Remodel Your Kitchen In Time for the Holidays!
As you plan your family gatherings for the holidays, you may find yourself yearning for a kitchen where you can welcome loved ones, keep meals flowing, and maintain the activities so many of us are doing now from home. As family members work remotely and children attend virtual school, the kitchen often becomes Grand Central Station; it may feel impossible to get organized in time to entertain. Take heart – now is a great time to remodel your kitchen before the holidays!
What’s your kitchen renovation budget?
Home improvement experts always say it’s best to start with a budget in mind. Your total cost for new kitchen cabinets will depend on how many cabinet units you need and what accessories you choose to add to your layout.
The tried-and-true way to keep your budget in check is to retain your current kitchen footprint. Within your existing layout, you can incorporate a new cabinet style and new accessories – such as WHAT and WHAT? – to update your kitchen and improve both storage and functionality.
According to HomeAdvisor, typical kitchen renovations cost between $13,000 and $37,000. But don’t let that scare you; many cabinet manufacturers offer attractive financing options for qualifying homeowners that don’t affect your credit, including affordable payment plans with low or no interest.
The kitchen remodeling process and timeline
Now that we’re into October, you might think there’s just no way to start – and finish! – a kitchen remodel by Thanksgiving. Well, my friend, you are in for a beautiful surprise! Today’s kitchen remodels follow a streamlined process to expedite timelines and still deliver excellent results that delight homeowners. Let’s walk through what this schedule looks like and what you can expect from your cabinet manufacturer to make sure your new kitchen is ready to welcome your guests at Thanksgiving.
Steps in the remodeling process
The first step is to measure your kitchen—you and a helper can do this, or you can hire a kitchen contractor to do it for you to ensure accuracy. When you’ve got your measurements, you can move on to step two. Use our handy measuring guide to get started.
The second step is the most fun part of the process, except for perhaps that moment when the final installation is complete. This is when you send your measurements to the cabinet company’s certified cabinet designers and begin to work with them (virtually or face-to-face) to select and design the right cabinets and storage for your kitchen.
A kitchen designer’s expertise can help you understand the best workflow for the kitchen and how your cabinet doors should open to maximize access and avoid colliding with other doors. A designer will also suggest accessories to add to your cabinets to improve convenience and make sure you have ample storage.
You can also consult with your designer for recommendations on countertop and flooring choices that will work best in your kitchen. You then receive a 3-D rendering of your entire kitchen to envision what it will look like, and sign off with your final approval.
This third step is the easiest one in the process: With your final “yes,” the designer will place the order for your selected cabinets, accessories, countertop, and flooring. This means everything needed for your entire new kitchen will be compiled into a single order. Flat-packed ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinets ship within 48 hours, while pre-assembled kitchen cabinets will ship within 5 to 6 days. Either way, you can expect your new cabinets to arrive in 7 to 10 days.
So you are now two weeks into your project. If you are working with the same kitchen contractor who measured your kitchen, you can have a fully installed kitchen in 4 to 6 weeks.
The fourth step is installation. If you can allow your contractor to access your home when they need it, installation can begin the day the cabinets arrive. On average, most kitchen contractors need a week to 10 days to install your new kitchen cabinets, although it could take a bit longer for a large kitchen with numerous cabinets in the design.
Installation is a multi-step process. Your kitchen contractor will carefully coordinate the countertop installation and flooring installation around the cabinet installation.
Finalizing your kitchen renovation project
After installation is complete, the only remaining work is to finish painting and any necessary touch-ups. You can take a deep breath of satisfaction, pull out your favorite holiday decor, and set the table to welcome your family and guests to your holiday feast. No doubt, you’ll find yourself gratified at how inviting your new kitchen feels now that you’ve transformed it into the space you always dreamed about – and you’ll be ready when friends and family want to spend every holiday meal with you!
Visit with our certified cabinet designers today to get started on your new kitchen design or coordinate with a local professional kitchen contractor to begin your project.
