Kitchen Improvement Mistakes You Should Avoid

Home renovations, specifically kitchen improvements, should be looked at as an investment within your home. Updating the kitchen of your home can be quite expensive and it is quite easy to blow through your budget if you are not careful.

Experts recommend taking approximately 5% to 15% of the total value of your home and spending that amount on remodeling, renovating, and updating your kitchen. Renovation experts have come together to provide you with the top kitchen improvement mistakes you should avoid.

Avoid These Mistakes

Renovating your kitchen increases the value of your home, however, if you are not careful you could end up losing money on the whole ordeal. The top kitchen improvement mistakes to avoid include:

• Making the walking space too small: The space between your kitchen island and other countertops should be one of the main considerations in planning out a kitchen remodel. Multiple people will be walking throughout the space, often at the same time, so you want to ensure there is plenty of space to allow others to pass. In addition, you want to allow adequate space to open all drawers, cabinets, and appliances.
• Making the island too large: An island is a great option in adding countertop space and cabinet storage in your kitchen, however, it is too easy to make the island much too big. An island that is too long takes too much time and becomes quite inconvenient to have to walk around while an island that is more than approximately 4 ft wide holds too much unusable space in the middle as it cannot be reached easily. Think functionally, sometimes two are better than one.
• Making design changes once construction has started: It is important that once you finalize the construction and design plans agreed upon by you and your contractor that you stick to what you choose. Making design changes after construction has begun will add significant cost increases as well as a time delay in finishing the project.
• Not accounting for enough electrical outlets: It is no secret that many of the kitchen gadgets we rely on these days are electrical and require a power source to work. That fancy kitchen aid mixer you got for Christmas, blender, toaster, or even your can opener requires an electrical outlet to power on. Consider adding hidden power outlets in your countertop or inside a drawer to ensure there is an adequate power supply for all of your kitchen gadgets.
• Waiting until the end to choose appliances: Not all appliances are “one size fits all” therefore you must prioritize choosing the appliances that will go into your newly remodeled kitchen before construction begins. Ensure your contractor knows the exact dimensions so they know the amount of space to account for.
• Blowing the budget: It is all too easy to get caught up in the design process and wind up blowing right through the budget you had set in place. Consider all of your options when it comes to making final decisions on the construction and renovation process to be sure that you do not break your budget. Prioritize the things you need versus the things you want.

Visit Kitchen Emporium for all your Remodeling Needs

At Kitchen Emporium, we have been known as Southern California’s kitchen and bath experts for more than 20 years! With two convenient locations, we can better serve Southern California areas, including the San Fernando Valley, San Diego, and San Marcos.

Our friendly staff has many years of renovation and remodeling experience and are here to assist you every step of the way! At Kitchen Emporium, we understand how frustrating the renovation process can be from the never-ending options of cabinets, countertops, and hardware to the mounting costs. We are dedicated to providing customers with wholesale pricing on popular countertops, cabinetry, and sinks to help the remodel process be a little bit easier.

We offer contemporary, transitional, and traditional style cabinetry in dozens of color schemes and themes including:

• White, gray, greige, espresso, chestnut, and black coffee maple
• Dove and charcoal panel
• Pearl, hazel, creme, cinnamon, chocolate, mahogany, and mocha maple glazed

With countless positive customer reviews, you are sure to be satisfied with the many options available at Kitchen Emporium. Come visit us or call us today!