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Tag: kitchen renovation

What Are the Things to Consider Prior to Kitchen Renovation?

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Renovating your kitchen is such a large project you must get it properly the first time. A new kitchen renovation can become one of the most major projects you will ever embark on for your house if it is completed successfully.

The renovation process can be intimidating for individuals who have never renovated a kitchen earlier. While researching information, finding ideas online, and examining samples at your local store might be entertaining, it’s essential to consider the wider picture.

Here are some of the seven things to consider before kitchen renovation.

7 Things to Consider Before Your Kitchen Renovation

Get a professional

Kitchen designers that work professionally will spend time learning about you and your aesthetic preferences so that they can realize the mental picture you have of your dream kitchen and make it a reality. Therefore, you should find professional kitchen renovators to help you with modern and contemporary kitchen designs.

Consider your budget

Establishing a spending limit before beginning work on your kitchen remodel is the most effective way to reduce the risk of inadvertently depleting your financial reserves to pay for the project. Determine the budget you want to stick to and the amount of leeway you have in case you go over. On top of that, you have the opportunity to work toward reducing the cost of the renovation job.

Timelines

In addition to a stringent budget, be careful to define a deadline for the project. Consider how long you can truly survive with only a makeshift kitchen available to you. Do you need completion of the renovations in five weeks? Or are you able to stretch it out to eight instead?

Suppose you want to avoid scrambling to rearrange plans at the eleventh hour due to the extensive amount of planning that goes into renovating a kitchen. In that case, you should ensure that your remodel is meticulously choreographed.

Permits required

You need to remember that the permits required by the city government vary depending on the modification being performed. If you do not have these, you will have difficulty selling or refinancing your property since potential buyers and lenders want to verify that your home’s modifications follow the relevant building laws and regulations.

Storage

Decide about where you are going to keep everything in the kitchen. It is possible that in addition to purchasing brand new home appliances and cooking utensils, the majority of what you now own will be retained in the kitchen. Determine how much space you need for storage, and then look into innovative storage solutions to get some extra ideas.

Lighting

Think about utilizing a variety of lighting schemes in your cooking space if you don’t want it to be too dim. You will need, at the very least ambient lighting, which provides general brightness, as well as task lighting, which allows you to concentrate on a variety of different cooking chores.

Layout functionality

What will your kitchen look like if all the cabinets and gadgets are used at once? Will open the refrigerator door hinder access to the oven? Consider the redesign’s layout before approving the floor plan. If you are considering adding a kitchen island, ensure sufficient space.

Conclusion

There are several strategies to ensure that your kitchen remodel does not spiral out of control; all you need to do is establish solid ground rules. With just a little planning, your kitchen renovation will run well, and you may even finish under budget. However, don’t forget to include a contingency budget if the project throws you a curveball!

How to Maximize Space in Your Home Through Renovations

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Having plenty of space to move around is something most of us enjoy. But with the rising house prices in Canada, it can be tricky to find a home in the right area that also affords plenty of free space for yourself, your children and everything else you need room for.

Whether you already have a home you are looking to optimize the space for, or whether you are considering buying a particular home that feels a bit small, this article will help you understand what your options are in terms of maximizing your space. Good luck!

Do not rush your decision

If you have just bought your home but have not yet moved in, you might not realize exactly what it is that makes the space feel cramped for instance. While not always possible, it can be a good idea to live in the home for a week or longer before making massive changes.

This is in order for you to get a good feeling of the flow of the space, and to get a better understanding of what would help and what is necessary. Nothing is worse than spending money and time on a renovation project that turns out to be unnecessary and thus a waste.

Opening up the space

One of the most common ways of maximizing space in a home, is by removing sections of walls that block the light and obstruct easy passages. Just remember not to touch load bearing walls without professional help, as this can lead to disaster in a short time.

Most of us are familiar with an open and combined dining room and kitchen area, but there are plenty of other areas where knocking down a part of the wall can free up room for all sorts of activities.

Consider dual purpose areas

These days there are plenty of brilliant solutions for the space conscious family. With many Canadians working from home, more and more people have turned their guest bedroom into a home office.

But what about when the inlaws are visiting? In this case something simple like a wall mounted bed that you can pull down, would allow you to keep working during the weekdays, and on the weekend convert the room to a livable guestroom.

Maximize the amount natural light

Luxury is defined by space and light. If you are having issues with the space in your home, maximizing the amount of natural light flowing into your rooms can help make the space feel larger and more open.

Consider adding windows or skylights, or removing heavy curtains to let in more light. Alternatively, a gable fronted dormer can not only add more light into the room, but even provide more square footage as well.

Build an extension to your home

Finally, the last option on our list is to add an entirely new section to your existing square footage. Whether this is connected directly to the rest of your home, or functions as a separate space for the teenager to enjoy is up to you.

You might even be able to convert the upstairs attic into a livable area. Just remember to check with local planning officers, and obtain all the necessary permits in order to fully register the area, and avoid potential fines and issues when selling the home down the road.

How to Budget for Your Home Renovation Project

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Have you decided to begin a renovation project for your home? Then you might be one of the many Canadians improving their house each year. One of the most important things to ensure a successful experience, is making a budget that fits your project and then of course sticking to it.

It is easier said than done of course, but with a few tips and tricks, you can become much better equipped to take on the tasks ahead. So in this article we will cover some of the different ways in which you can create a realistic budget. Good luck!

Settle on the extent of the project

Before you can begin the process of actually creating your budget, you should first figure out exactly what the renovation actually entails. This can be a relatively easy task, or it might require you contacting professionals in order to get an idea of the work that needs to be done.

Perhaps you are simply removing old wallpaper and giving the walls and ceilings a new coat of paint, in which case there probably won’t be any hidden expenses. But if you are digging up the old hardwood floors, or replacing the roof tiles, you might notice other things that need to be fixed as well in the process.

Research the time needed

While this is not strictly necessary in terms of the budget itself, it can also help if you are calculating a rough timeline. If nothing else, it will give you an idea of the scope of the entire renovation, and also help make it clear when to hire which contractors.

Research costs for materials, permits, contractors

Next up you will need to figure out rough costs for everything necessary. Remember to include permits if needed, and also account for the wages for contractors and so on. It can be a good idea to divide this into the different parts of the project, such as kitchen renovation, basement and so on.

Take your time with this step, and if in doubt, add a bit more than you think might be necessary. No home renovation project ever failed because there was too much money available, but many projects have stalled due to lack of funds.

Materials are relatively straightforward to figure out if you are buying directly from a shop, but sometimes contractors wish to use their own connections and suppliers, which might be cheaper, but also require you to rely on the quote you got.

Make a prioritized list

Now that you have an idea of the cost and time of each individual area of your home, it is time to be realistic with what you wish to spend on the project. If you have already divided up the cost per area of the home, you can now pick and choose between the different projects you’d like.

If you are in doubt whether to choose between certain areas, perhaps consider which of those would add the most resale value to the home, or which would give the most comfort if you plan on living there for many years to come.

 

3 Tips and tricks for renovating your kitchen

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Do you wish to increase the value of your home? Are you tired of that one drawer that never quite opens fully? Or perhaps you would prefer updating that ancient looking tiling on your kitchen walls? There are countless reasons why renovating your kitchen is a great idea, and why so many Canadians remodel and renovate their kitchens every year.

If you are considering updating your kitchen, whether it is because you just moved into a new place, or perhaps you are just tired of the old and worn trim, then you are in luck! In this blog post we have curated 3 of our best tips and tricks for renovating your kitchen beautifully and effectively.

Luxury is defined by light and space

This might be an age old saying, but it is true nonetheless. One of the most popular things to do in especially older homes, is tearing down sections of walls in the kitchen.

This allows for more light to enter the room, and opens up the space, creating more room to move about. In some situations you will also be able to converse with family members in the living or dining room, while you are cooking a healthy and tasty meal.

By creating a more modern kitchen environment, you will not only be more comfortable, but also increase the value of your home. Buyers are always looking at the kitchen as one of the major considerations when choosing between homes, so make yours stand out!

Update your wallpaper

A fresh layer of paint can do wonders for any type of kitchen, old or new. As times change, so do our preferences of colors.

Whether for your own benefit, or for potential buyers, making sure that your walls and floors have a modern look and feel, you can ensure your kitchen is presented in the best possible light.

We recommend choosing lighter colors, as these are more neutral, meaning that it will take longer for you to tire of them, they will remain relevant and trendy for longer, and potential buyers will be less likely to have an issue with these types of colors.

Beige, white and light grey are all modern choices that are excellent, but feel free to choose one wall or section to highlight with a bold pop of color.

What to do about the old cabinets?

One of the major concerns that most homeowners have, is the question of what to do with the old kitchen cabinets. These tend to feel outdated quite frequently, but they can be expensive to replace, and are often in a good enough condition.

At The HandyForce we are experienced with all types of renovations, from completely changing your kitchen cabinets, to rearranging the existing ones, or perhaps even painting the doors on your cabinets.

If you are in doubt, just remember that we are always available for a consultation in order to help you achieve the best possible kitchen, for an affordable price and within the deadline. So contact us today in order to learn more!