Considering remodeling your current home but are concerned that the investment might outweigh the value added to your home? If you are considering a kitchen remodel, it could be an excellent investment.

I always tell my clients considering putting their homes on the market, that kitchens and bathrooms sell homes. A recent report from National Association of Realtors (NAR) agrees. In late December, the NAR released the 2005 Cost VS Value Report for home remodels. This study looked at cost data, resale value and percentage recouped for 18 different projects in 58 housing markets across the United States. With major, mid-range kitchen remodel, a homeowner can expect to recoup almost all of their expenses with an average 92 percent return on investment. This is up from 66 percent in a similar study in 2002.

Before a considering remodeling your kitchen, you need to understand “Why” you are undertaking this project. Is it because you trip over yourselves in the kitchen in a home you love and plan to stay in forever? Or is it because you plan to move and the 1970’s orange counter and olive green appliances are too ugly to get the best price for the home. The approach to the perfect remodel will be different if you are planning to stay in the home for the long term.

Family Lifestyle Inventory

If you are designing the perfect kitchen for your family, take a lifestyle inventory. This is a process where you answer questions to understand what will be the most important needs specific to your family for the new space. It will help you and your designer to incorporate important details into your plan.

Consider cooking habits: One cook or two? Baker? Left-handed? Do you do dishes as you cook? Lots of Gadgets? Buy in Bulk? One oven or two?

Consider eating habits: Family gatherings? Everyone for themselves? Eat outdoors? Need morning sunshine? Entertaining?

Other Considerations: TV in kitchen? Computer or home office needs? Homework? Laundry? Will the family grow? Older relatives? Handicap Accessibility requirements?

All of these are things to consider when making a decision on whether and how to remodel your kitchen. Work with a designer or use a remodeling design software that will take into account the important specific needs of your family.

Trends for Today’s Kitchens

For a remodel to add value at resale, you must consider current needs and trends. So what are the hot for trends for kitchens today?

Open to Family Room or Great Room

Maple cabinetry is a first choice. Cherry is a close second. Painted or enameled are also desirable. A variety of heights, lots of moldings, cabinetry looks and no soffits are the trends.

Modern Stainless Steel Appliances. Cook tops separate from ovens.

Breakfast Bar/Informal Eating Area and multi-level counter tops.

Office/Communication area.

Access to Deck or Patio for Outdoor Entertaining.

Stainless steel sinks with instant hot water systems.

Pantry or Other Easy Access Storage.

Multiple types of Lighting (Bright for tasks, Indirect for mood).

Windows for Natural Light.

For natural wood flooring oak is the first choice for durability. Laminates are also very popular.

Granite or Quartz-based granite clones for counters or islands (Zodiac, Cambria, Silstone). Too expensive to do the whole kitchen in granite? Consider just the island in granite and the bulk of the counter in a complimentary colored laminate.

Ceramic tile back splashes.

Stick to Your Budget

It is easy to get caught up in the remodeling process and go over budget. Take time from the start to reflect on your family’s needs and reasons for the remodel. Consider options that make the most sense for your family, budget and neighborhood. Make certain that the kitchen isn’t build way beyond the quality and value of the rest of the home. Remember remodeling for family use will cost more than a remodel for resale.

If remodeling specifically to put your home on the market, take into consideration the quality and condition of the home. A good Realtor who knows your market can assist you here. If you are in an upscale neighborhood where homebuyers will expect high-end quality, don’t make discount-store decisions. Likewise, if your home is in an area of modest or lower value homes, skip the cherry cupboards and granite counters. Understanding the market place you are in will help you to recoup the most from your investment.

Spending a little extra time in the planning stage can reduce the headaches and heartaches of a construction project that does not meet expectations. Taking your time will allow you to make the wise decisions that add value to your most important financial investment, your home.

Copyright 2006/Teri Eckholm

Teri Eckholm is a Minnesota Realtor with Keller Williams Premier Realty serving clients in the Twin Cities metro area for over five years. Selected as a 2004 and 2005 Super Agent by Mpls/St. Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business Monthly, her extensive sales and marketing background has allowed her to assist hundreds of clients move from across town and across the U. S. Find additional information on Teri and the Twin Cities metro real estate market at http://www.terieckholm.com

Related posts

• Selecting the Right Kitchen Sink (0)
• How to Make an Fixer-Upper’s Kitchen Working and Spanking Cool (0)
• Living Room Feng Shui (0)
• Kitchen Cleaning Tips Cleaning Butcher Block Countertops (0)
• How to Turn Your Porch into an Outdoor Living Room (0)

The sink is the busiest spot in your kitchen. Nearly every task begins or ends in its embrace, so choosing the right one for the way you will use it and the way it will look may be one of the most important decisions you will make when planning your kitchen. You may not feel you really need the new one that ‘cooks’, but you do want a sink that will serve you well and look terrific, while not requiring too much time to maintain.

The newest looks in sinks are those that compliment the latest trends in kitchen design; namely the ‘commercial’ or ‘professional’ look and the traditional Old World styling, two design trends that continue to run parallel to one another, closely followed by the nostalgia of ‘country’ .

After you choose the look you want to enhance your kitchen’s personality, there is still plenty to decide. Will you use stainless steel, porcelain, enamel or solid surface material? How about copper or brass? For more on sinks, go to Estimating Costs.

Stainless Steel - More popular than ever, the stainless steel sink is the perfect compliment to the ‘professional’ kitchen that boasts stainless steel appliances. Easy care is a big plus. The quality of a stainless steel sink is measured by its gauge (the higher the number, the lower the quality), the amount of chromium and nickel it contains (the more, the better) and the sound control employed ( the more padding or coating the quieter. Tile and solid surface counters allow undermount installation for easy clean up - just push the wet and the mess right in with no lip or edge to collect debris or dampness. Laser embossing is available from some manufacturers to relieve the ‘too commercial’ look for use in more traditional settings, too.

Solid Surface - First used for easier care custom counter tops, sinks of solid surface materials have attained a close second in preference among consumers for upscale kitchens. These wonderful man-made composite materials present a quiet, easy to clean surface that is stain and scratch resistant. Solid surface sinks also allow for either surface or undermount applications and can be fabricated to create a completely smooth transition from a solid surface top with no discernable ridge or line where they are joined. Computerized cutting allows fabricators to create custom designs for both decorative and functional choices.

Porcelain - Still the number one choice for many consumers, there is nothing to compare with the gleaming surface of a quality porcelain sink. Surprisingly durable, porcelain on cast iron sinks are available in bolder colors and more shades than any other material. Available in either undermount or surface mount styles, porcelain sinks are available in every imaginable style and with a wide variety of functional options and features.

Enamel - A less expensive alternative than others, except the most inexpensive stainless steel, enamel sinks are also less durable. Available in several colors and configurations enamel sinks do require more careful maintenance. But, top mounted models may be changed out with relatively little trouble, so enamel sink may be a better way to cut costs than with some more permanent choices for your kitchen like the cabinets. A good quality enamel sink may be expected to last for several years with a little loving care. Be sure not to scour with abrasive cleaners.

Other materials seen on today’s sink scene are Soapstone - a natural mineral substance, it is easy to care for, available in several color ranges (no two are alike) and in some of the most ‘now’ styles like extra deep farm sinks with wide apron fronts.

Copper or Brass - usually familiar as bar or ‘veggie’ sinks, these metals are sometimes chosen for kitchens planned in the Old World mode or for a ‘gourmet’ appearance.

For more kitchen planning tips and kitchen remodeling ideas, visit http://www.superkitchens.com

Related posts

• How to Make an Fixer-Upper’s Kitchen Working and Spanking Cool (0)
• Change The Look Of Your Kitchen With Cabinet Knobs (0)
• Best Remodeling Investments - Kitchens Are HOT! (0)
• Tips for Creating the Perfect Kitchen (0)
• The Ultimate Kitchen Sink Buying Guide (0)

Kitchens are one of the busiest parts of the house. Many things go on in the kitchen and this is why it’s often the dirtiest, most abused and most in need of repair in the whole house. If you’re planning on investing in an fixer-upper, be sure that one of your top priorities will be renovating the kitchen.

How Do You Plan on Marketing the House?

Before you touch even one object or take one brick out of the kitchen, consider first how you plan on marketing the house. Consider the house’s size. Consider the neighborhood. Is it more suited to become a family home, an apartment or a bachelor’s pad? The answer to this question will enable you to learn as well what type of kitchen would be best to use or create.

A bachelor’s pad, for instance, would only need a simple but functional kitchen - if the kitchen area is too big, you should consider making the area smaller if your budget allows.

A family home, however, would need lots and lots of space in the kitchen because this is one of the communal spots of the house and where everybody gathers for some quality family time.

How Much Are You Willing and Able to Spend?

Keep in mind that those questions are completely different but you have to reach a compromise between the answers to both questions. It’s more difficult to save money when redesigning or renovating a kitchen than a bedroom. There are more accessories available to make a bedroom or even a living room more beautiful for a relatively small amount. Kitchen accessories, however, are comparatively limited and only few of them are priced cheaply.

Consider Giving the Kitchen a Facelift

Take a critical full structural survey of the kitchen. Take snapshots of every corner of the room. Try appraising it with an unbiased eye. Is it in need of major repairs or is it only in need of a makeover and a fresh new appearance? If it’s the latter then maybe all it needs is a simple facelift. A facelift involves making superficial changes, nothing major or anything that would require you to spend loads of money. Facelifts include but aren’t limited to removing old wallpaper, re-applying varnish to kitchen cabinets, laminating countertops and changing faucets.

Are There Any Time Constraints?

If, for any reason, you are subject to time constraints, you need to consider this while making remodeling plans for the kitchen. How long do you think it will take you to accomplish your plans? If you are in need of contractors, have them give you an estimate on the number of days they need in order to complete their job. If you are going to order materials or supplies, ask how long it will take to deliver them to your home. Give your project at least one week’s allowance for delays or problems. If there’s a possibility that you won’t be able to meet the deadline, consider altering some of your plans for the kitchen or asking for an extension of the deadline.

Space Planning for the Kitchen

If you believe that there’s need for changes beyond simple repair and facelift, you should also consider the present layout of the kitchen and see if it allows people to move and work in comfort.

Kitchen Cabinet Area - Is there truly enough space for kitchen equipment, kitchenware, cleaning materials, canned goods and other miscellaneous kitchen items?

Vertical Space - Don’t neglect using vertical space to your advantage. If the kitchen area is small, making use of vertical space for kitchen cabinets will prevent the layout for being too cluttered.

Staying on the Dot

You need to make full use of each day you’re given when remodeling the kitchen or the house in general. Make a list of the repairs you need to accomplish for the kitchen to resume functionality. Don’t postpone for tomorrow what you can do today.

Remember: no matter how much you wish to redesign the kitchen into the most beautiful culinary center in the neighborhood, you still have to consider your budget. You still have to remember that this is an investment and the need to save as much money on repairs as possible.

The above article was written by Sarah Miller on behalf of a buzzing online Home Improvement community where homeowners easily and painlessly find the right contractor for their home improvement projects and in turn, contractors can find the right Home Improvement Leads! Also check out the QuoteCity.com Blog for more related Home Improvement Articles and Ideas.

Related posts

• Selecting the Right Kitchen Sink (0)
• Best Remodeling Investments - Kitchens Are HOT! (0)
• Living Room Feng Shui (0)
• Kitchen Cleaning Tips Cleaning Butcher Block Countertops (0)
• How to Turn Your Porch into an Outdoor Living Room (0)