Is this the year you’re going to remodel your kitchen? Every year hundreds of people in your own community make the decision to take the plunge and change there kitchen. The big question is whither to make a change to your appliances. If your going to upgrade your appliances there are several things to take into consideration. At least you need to put all the figures together so you make an informed decision.

A kitchen remodeling project means different things to different individuals. There are some homeowners who only like to change around one or two things, like their lighting fixtures and floor tiles, but there are others who want to change everything. If you are really looking to make your kitchen like a whole new kitchen, you will probably want to do a large remodeling project. A large remodeling project not only includes a large amount of work, but also a fairly large amount of time, but the end result is almost always more than worth it.

• First: Are you going to make a major change or just a new coat of paint?
• Second: Are your cabinets and counter tops up-to-date or do you want new?
• Third: What about light fixtures and flooring?
• Forth: If your going to change appliances, will it be all of them?
• Fifth: Will you use built-ins or free standing?

If you’re going to just make a few changes then focusing on those two or three things will be easy to do. You should be able to take care of them at nights and weekends. But if your going for a major remodel and rebuild, there are many things that will have to be figured out and time set aside to do them. That is unless your going to have a professional do the work for you. If you decide to go that route, I don’t blame you because it’s a big job. So lets go through the rest of the list.

If it’s going to be a major project are you going to change your cabinets? Now is the time to make some changes to the flow of traffic in your kitchen. Do you have enough room for an island? With new cabinets make a decision on what kind of counter top you are going to have before you buy the cabinets. If you are going to use marble or concrete where there is considerable weight involved you will want something that will be able to handle the weight. Most regular cabinets won’t do the job.

How about lighting fixtures? Now is the time (even with a low or medium project) to increase the lighting as well as using efficient LED lighting that will save on your electric bill in the future. Also the flooring is something to consider also. Hardwood is a choice that a lot of people are going to these days and as long as it is well waxed so that grease and juice stain doesn’t get to it you will be find.

Now about the appliances. Are you going to replace all of them? If not you will have to figure what finish will look good on the new ones that will go with the old ones? Another thing to think about is, are you going to add any appliances to your existing group? New dishwasher, compactor, warming drawer, etc. The think to consider is how are you going to buy them? What I mean is, it would be good if they are all the same brand and the same model or some call that collection. If everything is going to match and your going to get it the same time, make sure you talk to your dealer about a package deal. The more appliances that your going to buy the better the package price should be.

Just before you figure the package deal make sure you decide if you want free standing appliances or built-ins. Most of the major manufactures have a variety of built-ins that will meet the needs in any kitchen.

What are those reasons to remodel your kitchen? Just write down those reasons, and you will be able to correct the things that you do not like. Meanwhile, when you evaluate your current kitchen honestly, you will get a very good idea what you need to do with your kitchen remodeling.

There are some questions you can ask yourself:

How do you use your kitchen? Think about your life style and what part of your kitchen is involved in it. For example, do you just cook small meals, or do you have to prepare large meals for a large family? Do you regularly cook big meals for your friends? How many cooks in your family and who is the primary cook? Dose the primary cook have a special physical needs? How tall is he or she? Dose the cook prefer baking or grilling? Would you like to have your friends and family eat in the kitchen and be able to socialize? Is there any other activity that you and your family do in the kitchen? You might need a space for a desk or a computer? Try to answer these questions and you shall obtain a clear idea to put a simple plan for your kitchen remodeling.

Further on with the planning, there are four basic dimensions that you can evaluate how your existing kitchen meet you need -

Size: How dose the size of kitchen suit your need? Do you need more floor space or more counter space? Or more storage space?

Layout: Do you need additional work area because your family members enjoy cooking a lot? Think about what part of the current layout works and dose not work. Do you need to reconsider a different layout for a better traffic flow? Do you want to relocate the sink in a different place?

Major appliances: What are the items in your kitchen that you definitely want or need in your new kitchen? For example, my essential items would be dishwasher and an over-the-stove microwave oven in my new kitchen. I have to use them so regularly that if they were not included in my new kitchen, my kitchen would be incomplete in the design and function. Other than the appliances, you might also like to put dimmer light switches on the light fixtures because you are used to have that.

Storage needs: Do you have food storage need? The club type warehouse stores might be your choice. Make sure you will have enough storage capacity in your new kitchen.

When you have done these assessments of your current kitchen and how you want to upgrade it in the future, you are better prepared to decide what scale of your kitchen remodeling will be. This is the very first and important step for the success of your kitchen remodeling