A kitchen remodel can be an exciting time!  It is a chance to renew your kitchen, and thereby your home, giving it a new look and spirit.  As the kitchen is usually the highest traffic area in a house, you want it to be a crown jewel.  But there are potential problems and mistakes which can be made for those not in the know, and these mistakes can cost a lot of money.  Beware of remodeling problems and be forewarned by the following tips.

Know the Battlefield

“Of course I know my kitchen!” is what most people say.  And yes, they do, but there are hidden things to look out for.  One common problem is to find water damage under the sinks and near dishwashers.  This needs to be taken into consideration, as not every remodel is a complete one, and if you are not replacing the base cabinets, for example if you are refacing your cabinets, this can be an expensive repair.  So expensive, in fact, it might be better to replace the cabinets altogether, if the structure of the surrounding cabinets is compromised as well.

Another thing to check are the walls behind the cabinets and the part of the walls where they meet the floor, especially if your kitchen has drywall walls.  On older buildings, a hole needs to be made to make sure you don’t have any code violations, such as asbestos, in the walls.  Any discoloration of the drywall whatsoever needs to be investigated.  This can indicate a leaky pipe within the wall, a mold problem, or an insect infestation behind the drywall.

Checking early can determine the whole course of your remodel.  Also, make sure you know which walls are your loadbearing walls to know where to anchor things.  It would be a very costly mistake to decide to put upper cabinets on a new wall, only to find out that it won’t hold them!  Pro tip: this is really a job for someone who does it professionally and knows what to look for.  Even if you are going to remodel your kitchen yourself, get a contractor/inspector and hire them to come and take a look.  It will be worth every penny.

Know Your Laws

Every area has building codes, and there are a lot of quirky ones.  If you are doing a kitchen remodel, and you are swapping lots of things out, you may have hidden costs just due to local building codes.  For example, many places are now requiring smoke detectors that are hardwired into the main electrical system, and these sometimes cost hundreds of dollars.  Also, you have to know the local quiet hours (many cities have mandatory quiet times, especially outside of the U.S.A) and the potential for higher property taxes from your home’s (hopefully) increased value.  Side note: budget for the added electricity costs.  With a serious reconstruction, they can rocket sky high.

Custom Solutions

Many people do not think that they should save money on their cabinets, as they are the centerpiece of the kitchen.  They grudgingly pay a fortune for custom cabinets.  This doesn’t need to be the case anymore.  RTA kitchen cabinets from a reputable dealer, such as RTA Cabinet Store, are of the highest quality, and what’s more, are easy and quick to install.

You can cut your or your contractor’s time down to a fraction of what it would be by using RTA kitchen cabinets.  The time saved not only saves money, but a lot of other secondary remodeling problems, such as the need to order or eat out constantly while remodeling.  The money from all those meals cooked in your new RTA kitchen vs. the custom one can be a considerable savings.

Be Smart at the Beginning

One thing we recommend is setting aside approximately 15 percent of your total budget for unexpected problems.  As you get further into your remodel, and have done your homework and avoided the hidden horrors which could have popped up, you can easily reallocate this money to cabinet accessories such as Rev-A-Shelf cabinet inserts, for example.  An all-around great option to avoid mistakes is to know everything about your kitchen before you begin.  That way you can plan the path your remodel will take.  Good luck on the remodel!