instance,
you do the legwork and find a tile layer, you decide who you
want to install your sink and garbage disposal and hook up the
dishwasher. This may save you some money, but certainly will not
save you any time. You'll spend hours asking friends and family
who they used for their kitchen remodel, and you'll want to also
be sure to check references and view samples of their work for
each one. When you consider how many different people it takes
to complete a remodel-plumber, tile-layer, floor specialist,
cabinet installer-to name only a few, you can see that this is a
time-consuming occupation. Many people enjoy this process, but
others may be more comfortable with having one professional to
oversee the entire process of the kitchen remodel.
If you are pressed for time, and want a relatively painless
kitchen remodel, you would be well advised to hire a
professional contractor. This is perhaps the number one secret
to a painless kitchen remodel. A reputable kitchen remodel
contractor can save you hours of time in finding and overseeing
individual contractors, guide you in design and configuration
choices, and be your hand-holder throughout the entire process.
And let's face it, while there are ways to make your kitchen
remodel as painless as possible, it's still going to be a
disruption of your home. Having a professional at your side can
ease a lot of the disruption.
How to find a kitchen remodel contractor? Word of mouth is
always a good starting point. Ask friends and family for
referrals. Get online and check websites. Browse your local
yellow pages. Many large home improvement stores offer
contracting services, as do smaller, local companies. Talk to
several; have them visit your kitchen so that you can discuss
the specifics of your remodel onsite. A remodel contractor will
give you ideas and present options you might not have thought
about.
Your next step is to get bids from all the remodel contractors
you've talked to. Then compare those bids, but there are
considerations beyond just price. Did you feel the contractor
understood the goals of your remodel? Are your design ideas
similar? Do you feel comfortable personally with the contractor?
You'll be spending a lot of time together over the course of the
remodel, so this is important.
Once you've chosen the contractor, he can give you tips on how
to schedule and what to expect over the course of the remodel.
He'll be available to answer questions and troubleshoot. Your
remodel will be done before you know it-and you'll be basking in
the beauty of your new kitchen.
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