10 Tips for Renovating Your Kitchen in 2021

If you feel the need to renovate your kitchen, there are plenty of good reasons. You could boost the value of your home, so when it’s time for resale, you’ll get a higher price.

The current kitchen may be out of style, possibly even a little depressing when you look at it. Or you’re simply ready for a change. Fresh surfaces and appliances could make your entire home more appealing.

Whatever the motivation, you can renovate more successfully and simply – and ultimately save money, complete the job faster, and get a kitchen you’ll be happier with.

Tips for Renovating Your Kitchen This Year

Here are ten of the most formidable tips you can adopt when you renovate your kitchen:

1.       Get familiar with the trends. One of the first things you’ll need to do (as well as one of the most stimulating) is to master the biggest kitchen remodeling trends of 2021. All-white kitchens and bright designs are in. But if you aren’t thrilled about the idea of constant upkeep, you can complement the brightness with a shaded, interesting color palette that suits your personal taste. Smart appliances have grown ever more popular, and there’s a wide array of options for almost every kitchen appliance. It’s also become common for homeowners to make a kitchen upgrade that features solid statement makers, such as custom backsplashes and uniquely patterned tiles.
2.       Favor evergreen choices. Not all kitchen trends have staying power. What looked great in a kitchen back in the 1990s is much less appealing today – and not just because the materials have aged. If you’re not certain about a trend, or you prefer to make conservative choices, go for “evergreen” items that are more likely to stay popular indefinitely. Your remodeled kitchen will remain attractive for a longer period of time.
3.       Compose a strict budget (and do the proper research in advance). If you haven’t done this already, create a strict budget for your prospective renovation. Due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, unfortunately, many parts of the U.S. are experiencing shortages of raw materials like lumber – and rising prices. If you’re not careful, you could end up paying far more for your kitchen than you anticipated. Do some serious research and advance planning, and don’t allow yourself to exceed your personal budgetary limits.
4.       Select the appropriate contractors. The quality of the job will depend on the quality and experience of your contractors. If you hire someone who genuinely cares about the work and stands by their jobs backed by a reasonable warranty, you’re guaranteed to end up with a better kitchen. Don’t go cheap or cut corners when you hire.
5.       Schedule in advance. Kitchen renovations can require weeks and even months to finish. Don’t let yourself get stuck without a working kitchen for a lengthy stretch without a backup plan. Make sure you schedule the work well in advance and make solid plans for how you’ll accommodate it.
6.       Clear the area. Too many homeowners fail to anticipate how much dust and debris can be generated by a kitchen renovation. If you want to keep things as clean as possible, you should completely empty your kitchen (and, if possible, the rooms connected to it) before any of the work begins.
7.       Set expectations. Coordinate with your contractor early in the process to set (and check) your expectations. When do you expect the job to be completed? What could go wrong and how might that happen? The more you know in advance, and the clearer you are about your expectations, the better the project is apt to go.
8.       Keep workers accountable. It’s a sharp idea to keep an eye on the labor as it’s happening. That doesn’t mean you should look over the shoulder of workers the entire time they’re in the space, but it does imply you should review their work critically and regularly – and ask questions if you’re not sure about the quality of the work.
9.       Be proactive and straightforward. When a kitchen is being designed and renovated is not the time to beat around the bush – or to procrastinate. If you want to have a successful project, it’s vital to be proactive and straightforward with all of your requests.
10.   Remain flexible. Kitchen renovations aren’t necessarily simple, and they rarely go according to plan. It’s worthwhile to remain patient and flexible throughout this process if you want to keep your sanity.

Deciding for Yourself

Ultimately, there are no absolute rules for how you should and should not renovate your own kitchen (as long as you’re compliant with code!).

If you can stay within your means and arrive at a finished product you’re happy with, the intermediate steps will become less important. Make the effort to navigate this major home renovation with the care it deserves.