Design Process, Projects

5 Best Practices on How to Start a Kitchen Project

“A kitchen project can be a breeze or a long-term dilemma— all it takes is a proper mindset and trustworthy resource.”

Have you ever wondered if it’s time to renovate or remodel your kitchen and start your kitchen project? Perhaps it’s been at the back of your mind, but you never had a chance to act on it— until now.

According to Houzz, the average homeowner spends 8.6 months to almost a year on a kitchen project. In fact, owners spent a large portion of that time on planning alone! As a result, homeowners can take up to 8 months in just the planning stage. Meanwhile, the average construction may add five months.

Furthermore, homeowners tend to get stuck in the exploration stage compared to actual construction and finalization. Here are three reasons why:

Overall the envisioning, planning, and execution could get mentally and physically draining, especially if you don’t know where to start.

Imagining the end results of a kitchen project can be challenging. The uncertainty may cause anxiety to homeowners, causing some delays.

Choosing a designer and general contractor takes a lot of research and can be time-consuming. Therefore, it’s crucial to choose a one-stop resource like French Cabinetry that could provide services starting from conceptualization to construction.

To keep things on track, see below 5 best practices regarding handling kitchen projects.

1. Pin Down Your Goals and Direction

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A kitchen project can get chaotic, especially if you don’t start from the basics. So when it comes to building or remodeling a kitchen, the first question you should ask is, “why?” Setting up a big perspective is an excellent help in deciding on the little details later on.

Here are some of the main reasons why homeowners usually build or remodel their kitchens:

Increasing House Value

One main reason for starting a kitchen project is to update the area and make it enticing to the market. So if you’re planning to increase the value of your house— clever renovations make more sense.

How? Instead of spending more than $50,000 to change your whole kitchen, it’s wiser to prioritize what to renovate. All it takes is one or three on-point kitchen updates, and you’ll have enough boost before jumping into the market.

Building a Dream Home

Another reason for starting a kitchen project is to get closer to your dream house. This project may start building from scratch or remodeling— you need a clear vision and end goal.

However, planning and designing your dream house with a lovely kitchen to fit your needs and wants can be an arduous journey. Especially if you can’t translate what you envision to the actual space.

Besides, our design team at French Cabinetry would be happy to help brainstorm alongside you to build your dream kitchen! So if you’re starting from scratch, we have a style guide quiz that can help you realize the type of look you want!

If you want to know how we can help, you can reach us here.

Upgrading Technology

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Homeowners remodel their kitchens to keep on trend with the latest convenience technology has to offer. Per NKBA 2023 Trends Report, homeowners are thrilled about the following upgrades:

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Furthermore, did you know consumers are more than willing to pay more for a home that’s spruced up with technology? Yes! According to 2021 realtor statistics, a large base of consumers ranging from 18 to 34 years can readily pay for homes with a smart connected kitchen. So be sure to add that to your to-do list if you’re planning to renovate for the sake of selling.

2. Determine the Scope

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After establishing why you need to start a kitchen project, next is figuring out the scope. You can consider the following options below:

Full Renovation

Renovation— think of refreshing your kitchen without changing its general purpose. But, without a doubt, a renovation works if you want to upgrade your technology or even increase the value of your home! Here are a few examples of what’s usually done for a renovation:

Repainting kitchen walls.
Install new flooring.
Repair or install new kitchen cabinets.
Install countertops.
Update your backsplash.
And more!

Remodeling

Remodeling is perfect if you want to transform your kitchen, change its layout, or the structure itself. It’s for anyone who wants an outcome that is not entirely detached from the house’s general design.

3. Assemble the Professionals

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After grasping the direction you want for your kitchen project, it’s time to zoom in on the big picture. When it comes to kitchen projects, you’ll need professionals to set things in motion.

For instance, in 2022, 89% of homeowners hired a pro for their kitchen project, which jumped to 4% since 2021. So forget the era of “do-it-yourself” and have pros do-it-for-you instead!

If you’re wondering what’s the best fit for you, we listed below points you can consider:

Designer

In any case, to get things rolling, you need a kitchen designer! This is important if you want to make sure your design goals will be translated into reality. You have the following options when it comes to designers:

Kitchen contractors or companies with in-house designers are more convenient since it’s easier to align the intent for the project.

Independent designers who are not connected to any contractors or companies.

General Contractor

A general contractor is a pro you need to start and finish your kitchen project. Contractors are insured to guarantee your kitchen’s quality and if it’s up to standard.

On the other hand, you need to ensure the contractor you found has intensive experience working with kitchens. This way, you’ll be assured that your kitchen is in great hands.

Own Team

Of course, you can also assemble your own team and get things started. But this option might be too much to handle somewhere down the road. First, if you find someone not affiliated with a construction-related company, you won’t benefit from insurance.

Evidently, it’s better to hire professionals that can save you from all the hassle, trouble, and headache! The second setback of hiring your own team is communication. If there are two or three professionals or companies involved, it can get messy.

4. Set a Budget

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As a rule of thumb, experts advise setting 5 to 15 percent of your home value when planning a large-scale kitchen project. So if your home costs around $1,200,000, it’s safe to say your range should be around $60,000 to $180,000.

Take advantage of most of your budget by hiring a one-stop contractor to ensure everything goes smoothly. Do take into consideration that your budget will be affected by the preferred material and finish.

Usually, hiring a general contractor helps keep everything on track if you want to prevent going over budget. It takes careful planning, with the help of a professional, to stay religious on a budget you’ve set.

On the contrary, DIY might be more cost-effective now, but this might sacrifice the quality and durability in the long run. So it’s best to let the professionals handle the labor of your kitchen project.

See here for kitchen updates that won’t break your bank.

5. Consider Your Timeline

Starting a kitchen project is not a walk in the park. So it all depends on the scope and the amount of work you plan to put into the project. In fact, the planning and designing stage alone may take one to two months to complete.

Once you move on from the design or layout approvals, the next stop is the in-home project. Here’s a rough timeline of what you can expect:

Demolition
Electrical Layout
Flooring and Cabinet Installation:
Countertop Fabrication and Installation
Plumbing and Appliance Installation:
Backsplash and other “Tile Work” Installation
Painting

Next, after everything is done, county officials and a third-party to conduct final inspections. This is the stage where plumbing and electrical are checked to ensure they follow the standards in your area.

Last but not least, you must have a final walkthrough to ensure every detail satisfies you. If not, you can create a punch list to jot down specific details you want to touch up. Finally, after you are satisfied, a final sign-off indicating you approve of what your new kitchen looks like.

Temporary Accommodation

With all the work that’s happening in the kitchen, you might want to get temporary accommodation as an option. Meanwhile, some homeowners setup up a “kitchen” in other areas of their homes. Whatever works best for you while the construction is ongoing!

“Kitchen projects can be less stressful if professionals do it for you.”

Start Your Kitchen Project Journey with French Cabinetry

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If you’re looking for a hassle-free kitchen project option, look no further. Want your kitchen project to pass by like a breeze? Then, let French Cabinetry take this journey with you.

No need to contemplate which contractor works on a kitchen best or which designer can help you. With French Cabinetry, you get both and even more!

Testimonials

I am so thrilled to have had Jam design and oversee construction of my kitchen. As my first kitchen construction project, I was quite nervous and took a lot of time to make a final decision about which cabinet vendor to work with. The end result is perfect. All measurements were precise and Jam guided me on the many details that made the final look so impressive!

Our former contractor ruined and subsequently abandoned the installation of our European kitchen cabinets. Thank goodness we found Jam. He was very professional and had all the tools necessary to install the European cabinets. His attention to detail and patience is a rarity in the current crowded home remodeling landscape. In our case, fixing a poorly installed job was even more challenging. Jam was able to spot and fix all the issues including the hidden ones. For example, the built in fridge cavity was too small for the fridge. He patiently figured out a way. He also discovered the upper cabinets were not secured properly to the wall and posed severe potential life threatening danger. Thank goodness Jam to the rescue.

French Cabinetry was exactly what we wanted for our kitchen remodel. We loved the design and cabinet options that we were presented with, and Jam & Negin were excellent to work with and were very helpful for the entire consultation process. In fact, they were very willing to revise the design and renderings to meet our budget constraints on multiple occasions.

Click here to explore more testimonials on working with French Cabinetry.

French Cabinet Packages

If you’re a client who still needs to polish your ideas, this package is more suitable for you. This is the stage where you still need a general direction and designers to brainstorm with you. But, again, it’s a service that provides programming and design only.

The package you’ll want to pick to start and end your kitchen project! From conceptual to installation— you can discuss what you’ll need to achieve the kitchen goals you’re aiming for.

Also, if you have certain appliances you’re looking for, don’t hesitate to bring that up. For example, looking for the perfect seamless-looking range hood? No problem! We can give you options and more!

From Our Portfolio

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Why Wait? Schedule a Consultation Now

Are you excited about your long-awaited kitchen project? Be it a remodel, renovation or if you’re still unsure about what you need and want— schedule a consultation now! You can schedule a FREE consultation below at your preferred time and date.