Given how much we use our kitchens — from cooking to entertaining to chatting over coffee — you can experience the benefits of a kitchen renovation daily. For many homeowners, though, it’s hard to know how the entire kitchen remodeling process should unfold.
To make these projects feel less daunting, we created this kitchen remodel checklist. It breaks the process down into 10 concrete steps that any homeowner can follow to transform their kitchen.
Step 1: Create a Project Outline
The first step in planning any kitchen remodel is establishing your vision for the space. This seems simple, so many homeowners breeze through it. But it’s worth taking your time to think it through in depth.
To get started, create three lists. Although it helps to write things down, you can take mental notes if that works better for you.
- Your “complaints” list: This is an easy place to start — just take note of everything that bothers you about your current kitchen. Does it need more storage or counter space? Do the kitchen cabinets need to be replaced? Is there enough space for two people to cook together? These are the types of questions that inform your complaints list.
- Your “dream kitchen” list: When you close your eyes and imagine your perfect kitchen, what do you see? A spacious butcher block island? Quartz countertops and a double sink? Custom hardwood cabinets, abundant natural lighting, and high-tech smart appliances? Be creative and jot down any features of your dream kitchen.
- Your “must-haves” list: Look back over the other two lists and determine what elements are essential for your kitchen renovation. You can also create a supplementary list of “nice-to-haves” to refer back to during the remodeling design process.
This list-making exercise helps flesh out your vision. If you want to start delving deeper, you can start thinking about big-picture issues, including:
- Your preferred kitchen layout, including appliance placement, to create enough functional space and storage
- Whether any structural changes, such as taking out walls, are likely to be necessary
- What materials you might want for key elements, such as your countertop or flooring
- Which items in your existing kitchen to keep, which to touch up, and which to replace entirely
Taking the time to outline the contours of your project early on will pay dividends as you go through the rest of this kitchen renovation checklist.
Step 2: Set a Realistic Budget
Setting a realistic budget is a central part of the planning process for a kitchen remodel.
Until you get proposals from remodeling firms, you won’t know exactly how much the project will cost. That said, you can try to settle on a ballpark number for how much you want to spend.
Keep in mind that certain items, such as structural changes and new cabinets, can push up the project cost. Also, remember that you want to set aside some funds for potential unexpected expenses during construction.
Step 3: Gather Information About Local Remodeling Firms
The next phase of your kitchen remodel is finding the right people to design and complete the project.
You can create an initial list of remodeling firms by looking online, scoping out a company’s website, and reading some of their reviews. Referrals from friends, family, and coworkers are also a great way to find a reputable firm that’s done kitchen remodels to a high standard for other clients.
As you look at your options, think about whether you want to hire a standalone designer or a design-build firm. If you go with a standalone designer, you’ll have to shop around for a separate general contractor once you have the design in hand.
With a design-build firm, everything is handled by the same company under one contract. We use the design-build model because we think it’s more collaborative and efficient while simplifying the remodeling process for homeowners.
Step 4: Set Appointments with Remodeling Firms
After you have a list of potential remodeling partners, the next step is to contact them and set up a phone call, video call, or in-home visit.
During this meeting, you can share your ideas and goals for your kitchen remodel. It is usually easiest to visualize kitchen layout options during an in-home walk-through.
Don’t just meet with one contractor. Instead, try to get proposals from a handful of remodeling companies. Each proposal should show the estimated budget and the scope of work for renovating your kitchen.
One of the most costly mistakes we see many homeowners make is focusing almost exclusively on the proposed budget. It’s a natural reaction, but it can cause bigger problems down the line if the cheapest contractor is unreliable, does subpar work, or chalks up lots of contingency fees.
Focus on finding someone that you trust and can see yourself working with throughout the entire kitchen remodel. In the days after the appointment, consider:
- Were they present and attentive during the appointment?
- Did they listen to your needs?
- Did they follow up on how and when they said they would?
- Are they able to provide references from past clients?
Your answers to these questions can help guide you to a remodeler for your new kitchen.
Step 5: Choose a Remodeler and Kick Off the Project
Once you’ve selected a remodeler to work with, you can start getting into the project details.
An interior designer can give feedback on layout options and whether it would work to incorporate certain features, like a kitchen island, in your space. A kitchen designer can discuss the pros and cons of different materials for flooring, countertops, and cabinets.
It may take a few iterations, but the designer focuses on creating a conceptual plan with the features and overall look that matches your vision.
Step 6: Refine Your Ideas for the Kitchen Remodel
While waiting for the final design, you’ll have the ability to research and make choices about style, materials, colors, fixtures, finishes, and appliances. This is one element of the kitchen remodeling checklist that homeowners tend to either love or hate.
For some people, making all these decisions is painstaking, especially since there are so many options. Researching and choosing the right tile patterns, accent lighting, or sink may feel exhausting.
For other people, this is an exciting part of bringing a new kitchen to life. Many homeowners in this camp love remodeling TV shows and follow the latest trends in interior design on social media.
In either case, you can rely on your designer to help point you in the right direction and simplify the process of picking out things like:
- Countertops and backsplash
- Kitchen cabinets, cabinet hardware, drawers, and drawer pulls or handles
- Flooring
- Paint colors for each wall
- Lighting fixtures
- Major kitchen appliances
Not all of these decisions have to be made at once. Ask your remodeler about the project timeline and when they need a decision for each item on their work checklist.
Step 7: Review and Approve the Design Plan
Before beginning the remodel, you will have a chance to review the renovation plan created by the kitchen designer. Although little details can be changed later, you should make sure the proposed layout and materials are what you want.
Once you approve, the remodeler can start working on construction plans. If you haven’t already, you should expect to pay a deposit that is a percentage of the complete renovation budget.
Step 8: Prepare Your Home for the Kitchen Renovation
Before any demolition, construction, or installation can take place, you need to get prepared for the kitchen remodel.
Most kitchen items that are in cabinets or drawers will need to be put into storage during the remodel. Since your kitchen will probably be out of commission for a period of time, you may want to make plans to stay somewhere else or set up a temporary kitchen in another part of your home.
If you have a finished basement with a small fridge and microwave, that can be a solid option for preparing quick meals that don’t require much cooking.
If you are worried about damage to any part of your home, bring it up in advance with the remodeling team. They will make a remediation plan that includes dust control and protection of your furniture, floors, and walls.
Step 9: Watch the Transformation of Your Kitchen
So much of a kitchen remodeling checklist is about preparing for this moment when the actual work starts. Now, you get to watch as your kitchen gets transformed.
The actual work schedule can vary from weeks to months depending on the scope of your kitchen remodel. You can ask the remodeler for details about the work schedule and when each item on their checklist of tasks is expected to be completed. A trusted remodeler will keep you in the loop if any unexpected issues arise that affect the timeline or budget.
Step 10: Finalize Your Kitchen Renovation
Once the construction and installation of your new kitchen is complete, there’s one last kitchen remodel checklist to go through. A contractor usually calls this a “punch list,” and it includes any open items to wrap up to officially finish the job.
You and the remodeler can walk through your kitchen and identify any issues to add to the punch list. They may also need to coordinate a final inspection to demonstrate compliance with local building codes.
Conclusion
Following this kitchen remodel checklist can guide you toward one of the most meaningful upgrades that you can make to your home.
Our design-build firm has spent the last 25 years serving the West Chester area, and we would love to hear about your plans for a kitchen remodel. We have an experienced design team, including an in-house architect, and a team of skilled craftspeople who work to exacting standards.
Explore our website to learn more about our company’s history and portfolio, or reach out to us directly to schedule a time to discuss your vision for an upgraded kitchen.
