Kitchen Remodeling in lafayette,LA

Kitchen Remodeling in Lafayette, LA

Kitchen Remodeling in Lafayette @ Austen Construction and Remodeling Company

The average full kitchen remodel is defined as:

“Update an outmoded 200-square-foot kitchen with a functional layout of 30 linear feet of semi-custom wood cabinets, including a 3-by-5-foot island; laminate countertops; and standard double-tub stainless-steel sink with standard single-lever faucet. Include energy-efficient wall oven, cooktop, ventilation system, built-in microwave, dishwasher, garbage disposal, and custom lighting. Add new resilient flooring. Finish with painted walls, trim, and ceiling.”

Remodeling magazine also reports that a major kitchen remodel returns an average of $40,732. My average kitchen remodel usually comes in at less than half this national average cost. Here’s how you can save money on your kitchen project and turn your effort into a positive gain in home equity without sacrificing quality:

• Start with your design. Figure out the layout you want for your kitchen. A simple and sleek design will appeal to most buyers and help keep your costs down. Keeping your existing layout is always cheaper. Avoid moving plumbing and electrical items if possible - at least try to keep your stove (especially gas stoves) and sink in the same location. Moving a gas stove will require relocating gas lines and moving your sink plumbing can create additional problems. They also require additional permits and time.

• Try to pick an overall theme - country, modern, rustic, etc. This will help you select materials and ensure everything comes together properly. Have a good idea of the look you want before you go into a design center or talk to contractors.

• Get a design early and plan ahead. Cabinets can take six weeks or more to be delivered. You don’t want to have your kitchen torn apart while you’re waiting for an item to be delivered.

Kitchen Remodeling in Lafayette, LA

• Determine the scope of work. Once you have a very good idea of what you want, sit down and write up a good detailed list of tasks that you want completed. You don’t have to be technical and you don’t have to use construction terms but just state all the things you want a contractor to do and bid. It can be as simple as: remove all existing flooring and cabinets; install new flooring, cabinets, countertops, sink and appliances per the plan; paint; hook up sink plumbing; and install new light fixtures.

• When you start talking to contractors and designers you may find additional work is required. That’s okay. It’s easy to update your list and resend to all the bidding contractors. Otherwise, the various contractors will list the items they believe you want and it will be difficult to compare bids. A basic scope of work also eliminates some guess work by the contractor.Ask your contractors to line item their bids as you’ve categorised the items. This, too, will help you compare costs and refine your plan.

• Try to select the materials yourself. Asking a contractor to supply big-ticket items such as flooring, cabinets, countertops and appliances leaves them with a huge range to guess on and there is a chance you’ll end up paying the contractor an additional fee on top of the supplied costs.

• A lot of money can be saved in a kitchen remodel by shopping around on your big-ticket items. I’ve not been able to save much money on things like paint and light fixtures. So I focus on my cabinets, countertops, appliances and flooring.

Kitchen Remodeling in Lafayette, LA

• You should look for cabinet boxes made of furniture-grade plywood. Doors and drawer fronts should be made from a solid wood frame surrounding a panel and I prefer a solid wood panel. Furniture grade plywood panels are okay as long as it looks good but avoid laminated particle board.

• Drawers should be constructed of solid wood with dovetail joinery and a plywood bottom that is tightly fitted into a groove in the side of the drawer. I also look for a good slide and soft-close feature. Shelves should be made of at least half inch furniture grade plywood.

• When it comes to cabinets and countertops, try going to one of the many small local suppliers. Shopping around with these shops can often save you thousands vs. what you’ll pay at the big home-improvement stores. And you are much more likely to be dealing with just one person rather than whomever happens to be on duty on a given day at a big retailer. I also find that many of the small shops can deliver in half the time required by the big retailers.

Further more details call us 337-349-0503 and our mailing address : austenconstruction@gmail.com.