Have you been dreaming of one day having that beautiful kitchen straight out of a magazine, yet find yourself unsure about where to begin? It’s time to unwind, enjoy a little story and follow these great tips to set your dream kitchen in motion! 

It’s Saturday morning. You walk down the isles with empty cart and coffee in hand. Optimistically looking at cabinet door samples, countertops, flooring, and maybe even tile for that unique custom touch! You even find yourself looking at those shiny stainless steel appliances with the TV screen on the front and think out-loud, “Wow,  that could be cool!” You can add up sticker prices for some of the materials and it seems like it could be doable. Then there is the golden ticket shinning under the florescent light! It’s a big banner that says 0% APR for 12 months when opening a Project Credit Card! You think to yourself, 12 months, no interest, why not! Before you know it, you are pre-approved for a $15,000 Project Credit card and are sitting down with one of the “kitchen designers”. The good news is you were smart, so you took a few measurements of your current kitchen the night before and brainstormed with your partner about a a few layout changes you want to make. The designer enters the measurements into the program and after a few hours, several bathroom breaks and another few trips around the store, your excitement starts to fade. Your kitchen price is three-times more than the Project card you were just approved for! Then you sink into the chair when you realize, I still have to find someone to help do the actual work, because I have never done anything like this before…. You go home still thinking of ways to pull this off, so you think about getting some local contractors to take a look along with jointing the DIY movement. Your parents and friends told you to get multiple quotes, so after a few dozen or more calls you are able to set up several estimates with local contractors. Two of the three show up to the scheduled meetings and are very nice and informative. They describe options you never thought of and things they would do “if it was their home.” They all say they have to go back and work up numbers and will get back to you. Weeks go by and finally one of them sends out an estimate that is over twice as much as the material! Sadly another few go by and no word from the other. You are at a crossroads and don’t know which way to go. You consider doing it yourself, but aren’t very handy and don’t have the right tools for a job like this. You aren’t sure if your dream kitchen is possible anymore… 

Sea story aside, this is a story that I hear often. But don’t worry, here’s a few tips and with the right planning you will be able to make that dream kitchen a reality!

Tip #1- Set your budget first. Going to shop for your kitchen fixtures isn’t going to help lead you down the path of success. It all comes down to the numbers.Take a hard look at the bank accounts, know how much funding can be made available from lending institutions, and what type of impact it will make on your financial situation. If you have a safe number in your head of what your kitchen remodel will cost, double it and see if the numbers still work for you. More often than not, remodeling is twice as much as you think. 

Tip #2- Set up a PAID Consultation with a local contractor. Having a contractor come out to give you a FREE estimate for a project you don’t have a clear direction or budget for will also lead you astray. The contractor will always have ideas of what you could do, but without any specific direction, or budget (most importantly), it will leave both parties at a loss. Be upfront with the contractor(s) and inform them that you are in the “planning phase” and just looking for insight on the project. This can be for rough budgets, design possibilities, timelines, or just how the whole process works. Tell them you are open to paying for their time. This will take the sales pitch off of the contractor interaction and allow for open, honest dialog for you to receive feedback. This also will leave the contractor feeling positive that his time was valued, unlike many interactions before. It could prove to be the best few hundred dollars you have ever spent. At the end of the day, what’s an extra few hundred bucks when you’re planning a kitchen remodel that could be over $100,000?

Tip #3 Set measurable goals to make it happen, & Save. You Had a hard look at the numbers, a no strings attached Paid consultation with a contractor, and have gained valuable insight on what it will take to make that beautiful kitchen a reality. Time to crunch the information, trim the fat, and come up with an achievable goal of how and when to make this happen. Take the time to look at how long you need to save or how you can financially achieve the result you are looking for without breaking the bank. It might mean waiting a year or two to achieve, but this juice will be well worth the squeeze knowing you planned properly and didn’t break the bank to do it. 

Tip #4 Design.Design.Design. Nail down the design you are looking for. This means everything from floorpan to fixtures. This will make it much easier to receive true apples to apples estimates from contractors. The more specific and complete you can be with the design, the better. The good news is technology is on your side! There are many construction design applications to help those that want to take a hands on approach. If you need help with this, contacting a contractor for some recommendations, or looking up a local designer to assist is a good idea.

Tip #5 Find your Contractor. Not all Kitchen Remodeling contractors are made equal. Each have different processes, skillsets, experience, and niches. Some do most all of the work in-house, while others outsource or subcontract everything. Think of what your dream kitchen remodel experience looks like. Not the kitchen finishes, but your own personal experience. Do you need design assistance, or have a creative eye and want to handle that on your own. Do you want to have a lot of personal oversight/ involvement, or have a contractor to run the remodel and produce a hands-off red carpet experience? Do you have tight timeline constraints, or are you flexible? Ask yourself these type of specific questions, along with prospective contractors and finding the right one for the Job will become much easier.

That’s it, you’re ready. If you take the advice from those 5 tips, you will be in well on your way to beautiful dream kitchen that’s straight out of the magazine. But Wait! We didn’t talk about where to shop for the newest kitchen and bath stuff! The truth is that planning a successful Kitchen remodel comes down to the pre-planning. Setting a budget, gathering information, and finding the right contractor to manage expectations. After that, it’s all fun and fixtures!

Until Next time!

Matthew Puhr 

President & Founder

Boxer Construction NW