A-Ha: The Moment When Budget And Remodeling Options Come Together
Before After
Deciding what to do with your kitchen is a more difficult decision than most people think.
Initially, you might say ‘yeah, I’d like to do something, but where do I start?’
“The A-HA moment is what every homeowner is looking to achieve,” says Lew Snyder, Owner of Kitchen Tune-Up®. “Usually that is the point where acceptable options coincide with budget available. Generally, A-Ha happens when you realize that there are more options than tearing it all out and replacing. In most cases people do not have a complete idea of the various costs and how they relate to cabinets, countertops, appliances, flooring, etc. Too often they aren’t aware of the lower cost options available to them.”
It really boils down to style vs. function. Are you simply tired of the way your kitchen looks or is the flow in the kitchen not conducive to how you want to use the room?”
To get to the defining moment, the A-Ha, Lew asks people a couple of questions. They are very simple:
QUESTION 1:
Is the flow of the kitchen correct for how you live? (Do you like the footprint of the fixtures and appliances?) This question is pivotal. If you want to freshen up the look, change a few cosmetic things, you will probably spend less money and avoid the demolition stage of a remodeling effort. Refaced or reconditioned cabinets, new counter tops, new appliances, new flooring, backsplashes, islands and so on can change the feel and look dramatically. Even a coat of paint can have a huge impact though may not last as long.
QUESTION 2:
Do you need your kitchen to perform differently for you? (Are you entering a different stage of life?) If your kitchen doesn’t do what you want it to, your project is more than cosmetic. Your floor plan may have to be changed and that can affect the floor, walls, cabinetry, countertops, paint, backsplash, appliances, plumbing and electrical. There is a very good chance you’ll need to tear out and start from scratch — changing the timeline and the complexity of your project.
“Once you have answered one of these questions, you’ll be much closer to your A-Ha moment,” Says Snyder.
“By knowing the scope of the project you can begin comparing your budget against the options you’ll have to choose from and provide clarity for the project. From that point, you can then ask yourself some very specific questions that relate to the end product.”
One of the toughest things to do with any project is to define, with clarity, what you intend to accomplish. These questions start the process; however there can be other issues within each project. For example, rather than replacing your cabinets, you may decide to reface or recondition them. Refacing can save you about half the cost of replacing and reconditioning can save much more, freeing up budget to do other things within the projects.
