Remodeling the kitchen

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

We have been thinking of remodeling our kitchen and we're heavily leaning towards IKEA but we are hesitant still as we've read mixed reviews about installation.

Does anyone around has had any experience with this? 

Any advice on kitchen remodeling will be welcome. 

[TBoneTX 45,222]

A kitchen is a hard thing to be without for weeks, or a month.

Have at least a toaster oven or hotplate available to use while yours is roped off.

 

We got cabinets with doors and drawers that slide shut gently after one pushes them.

If your budget permits, I recommend these without reservation.

 

Get countertops that are stylish yet easily maintained, for your benefit and later resale value.

 

Look for refrigerators/ranges at estate sales, moving-sales, or as discontinued models at stores.

Be highly cautious about floor models!  We lucked out on a wall oven, but that's an anomaly.

On a budget, an Amana dishwasher (available at Home Despot) is as good as any fancier machine.

 

Make sure that your new kitchen disposal unit will fit readily under your sink.

Our plumber had quite a time with size and piping.

 

Get the very strongest over-range exhaust fan that you can possibly find.

Spare no expense on this.

Be sure that it's compatible with venting to the outside; we had some issues with where the previous holes to our weak, obsolete unit were.

 

Regarding IKEA, read reviews and query past customers about YOUR local store, or nearby ones.

In general, insist on the senior project manager and that he/she will compile the most experienced team of carpenters, cabinetry people, plumbers, et al.

 

Let us know how you choose to proceed, and the results!

Edited May 24, 2021 by TBoneTX
wrong verb

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

Thanks for the advice @TBoneTX! So many things to consider.

 

One of the things we dread the most is the time we'd go without the kitchen and the imponderables that could make the process not just longer and more expensive, but quite stressful. 

 

We'll surely share our next steps!

 

[TBoneTX 45,222]

19 hours ago, Allaboutwaiting said:

One of the things we dread the most is the time we'd go without the kitchen and the imponderables that could make the process not just longer and more expensive, but quite stressful. 

It's definitely not fun, but the process is finite and the future enjoyment is lasting.

 

Add a tabletop microwave oven and a Mr. Coffee-type unit to the toaster oven and hotplate mentioned above.

And a couple of styrofoam or portable coolers.

 

Additional thought:  Most people cannot possibly have enough drawer/cabinet/storage space for food, plates/bowls, utensils, et al.  Look at your current kitchen to see whether there's any unused or "dead" area that could be converted into extra usable space.

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,370]

On 5/23/2021 at 12:48 AM, Allaboutwaiting said:

We have been thinking of remodeling our kitchen and we're heavily leaning towards IKEA but we are hesitant still as we've read mixed reviews about installation.

Does anyone around has had any experience with this? 

Any advice on kitchen remodeling will be welcome. 

 

[Joe Kano 327]

I walked into IKEA one time, there product looks like it's made for a kid moving to college and looks disposable to me.

 

Some of the cheapest and jankiest looking stuff I have seen, I have no clue how they stay in business

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Before going the Ikea route I recommend having your contractor make suggestions on the best materials - haven't (yet) done redone my horrible 1940 kitchen, but other stuff like windows, electricity, plumbing I've been steered away from making bad decisions about what I thought I wanted

[debbiedoo 2,339]

why on earth would you buy disposable cabinets, which is what everything from ikea is ... disposable?

 

buy the highest quality kitchen cabinets you can afford. if all you can afford is ikea then WAIT. or find more money.

 

QUALITY MATTERS. you will never have enough cabinet space in kitchens. if possible, put in more than you think you want or need. if possible, make sure it is WISELY USED. watch those corner cabinets for unused space. there are many designs that eliminate those unused spaces (such as cabinets with built in lazy susans or pull out cabinets), and even very affordable storage solutions you can add afterward, that help make functional use of those spaces.

 

remodels dont have to be a nightmare but im also married to a contractor and i worked as a construction site admin for years so we are both more experienced than the average homeowner... remodels dont cost us as much as they do many, simply because we do the labor ourselves and some material we can get at wholesale. its still not cheap. im still waiting for MY new kitchen. LOL

 

expect to go over budget. this is usually due to unforseen issues such as plumbing or electrical issues that come up. especially if it is an older house, or even if it is a newer home in 'planned communities'. truly, sometimes those can be just as bad because workmanship nowdays can be horrible. just because something is to code, does not mean it is well done or done in a way that makes sense. in older homes, it may not be to code at all. which will be a whole other can of worms to deal with.

[millefleur 5,046]

3 hours ago, debbiedoo said:

expect to go over budget.

This is basically the law of home remodels/home construction related things.

[debbiedoo 2,339]

Just now, millefleur said:

This is basically the law of home remodels/home construction related things.

always. minimum of 20% LOL

[debbiedoo 2,339]

okay so it took me forever to find these pics. its not a kitchen remodel but this was our hall bath/guest remodel. literally the floor to ceiling redone. electrical/plumbing all redone. all new drywall. skylight removed. new ceiling put in (water damage from skylight). we did all the work. our cost was somewhere around $5K? if we had to hire a contractor it would have been at least double that with all of the electrical and plumbing and skylight removal and ceiling work etc. color i dont think shows up in the photos really well but the wall is a super super pale blue that i love, and then white on the wainscoting and trim. This bathroom is nicer than OUR master bathroom (for the moment anyway LOL) The mirror is an antique from my grandparents house (they raised me) and the cabinet above the toilet, my grandfather made for me 25 years or so ago. So the cabinetry and finishes were chosen to match those features. Wish I had done the same for the tub finishes but by that point I was just over all of it, we had guests coming soon and needed it to be DONE and I was past the point of caring LMAO  its not a fancy bathroom, but it is quite nice. especially considering the starting point LOL

 

FYI - we did not KNOW we were going to be in for it with the electrical.

 

oh, also had to replace a bunch of the insulation. mice.

 

gotta love those unexpected costs LOL

 

I've also decided I dont like the tile but hubby told me too ****** bad. LOLOLOLOL

 

 

 

 

Edited August 8, 2021 by debbiedoo

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

On 8/8/2021 at 11:50 AM, debbiedoo said:

okay so it took me forever to find these pics. its not a kitchen remodel but this was our hall bath/guest remodel. literally the floor to ceiling redone. electrical/plumbing all redone. all new drywall. skylight removed. new ceiling put in (water damage from skylight). we did all the work. our cost was somewhere around $5K? if we had to hire a contractor it would have been at least double that with all of the electrical and plumbing and skylight removal and ceiling work etc. color i dont think shows up in the photos really well but the wall is a super super pale blue that i love, and then white on the wainscoting and trim. This bathroom is nicer than OUR master bathroom (for the moment anyway LOL) The mirror is an antique from my grandparents house (they raised me) and the cabinet above the toilet, my grandfather made for me 25 years or so ago. So the cabinetry and finishes were chosen to match those features. Wish I had done the same for the tub finishes but by that point I was just over all of it, we had guests coming soon and needed it to be DONE and I was past the point of caring LMAO  its not a fancy bathroom, but it is quite nice. especially considering the starting point LOL

 

FYI - we did not KNOW we were going to be in for it with the electrical.

 

oh, also had to replace a bunch of the insulation. mice.

 

gotta love those unexpected costs LOL

 

I've also decided I dont like the tile but hubby told me too ****** bad. LOLOLOLOL

 

 

 

 

Thanks, looks amazing! And for 5k it an absolute steal.

I bet a job like that where we live would be at least 20k.

[debbiedoo 2,339]

51 minutes ago, Allaboutwaiting said:

Thanks, looks amazing! And for 5k it an absolute steal.

I bet a job like that where we live would be at least 20k.

That was materials only. Hubby did all the work. If we had paid a contractor, in our area.... probably $10-12K (we are in a very rural area)

 

There are things we could have done nicer or better, but we were both just over all of it, especially with all the 'unexpecteds' like the electrical and insulation and plumbing.... LMAO

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

1 hour ago, debbiedoo said:

That was materials only. Hubby did all the work. If we had paid a contractor, in our area.... probably $10-12K (we are in a very rural area)

 

There are things we could have done nicer or better, but we were both just over all of it, especially with all the 'unexpecteds' like the electrical and insulation and plumbing.... LMAO

Our biggest issue is not just the cost but finding a contractor we can actually fully trust.

[millefleur 5,046]

3 hours ago, Allaboutwaiting said:

Our biggest issue is not just the cost but finding a contractor we can actually fully trust.

It's definitely an issue. Knock on wood, so far I've been lucky with my contractors but my sister and one of my close friends have been scammed. It seems like there are a lot of dubious people out there who want to take advantage.