Kitchen remodeling is a decision that will drastically change your kitchen and affect the quality of life in your household. It will also change the value of the property and make the place more marketable if you ever decide to sell it. After all, the luxurious kitchen and bathroom are the first two areas that any potential buyer wants to check out.

Seeing as how it’s an expensive project that makes a part (an essential part) of your home unusable for a while, this is not a decision that people are quick to make. This is especially true if you approach the project without the right game plan and make a critical error. In order to avoid this, here are the top eight major kitchen remodeling mistakes that you should be aware of.

1. Ignoring the importance of storage

The problem with kitchen storage is that it has so many items that have different storage requirements. You need to think about your small appliances, kitchenware, ingredients (those that don’t go into the fridge) and more. The key thing is that you understand that your needs will grow. You might get more appliances and more ingredients, which is why leaving some extra room is always a good idea, even if it’s unoccupied for the time being.

2. Neglecting the maintenance

Beyond doubt, this is the area of the house that requires the most maintenance. You need to start by focusing on maintenance and choosing the most suitable option. Chances are that there’s a surface that you’ll have to wipe after every meal/meal preparation, that you will regularly spill or drop sticky, slimy or oily ingredients on the floor or counter. Things will splash over the walls and storage. This is just the way things are in the kitchen and you need to look for materials that are:

• Resilient
• Easy for maintenance

This is something that we’ll return to later on.

3. Skipping the infrastructure

According to the veteran plumber from Canberra a kitchen remodel is an excellent opportunity for you to revisit your home’s plumbing system and electrical installation. Otherwise, you would have to demolish/open walls, break tiles, move appliances and kitchen elements, dismount cabinets, etc. All of this is a lot of work whenever you decide to try it out but while remodeling your kitchen, you’ll be doing it already. Sure, the expense of replacing your plumbing is not an insignificant one. However, it will give you a chance to make your kitchen future-proof for at least another decade or two.  

4. Ignoring your workflow

Every single one of us has our own patterns of behavior. So, while you’re remodeling your kitchen, you might want to focus a bit on this. Just imagine your morning routine and try to sketch the itinerary across the kitchen floor. Where do you stand first? What appliance do you activate second? What do you do while you wait for the appliance to finish its work? You should also think about your favorite (most common) meal type. How is it prepared? During the remodeling, you’ll have this luxury.

5. Not getting enough counter space

When organizing the kitchen, some people focus too much on providing the place for all their appliances. However, having enough counter space gives you more operational freedom. One of the ways to get more counter space is to create a kitchen island. Aside from being a practical upgrade, it’s also a way to add a social feature to your kitchen. Now, you can communicate to your guests (other residents) while washing dishes and without having to turn your back on them. You can also watch living room TV while washing dishes.

6. The full potential of tiles

Another thing you need to understand is the fact that the popularity of tiles in your kitchen is not random. Ceramic tiles are inexpensive, durable and they’re not water absorbent. Moreover, they come in so many different forms and are used for so many different elements. You can go for flooring, wall and even use them for the backsplash in the room. Overall, there’s no end to the possibilities. These tiles also come in all different colors and patterns, which makes them ideal for any thematic remodel.

7. Overstepping your budget

A kitchen remodel is a major investment and you can’t afford to ignore the ROI or your own financial situation. The budget often depends on the motivation behind the remodel. First of all, if you’re remodeling for lifestyle improvement, the money shouldn’t be much of an issue. If you want to sell the place, you should focus on the ROI a bit more. Finally, if the kitchen is in a ruinous state and needs to be fixed in order to be usable, you need to approach the planning stage much more resourcefully. In any case, you need to determine the budget.

8. Postponing the purchase of appliances

In a kitchen, appliances are more than just a necessary expense. First of all, they are a design feature and they need to fit the sockets that you’ve left for them. Second, they’re the single largest expense in your remodel (if you’re getting all of them), which is why they’re relevant for the budgeting issues (that we’ve just discussed). Most importantly, all of these appliances should match in color and theme. If you buy them one by one (which is a more budget-friendly idea) chances of this will be somewhat lower. So, it might be a better move to handle it all at once.

In conclusion

In the end, it might be a good idea to start by asking a simple question – why am I remodeling, to begin with? There are three possible answers to this question.

• You’re trying to sell the place and want to increase its resale value.
• You want to make an investment in your quality of life.
• The kitchen is falling apart and it desperately needs a remodel.

Based on this reason, you will make all the subsequent decisions. It will greatly affect your decision-making process and even the suitable budget for the project. In other words, you need to tailor the plan to your own needs.