Kitchen Remodeling

audri asked:


I’m trying to help renovate a really quaint house in the middle of a nice neighborhood. The house has 3 bedrooms, one bathroom [possibly 2, after renovation], a nice kitchen, and a dining room. There’s an outside utility room as well. I’ve got to choose colors and flooring…

What attracted you to your own home when you bought it? Any suggestions on color combinations that tend to be universally pleasing to a home-buyer?
Thanks!

Ellen

Shelly79 asked:


We are have recently made an offer to purchase a property with two 3 x1 duplex’s already erected on the property requiring quite a bit of renovation. We have had a look around and it is all so confusing & expensive. Can anyone please give us some advise on how we can renovate the Kitchen’s in both property’s at a reasonable price?

Melinda

mrhappy asked:


we are starting week three now…two more to go before the renovation is completed….

Poll: tootsie rolls or jolly ranchers
hey Luv…nice to see you…yep, we have everything there for them but we are getting granite countertop, that is what seems to be holding us up(on their end) but not by much….and yes, it’s my b-day today…

Jessie

Jenna Holder asked:


My wife(of 3 years) and I have been arguing a lot recently because of a kitchen renovation we are doing. This last argument though got especially heated and I slapped her… We haven’t been talking for a week and I can’t stand it. I just don’t know how to start. I feel horrible.

Todd

Roger Thompson asked:


In an ideal kitchen, room size is of lesser importance. Instead, the key is the efficient use of space. The distance between the three most important elements (the refrigerator, the cooking surface and the sink) mustn’t be too great. Remember the triangle principle whose merits have been praised by kitchen designers. When it comes to our home, we only want what is the best and that is why we fill it with the pieces of furniture that only reflects our own style and fill it with the objects that we love. And when you ask different kinds of people about their favorite area in their homes, one of the most common answers that we could get is the kitchen where everyone could just gather around while enjoying a nice delicious meal.

That is why when we talk about making it look good and updated, one of the first things that would come to our minds is having a great kitchen renovation plan that would make it look nothing but spectacular while at the same time, let us do the cooking and dining with great style and comfort. If you need some of the tips that would make your kitchen renovation plans, here are some of the few good things that should consider doing before jumping in.

What you may want to do when you are having a kitchen renovation plan is to sit down and take the time to think of what you want for your kitchen to look like. List down all the areas that you want to focus on and the kitchen appliances that you think needs to be replaced with new appliances with greater or higher technology that are in trends right now. Aside from that, one of the best ideas that you should keep in mind when it comes to having a great kitchen renovation plan that would not just upgrade the look of your kitchen but reflect your personality is to consult someone, your other family members or your friends about what they think of your ideas. This way, even if you are not having the help of a professional interior designer, you could be sure that your ideas for your kitchen renovation plan and new design is something that your family and friends would appreciate.

Discussing decoration in the planning stage is a good idea, as the addition of elements that are both functional and decorative will have an impact on your plans. For example, certain appliances and other devices will probably be replaced. If this is so, check to see if an outside ventilation outlet will be needed. Get information on the properties and advantages of different types of counters that are on the market. You’ll need to choose among different cupboard types such as melamine, stratified or wood, prefabricated or tailor made with the trends “du jour” into mind. Also, be open to the different kinds of suggestions that may come from them and it would not hurt if you would look into different magazines to give you fresh ideas of design for your kitchen plus, it would give you the option to do some catalog shopping for the materials that you think would be suitable for your new kitchen design. And lastly, when it comes to taking action and starting your kitchen renovation project, you now have to decide whether you will hire a professional help from contractors or go for DIY or do-it-yourself.

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Jim

I_Love_McRedneck asked:


Nothing in the area has sold in the last year & nothing is currently on the market….SO how do you determine the asking price of a house? This relates to another question I posted earlier. I’m looking at buying a home where I feel the seller has overstated the value by about 25k, mainly because they claim the house has 4 bedrooms when it only has 2. I’m not willing to consider rooms in the basement without closets as bedrooms.
I’ve put in an offer that’s very fair for a 2 bedroom home. This house has been on the market (and sitting empty) for quite some time now. A year ago, the asking price would have been fair, but not in today’s market.
How do I determine an offer price, and how did the seller even come up with the asking price to begin with?
I want to protect my investment, but the house needs about 50k in renovations, kitchen & bathrooms (1 bath isn’t even usable). I couldn’t sell the house at a profit in 10 years if I bought @ asking price + made improvements. HELP!

Virginia

Morgan Kennedy asked:


Have you been thinking about renovating your kitchen or bathroom but you just aren’t sure? Do you need a little encouragement to help you make up your mind? How about this, renovating your kitchen or bathroom will pay for itself over a few years, and if you ever sell your home, a renovated kitchen or bathroom is a huge selling point. Either of these renovations will raise the value of your home, give you instant equity, and make it sell for a higher price.

Kitchen Renovations

Renovating a kitchen is almost the same as renovating a bathroom, except on a larger scale. Instead of one or two cabinets, you have many cabinets to install. Rather than one small countertop, you have from five to twenty times the countertops to install. The sinks don’t even compare in size from the kitchen to the bathroom.

Start by choosing your cabinets and counter tops. These are the visual focal points of your kitchen. Marble counters are extremely durable and the best looking counters you can buy, and will really bring the value of your kitchen up. Next choose flooring that will go nicely in the kitchen. Tile flooring, carpet, or stone works well in a kitchen. Next choose your sinks and faucets, and then new appliances made for energy efficiency. You can add islands in the kitchen with bar stools, ceiling fans, and even build timbers into the ceiling for a special effect.

Bathroom Renovations

There are several things you will want to do in your bathroom to completely renovate it. Beginning with the bathtub, you can either get a new bathtub or look into bathtub resurfacing. Resurfaced tubs look just like new when it’s done, so there really is no need to replace the bathtub unless you want a new style or size. You will want to replace the showerhead and bathtub fixtures, though. Put in some modern fixtures and get a water saving rain shower head. This will save you some money on your water bill each month.

Replacing the counter tops and sinks can be a job, but it’s not too tough. You can find everything you need at the home improvement store, and even put it all together to see how it will look before you buy it and bring it home. Make sure that the cabinets have ample shelving, and that the faucets match the fixtures in the bathtub. The plumbing for these jobs isn’t too bad, you should be able to do it all yourself. Make sure that you measure first before you buy your cabinets, especially if you plan to replace the toilet with a new low-flow model. You will want to be sure that everything is going to fit in the space you have.

Finish up the bathroom with some great looking tile flooring and new lighting. Be sure to buy the new energy saving florescent bulbs to save even more money. To be safe hire a professional to do the electrical work.

When you are considering moving to a location that’s more than a few miles away, it is often difficult to find a real estate agent who you can trust to help you from a long distance, or even a local agent who is willing to put the effort into finding you a great home that far away. The internet is a resource that you can use on your own, any time of the day or night, and search all of the property listings you want to, not just the ones that somebody else wants you to see. When you search for property online, you are in control of your own destiny. See how easy it is to find real estate property listings online, or even rental property listings. You could find your new home town sooner than you thought possible.



Mario

Nelson Stewart asked:


Renovating your kitchen can add value to your home that is quoted as high as 70% return on your remodeling investment. This means if you spend $10,000 on your re-modeling your kitchen it may boost the value of your property by $7,000. Kitchen renovations are often dreaded, but the secret of success is in the planning.

The kitchen is one of the most frequently re-modeled rooms in a house. It is also one of the most used rooms, which raises an interesting point. It may be that it always gets a remodeling job because it is one of the busiest rooms in the home and therefore looks ‘used’ fairly quickly, but how do you renovate such a busy area?

Everyone gathers in the kitchen it is true, but this part of the kitchen’s function can easily be moved elsewhere. This is not so with the other kitchen functions: i.e. food preparation, storage and meal clean-up. For a real renovation these functions will have to be moved to a temporary ‘kitchen area’. Advance planning will be required to set up a second ‘kitchen’ before you dismantle the first.

The fridge will probably have to be moved out of its spot in the kitchen but not be able to travel too far due to its large size! You will also need a sink, a microwave and an electric toaster oven that is outside of the kitchen.

For a sink, you could look to your laundry room or a second bathroom. Both areas can be scrubbed out enough and remain unused for the duration of the few days when you will have no water, fridge or stove in your kitchen. Perhaps the top of the washing machine can double as some counter space.

You will also need to draw up a plan of menu’s that can be easily prepared, brought in or heated up. Having to eat out should be avoided as it will involve some clean-up or clothes changing that will waste too much time.

In preparing for the reno itself, it is always a good idea to make three lists. These will include the features that you like about your old layout, the features that don’t like and the new ones you want to include. Familiarize yourself with the latest innovations on the market.

Appliances with the new EnerGuide label will save you money on your energy bill. Consider new lighting, would you benefit from concealed-under-the-cabinet lighting? New compact fluorescent light fixtures are four times more efficient than standard bulbs. It is very inexpensive to replace only the cabinet doors on all your kitchen cabinets if you do not plan to alter the layout; check the Internet for details.

If you are changing your layout, ensure you follow the triangle set-up of stove, sink and fridge, but before you go to any of this trouble - double check that you will really be spending the money where you want it. Remember, paint, lighting and new cupboard doors are inexpensive and make a big difference!



Larry

rena asked:


We are replacing plumbing fixtures in the baths and kitchen and adding some plumbing (washer/dryer going to the master). We thought with some of the walls out maybe we should replace the existing with PEX while it is “easy”. But….we don’t want a budget buster! Any ideas or past experiences???

Martin

Sofia Rucci asked:


When deciding to have your kitchen renovated, the most common mistake homeowners make is believing that the process will not be a disruption in their household. Renovation of even a very small kitchen requires the services of several different types of contractors and the ordering of materials for each, all of which have the potential to affect the overall timeline of the project, and all of which means you are not going to have the use of your kitchen for some period of time.

Unfortunately, the process is also complex enough that the potential of hiring a general contractor to oversee the entire project while you and your family just go on vacation during the remodel is not really feasible. There are always small details that come up during the course of demolition and reinstallation which prompt questions from the various contractors and decisions that the homeowners must make on site which just make it very difficult to just go away and then come back to a brand new kitchen.

However, the hiring of an overseeing general contractor is highly recommended. The general contractor, or G.C., will be responsible for scheduling all of the other contractors, ordering and following up on all materials, delivery schedules and making sure that the installation of various items is done in the correct order to prevent damage to prior installations.

Since the plumbing, electrical, flooring, cabinets ordering, cabinet installation, countertops, appliances and painting are all done by separate contracting companies, an ordering snafu such as temporary out-of-stock status of any element will disrupt the entire delivery and installation schedule of all of the remaining items. The number of components involved in kitchen renovation makes this a common occurrence. Your G.C. will be the one that keeps all of this organized, and makes all of the phone calls and schedule changes as glitches come up.

Although more costly, the hiring of a general contractor to oversee the project installation is well worth the relief of aggravation that leave most homeowners just feeling exhausted and glad it’s over when the renovation is complete. Far better to spend a little more on what will already be a costly renovation to be relaxed enough to fully appreciate and enjoy your new kitchen the day it is finished!



Loretta