Do you love your home but not the kitchen? Would you love a new custom kitchen but don’t know where to start the remodeling process? Understanding the custom kitchen remodeling process is the first step to a successful remodel!
Whether you’ve lived in your home for years or recently purchased a home, if you want to remodel your kitchen, this guide helps you understand the process.
Do Your Research
Although a kitchen remodeling contractor or designer can guide you through the design process, you and your family know the look you want far better than anyone!
Use a variety of resources to get inspired! Websites such as Houzz, television shows like Fixer Upper (or any other HGTV show), and social media platforms like Pinterest or Instagram provide great places to collect ideas, wants, and needs for your remodel. As you begin your discussions with potential contractors, having ideas and inspiration to share helps.
Find a Custom Kitchen Remodeling Contractor You Can Trust
Most people find the home remodeling process overwhelming and stressful – and understandably so! Working with a kitchen contractor you trust reduces anxiety and stress.
When looking for a general contractor, turn to Yelp!, your neighbors, or even Google for guidance. Talk to several contractors and collect multiple estimates. While price may be a major consideration, also consider how comfortable you feel with the contractor and their reputation for doing quality work on time and on-budget.
Keep looking if:
- If you feel uncomfortable with the contractor
- The general contractor lacks confidence
- You can’t find references or completed jobs.
Your home is one of your most valuable assets, and you must trust the general contractor who works in your home. Check out How to Avoid Being Scammed by a General Contractor for more tips on this step.
Ask for References
Once you narrow your selection to 2 or 3 contractors, ask for the names and contact information for previous clients. Reach out and speak to the client. You may even be able to see the finished project firsthand!
A picture paints a thousand words, but seeing is believing. Have you ever purchased something online only to be disappointed in the quality when the product arrives? Checking references allows you to avoid disappointment in the quality of the contractor’s work.
Custom kitchen remodeling contractors expect you to ask for references. They understand you are interviewing them for a job, and they will gladly offer references for you to check. Reference checking allows you to verify that the person represents themselves accurately. Privately speaking with prior clients provides valuable insight you can’t get from an online review!
Ask Questions About Their Custom Kitchen Remodeling Process
Don’t be afraid to ask your general contractor questions! Whether it is about a certain material or a step in the custom kitchen remodeling process, ask the experts. Your contractor can address your questions and concerns.
Unless you’ve been through a remodel before, work in the custom kitchen remodeling industry, or have spent countless hours researching a kitchen remodel in depth, you will have questions. And when you do, speak up. Your kitchen remodeling contractor has the answers.
Prep for Your Remodel
Use the weeks leading up to your remodel to prepare for the interruption to your daily routine.
A custom kitchen remodel removes your kitchen. To avoid eating out or at a friend’s house for weeks on end, set up a temporary kitchen. Check out how in our Tips For a Smooth Remodel.
Certain trades may suggest or even require you to leave the home while they work (e.g. for a bathroom renovation, hot mop day) and you should prepare in advance. Ask your general contractor or the project manager what steps they need you to take to prepare your home for your remodel.
Understanding the process, performing due diligence in hiring a contractor, and preparing helps ensure your custom kitchen remodeling project results in the kitchen of your dreams.