Tuesday 30 September 2008

Kitchen Renovations at a Reasonable Cost

Often, homeowners would like to remodel their kitchen and other rooms in their home but lack the financial resources for such a major project. There are quite a few ways to change the look of the kitchen, the busiest room in the house, with some attractive remodeling plans. Just taking a close look at what you would like to see in a new kitchen, along with what must to be done to improve it, can help your prioritize and get your renovation started.

The clear first step as you begin to renovate is figuring out how much money you want to spend. Then break your list down into the areas that require your attention. Even if the entire project cannot be completed at once, you can take on small projects to help you stick to your budget. There is no "right" timeline. Kitchen remodeling can be done gradually as time and money permits, but fix what must done first before it turns into a major disaster. Keeping to your priorities can help keep the project from getting out of hand. If the drain pipe is leaking water under the sink, a coat of paint on the walls will not help. Start with the essentials.

A Little Paint Can Go a Long Way

Entirely new cabinetry may not be possible depending on your existing budget for kitchen renovations, but the doors are easy to unscrew. You can sand them down and apply a fresh coat of paint or stain. Take my advice, this can make old cabinets look like new. However, you must not forget to take care of the strip of wood in between the cabinet doors. Left untreated, this will stand out like a sore thumb. While you have the cabinet covers off, you might as well replace the hardware with something modern and new.

Fresh paint goes a long way towards making a kitchen attractive. The best way to paint is to take everything off the walls, remove all nails and screws and patch the holes with spackle. Kitchen remodeling can look great no matter what as long as the job is done thoroughly. Once the spackle dries, sand the area down. Take several looks around the room to be sure no holes were missed and the wall is ready for paint. Any imperfect areas will likely show through the new paint, which will ruin all the hard work you spent trying to make your kitchen look nice.

Taking the time to plan ahead is an important part of any renovating project. Even if the project is not planned to begin for many weeks or months, you can start to put your dream together if you see the cabinets you want at a clearance sale. Buy them and keep them until you are ready to start.

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