Now that you’ve assessed your space, it’s time to think about your BUDGET and the RESOURCES available to you. This is the time to decide what your must-haves are versus your nice-to-haves. Generally, think about the following components and whether they will be in scope for this remodel:

• Cabinets: While all of your choices will impact the total budget, cabinets are generally the largest expense, especially if you have a lot of square footage. Keeping or re-facing your existing cabinetry will result in a significant reduction of your remodel price tag.
• Appliances: This is usually the second costliest expense in a remodel although pricing will vary based on features and brands, residential versus commercial-grade. Appliances greatly affect a kitchen’s functionality, however, so if you cook a lot, it’s important to get the features you will need and want.
• Countertops: Cost is determined by materials selected and linear footage needed.
• Backsplash: Same as above.
• Flooring – Same as above.
• Lighting: Lighting can be a game changer with regard to both aesthetics and functionality, so be sure you don’t over look this important component.
• Fixtures: This can be anything from ceiling fans to new hardware to decoratives. If you are going for aesthetics, fixtures should be a line item.

In addition to the components above, the other factor that will take your scope from moderate to extensive is changing the footprint or structure of your current space. Many of our clients are doing away with their formal dining rooms, for instance, and incorporating that square footage into usable kitchen space. Depending on the number of walls you move, this can add quite a bit of expense to your project but will greatly impact the way you use your space.

Now a minute about RESOURCES. Because we will talk about kitchen remodelers in detail in Part III, I just want to give you some thought-starters about resources. Are you an ambitious do-it-yourselfer who will purchase materials at a local home store or do you want to enlist the expertise of an experienced kitchen remodeler? Start thinking about where the highest value-add is for you and ask your friends who have remodeled for their advice. Also, begin enlisting the help of home magazines for ideas and the multitude of online resources to start figuring out your style and writing your list of questions for the experts you may consult with. Pinterest.com and Houzz.com are two great places to go to explore ideas for the kitchen. Happy hunting and stay tuned for Part III.