5 common Kitchen Remodeling mistakes

You can never be too overprepared when it comes to home remodeling projects. With lots of things that can go wrong, you’ll sure be saving yourself from wasting money, time and effort by knowing what to avoid when remodeling your kitchen.
Here are five of the most common mistakes homeowners make and which you should endeavor to avoid.

Going for trends too much
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with incorporating trends into your kitchen design but make sure you are doing it moderately. You wouldn’t want your kitchen to be outdated a little more than a year after you remodeled it.

To make the best of the décor you’ll buy, choose timeless pieces or color schemes instead of what is trending at the moment.

Putting more attention to appearance over function
With kitchens, remember that functionality should take front stage. Your kitchen isn’t a display, you’ll want to be able to prepare meals in it. List down all the things you don’t like about your kitchen when it comes to functionality. Are the cabinets too high or too few? Does its current layout help your efficiency when cooking? Does your kitchen need more lighting? And lastly, which of your appliances work and which ones don’t?

By solving these problems during your designing process, you can make sure that you have a functional kitchen by the end of the remodeling. You can always design your way around to accommodate these changes first.

Designers recommend paying attention to your kitchen’s work triangle which comprises of the stove, the sink and the refrigerator. These areas are where kitchen activities are centered. Make sure that they aren’t cluttered and there no obstacles separate them from each other. You would want to be able to move back and forth among the three areas with ease.

Being cheap
Staying within the budget is important but it shouldn’t be at the cost of quality. You can go cheap for certain elements of your kitchen. However, there are some things that you shouldn’t skimp out on as they will be worthy investments in the long run.

Going for better quality countertops, flooring and cabinets will pay off as they will be the most used objects in your kitchen. Similarly, you should avoid skimping on labor. The importance of good work can’t be emphasized enough. Bad woodwork or floorwork done by cheap contractors will definitely bite you in the ass in the coming years.

Not consulting an expert
Admit to yourself that kitchen remodeling isn’t an easy DIY. You may think that you know exactly what to do because hey it’s your kitchen. But never underestimate the advice professionals can give you. Remember, most of them have been remodeling homes for years probably even decades. So they have a treasure trove of wisdom and warning tales they can impart to you. They can give you tips on which materials to use and which techniques work.
Not having enough types of lighting
Designers recommend having at least three types of lighting in your kitchen: (a) overhead lighting for illumination, (b) spot lighting for specific tasks and (c) accent lighting for drawing attention to kitchen design. Foregoing the last two can lead to a boring and flat-looking kitchen.

For functional lighting, make sure to place light sources in preparation areas. Undercabinet lighting works well for this

Keep your kitchen remodeling on track by avoiding these common mistakes. Make smarter decisions and always remember to consult experts before starting out a remodeling project.