Major Kitchen Remodel

Q: I am new to this list, so hi everyone. I have a started home in St. Paul, MN, from 1940. Most of the house has been updated, including an added bathroom in the basement. The kitchen has never been updated, and the appliances are at least 25 years old. I plan on a major remodel, with the intent to sell in three years. The work involves opening the wall between the kitchen and dining room, adding a peninsula there, closing off a window to have a U-shape (with the range and micro on that wall - currently the frig is next to the range), new cabs and countertops, basically redoing everything. Should all appliances be the same brand? Is it worth it to install ceramic tile versus other flooring?

A: You are undertaking the most expensive home remodel project - the kitchen. There are a lot of things that you should consider and you may find the information on the link of benefit:

As to your specific questions - each manufacture has variations in the shades and colors of appliances - so if you want a perfect match, stick to the same manufacturer (I read that there are 17 colors of white with all the manufacturers of appliances).

Flooring - consider the flooring from the kitchen use. Ceramic, Porcelain, Marble, etc. nice appearance - hard on the legs. You can get more info on floor choices at:

http://www.renovation-headquarters.com/flooringindex.htm

Link

Kitchen Remodel Design

Q. I am ready to do a kitchen remodel. I've talked to 2 cabinet suppliers. Both say that they're designers but for some reason I seem to need more direction. Neither of them have come up with a plan that WOWs me, or that I feel comfortable with moving forward on.

I've gone to Home Depot and spoken a little bit with them, but I've also seen on the Internet where other kitchen remodelers say NOT to go there or to another place like that.

I have some definite ideas on what I want, but I am very unclear about many other things.

We don't want to "DIY" the entire kitchen, but there are some things that we're willing to do ourselves, such as taking out the existing cabinets because hubby wants to put some of them up in his shop.

Thanks in advance for any advice or direction you could give me.

A. The problem with the big box retailers is that when it comes to the kitchen and bathroom design departments the experience of any specific associate can vary from a day to 10 or more years and it is impossible to actually look at the work that a specific designer has actually done. So while some people will have great stories to tell about their kitchens purchased from a big box retailer, there are others who will not be so happy.

I have a couple of suggestions for your consideration.

Invest a bit of the kitchen remodel funds in some design software that you can use yourself, the new programs are very easy and allow you to see in 3D what the kitchen would look like from different views before you make any investment.

Follow the link to learn more about the different software packages.

Work with an independent kitchen remodel company that lives or dies on the work that they do. Check out their previous work and talk to some of their customers.

Link

Doing a bathroom remodel....slowly?

Q. After the holidays, we'd like to remodel our 2nd floor bathroom. It's quite small, so this shouldn't be TOO terribly expensive.

However, all of our previous "big changes" have been handled by contractors. We're looking at doing this one ourselves, mostly because the "big money" has run out and now we'll just be able to budget a few hundred dollars per month, at best, towards home projects.

We don't need to make any "big changes" that would involve plumbing moves. The toilet, tub, and the sink won't be moving anywhere.

So, I was thinking I could do this "one piece at a time" replace the toilet one month, maybe alter the location / wiring of the light fixture above the sink the next month, redo the flooring another month, etc.

The tub will NOT be replaced. It's a claw-foot tub, but somewhere along the line, some crazy person decided to "box it in" with plywood and then put these teeny-tiny tiles all over the wood.

I was just wondering what would be the most logical order to do this stuff in? (Or if it even matters?)

I suspect that I may find a surprise or two under the flooring, as there is some sort of detectable "hole" or depression in at least one spot. They've got vinyl placed over that. But none of the fixtures seems to have unstable flooring underneath it, so I'm thinking there might be a bit of subflooring work that needs to be done, but hopefully nothing too scary.

I thought I'd start with the flooring, but then the thought crossed my mind that maybe a "top down" approach would be better (start with the high work and work my way down to the low stuff). Not sure. I'm very inexperienced in this sort of thing. I would obviously be hiring an electrician for the electrical move. But I'm thinking I can probably replace the toilet, the sink, and the cabinets all myself (given time and patience).

A. It is difficult to do a bathroom remodel in bits and pieces primarily because things inter-relate to one another.

You really can't do the floor while the vanity and toilet are in place. You can't do the vanity, if the floor needs work. You can't tile walls unless you are not planning on replacing the faucets, if you are, the faucets have to come first, that means removing the wall. You can't change the sink, until you take care of the vanity.

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Kitchen Remodel

Most families spend a substantial amount of time in their kitchen area. In some cases it is the place where families gather in the morning and evening and share their experiences. In some homes the cook spends many hours preparing meals.

It really doesn't matter whether the kitchen is the family gathering place or whether it is the cooks domain, in either case the kitchen needs to be a comfortable and well laid out room with an ambience of warmth.

A kitchen remodel will add monetary value to the home should you decide to sell. The quality and appearance of the kitchen is the number one driver of resale properties.

New appliances, are more energy efficient each year and they provide increased efficiency for the cook and those who work during the day and still prepare a quality meal every evening.

If you are considering remodeling any part of your home, the kitchen is the area that should be considered first.

Follow the link for additional information on remodeling your kitchen!

Link

Home Design Software

If you haven't had a chance to view the new 3D software that is available for home decorating, remodelling and landscaping, you owe it to yourself to spend a few moments experimenting and having fun!

For more information follow the link.

Link

Home Improvement or Remodel!

What is the difference between a home improvement and a home remodel? I generally define a home remodel as a major undertaking that significantly changes the appearance of the property. It usually involves structural changes or at least adding or deleting walls.

I also consider the complete renovation of a kitchen or bathroom to be a remodel. By that I mean changing fixtures, cabinetry and floors.

Another distinguishing feature can be whether or not a building permit is required in order to undertake the work. No building permit required then in my opinion it falls under decorating or home improvement. If a building permit is required then it is a remodel.

All that being said, it really doesn't matter whether you consider your project to be a remodel, home improvement or decorating the same considerations applies to making it a success.

Those two considerations are:

• Planning
• Knowledge