Kitchen remodels have reliably been one of the most popular and most valuable forms of home improvement for American homeowners for several years running, and with good reason! A properly performed kitchen remodel lends a perfectly customized new look to the busiest space in your entire home, allows for significant improvements to your home’s property value and energy efficiency, and provides homeowners an immediate look at what their careful planning resulted in. All that in mind, kitchen remodeling has also proven to be one of the most complicated and expensive home remodeling projects which can be taken on, resulting in many homeowners abandoning the idea before it even gets started. Don’t let that happen to you! Realize the gorgeous new kitchen you've been dreaming of using these simple tips to keep the entire job well under budget!

Prioritize and Stick by Your Priorities

Just as every family’s different so are every family’s needs. Plan your kitchen remodel specifically around the needs, plans, and preferences of your family and prioritize the projects which most effectively help you meet those needs. While it’s true that there is a traditionally accepted way of tackling kitchen remodels, (with more expensive and visible projects getting addressed earlier in the process) your home’s kitchen remodel should always represent your plans and preferences first. Furthermore, my prioritizing the projects you’re most interested in first you can be sure that if there is a shortage of funds later in the process your key goals will have been met first.

Plan for Surprise Costs

In just about every kitchen remodel surprise expenses are an inevitability, particularly in homes which haven’t had remodeling services performed in years. With everything from your electrical system to your plumbing system meeting in one space, it’s almost unavoidable for professional kitchen remodelers to perform a complete remodel without finding some unexpected damage or obstacle which calls for extra investment on your part. Accounting for these unexpected expenses is one of the most important steps to keeping your kitchen remodel on budget so set aside about 20% of your total budget for your kitchen remodel as your “just in case” fund. This will ensure that if problems arise you don’t have to dip into other sources to keep your project going and, if no such problems arise, this money can be thought of as your accenting and decorating allowance.

Project Back-Ups

Oftentimes the threat of going over-budget intimidates homeowners to such a degree that they settle for an abruptly ended kitchen remodel instead of reassessing the work that’s left to be done. In many of these cases homeowners are left with a kitchen that looks and feels unfinished and in some they’re left with a kitchen that simply isn’t as safe and reliable as it should be. When you’re planning your kitchen remodeling project consider back-ups and alternatives to as many of your preferences as possible, for example, trading your elegant granite countertops with more affordable vinyl ones that mimic the same look. This will help to ensure that if a shortage of funds develops you can still have a complete kitchen remodel performed without having to completely abandon any particular project.