Why Hire a Kitchen Designer: Part 2
In our last blog, we talked about how building or renovating a kitchen is one of the most important investments you will make in your home. Because it should be approached with care and consideration, hiring a professional designer can make this task a lot easier. Today we’re discussing ten reasons it’s smart to hire a professional kitchen designer.
1. Safety First
The kitchen is one of the few places in the house where you have a combination of electrical, plumbing, gas, and ventilation all working safely near each other. Hiring a kitchen designer can keep you and your family safe through all the stages of the remodeling process and get your kitchen built safely.
2. Time Management
When starting any remodeling project, you have to allow time for each stage of the build for yourself if you are DIY-ing or for a tradesman to come in and do it for you. A kitchen designer will have the knowledge of how long each stage will take and how much overlap can be acceptable through good time management.
3. Budget
To establish a budget for a kitchen remodel and stick to it, a kitchen designer can gauge what you can do to improve the value of your property. As well as not break the bank on kitchen remodel upgrades that you won’t make back should you choose to sell.
4. Options
Most kitchen designers know the brands and the configurations of a kitchen layout that make kitchens work. Embracing their suggestions and knowledge by letting them propose options for you will leave you with your dream kitchen. All the research and hard choices are left with the kitchen designer to solve for you.
5. Contingencies
When a good kitchen designer plans a remodel, they build “contingencies” into the budget that account for unknowns such as structural damage, electrical, or plumbing that can’t be accounted for until the walls are open. Also, contingencies can be applied at the end should things go smoothly and upgrade final finishes. Most homeowners would not think to work that into a budget or know how to.
6. Solutions
At times, homeowners get in over their heads with appliances, cabinetry, sinks, and lighting and a kitchen designer has to take these elements and make them fit together seamlessly. This is a very important aspect of hiring a kitchen designer if you want something custom and unique. Making things work with solutions is one of the biggest reasons to hire a kitchen designer.
7. Planning
Planning a kitchen remodel can be daunting and a kitchen designer can estimate how long a remodel can take based on how much you are doing. If you are replacing counters or cabinets with a full gut job. The scheduling of tradesmen, deliveries, and installation is a delicate balancing act that can become really expensive if not planned out well with a kitchen designer.
8. Experience
Utilize the experience of someone that remodels and designs kitchens for a living. A kitchen designer knows things that no homeowner would be expected to know and that experience can save you thousands of dollars and improve the experience of the remodel altogether.
9. Materials
When it comes to materials, the look and feel are not everything. A kitchen designer will know what brands, finishes, and materials used will come together to create the final kitchen. Listen to their suggestions and heed their warnings about these things to get yourself the best kitchen possible. A slightly more expensive material now could save you triple the cost if the cheat one needs to be replaced.
10. Professionals
Kitchen designers work with contractors and tradesmen all the time and only call the best in the business to work on their projects. Let the kitchen designer find the best person for the job so you don’t have to worry if you hired a qualified contractor or a licensed tradesman. It’s done for you by a professional kitchen designer who works with professionals.