Secrets of a Painless Kitchen Remodel

You've had it. Your kitchen floor is old and stained, your cupboards are so awkward its impossible to keep them organized, your appliances on their last legs. You've wanted to remodel your kitchen for years, but you fear you have neither the money nor the time to embark on a lengthy, expensive remodel.

Never fear. Your kitchen remodel does not have to be a grueling experience. Many homeowners decide to do the work of a remodel themselves, opting to finish the work on evenings or weekends. If you have a high tolerance for disruption and want to get the most bang for your buck, this may be the best option for your kitchen remodel. However, it is probably not going to be painless. Another thing to consider is to hire out all the individual contractors for your remodel yourself. For instance, you do the legwork and find a tile layer, you decide who you want to install your sink and garbage disposal and hook up the dishwasher. This may save you some money, but certainly will not save you any time. You'll spend hours asking friends and family who they used for their kitchen remodel, and you'll want to also be sure to check references and view samples of their work for each one. When you consider how many different people it takes to complete a remodel-plumber, tile-layer, floor specialist, cabinet installer-to name only a few, you can see that this is a time-consuming occupation. Many people enjoy this process, but others may be more comfortable with having one professional to oversee the entire process of the kitchen remodel.

If you are pressed for time, and want a relatively painless kitchen remodel, you would be well advised to hire a professional contractor. This is perhaps the number one secret to a painless kitchen remodel. A reputable kitchen remodel contractor can save you hours of time in finding and overseeing individual contractors, guide you in design and configuration choices, and be your hand-holder throughout the entire process. And let's face it, while there are ways to make your kitchen remodel as painless as possible, it's still going to be a disruption of your home. Having a professional at your side can ease a lot of the disruption.

How to find a kitchen remodel contractor? Word of mouth is always a good starting point. Ask friends and family for recommendations. Get online and check websites. Browse your local yellow pages. Many large home improvement stores offer contracting services, as do smaller, local companies. Talk to several; have them visit your kitchen so that you can discuss the specifics of your remodel onsite. A remodel contractor will give you ideas and present options you might not have thought about.

Your next step is to get bids from all the remodel contractors you've talked to. Then compare those bids, but there are considerations beyond just price. Did you feel the contractor understood the goals of your remodel? Are your design ideas similar? Do you feel comfortable personally with the contractor? You'll be spending a lot of time together over the course of the remodel, so this is important.

Once you've chosen the contractor, he can give you tips on how to schedule and what to expect over the course of the remodel. He'll be available to answer questions and troubleshoot. Your remodel will be done before you know it-and you'll be basking in the beauty of your new kitchen.