A recent Houzz survey of 120,000 users responded that what they really want is a new kitchen. Nearly 30 percent of all renovations that occurred in 2015 were kitchen renovation. Spending on those projects increased by 12 % compared to the year before.

Broken Budgets!

More than one-third of the respondents reported breaking their budgets to complete their project. Whether the budget went over because the homeowners wanted more upscale products or because the scope of the project increased, better planning at the beginning will always help you stay within your budget. The following are the reasons the surveyed respondents had for going over-budget…

• 45% Decided to buy more expensive products or materials
• 40% Products or services were more costly than expected
• 33% Decided to change project scope or design
• 32% product was more complex than expected
• 28% Discovered unexpected construction related issues
• 8% Poor project management by service providers
• 6% Poor communication with service providers
• 4% Decided to change or hire new service providers
• 3% Other

Have Completed Any Remodeling Before?

Many homeowners have not done remodeling before and do not know what to ask for or to expect from kitchen renovators. There are many options and pre-selection and possibilities of complication that could arise. Entering into a contract with a remodeler who simply cannot put a complete kitchen renovation project together can be costly. Choose your remodeler wisely.

Suggestions for Realistic Kitchen Renovation Budgets

• Take your time – Determine who you want to work with, do your homework and ask the hard questions.
• Be realistic!!! – High quality materials and quality workmanship are expensive but worth the investment.
• Have a Long Term Plan – It can be costly to do all that you want at one time. Maybe hold off on all new appliances for a year or two.
• Are You Handy? – Maybe you can tackle the demolition or the painting and leave the craftsmanship to the experts.

What a Good Contractor Looks Like…

• Has a track record of success
• Can layout out a design/remodel process that will minimize the reasons you could go over budget
• Has good relationships with subcontractors and vendors that ensures their estimates will be accurate.
• Pays attentions to small details