Have you been considering selling your home? Are you worried your home or apartment will not sell for more than what you originally paid? Now is the perfect time to evaluate your home-inside and out-to determine if there are any areas that may need updating, tweaking or full replacement. When considering placing your home on the market, you must think like a potential buyer: will the home withstand any harsh and unexpected weather, are there any major repairs necessary and is there potential to expand the home if necessary? Stay ahead in the housing market by undertaking a few do it yourself projects around the home to make your property shine. One of the easiest and most profitable projects is a kitchen remodel.
Excuses, Excuses
Unless you are a seasoned carpenter or home renovation maven, refurbishing your kitchen may seen like a daunting task. It does not need to be! Perhaps you think only single home owners or small families are able to complete this project. Wrong again! With proper planning, a kitchen makeover can begin and end in a timely, hassle-free manner.
Where Do I Begin?
The first and most crucial step to this project is to have the proper planning ahead of time. Create a hand-drawn blueprint of your existing kitchen. Cut out mock furniture units out of separate paper so you can freely move about furniture before actually putting your strength to the test. Next, you must consider the finances for the home makeover. How much can you afford to spend? Where are some areas you can cut down a bit to budget for the project? Finally, create a make-shift kitchen in case this remodeling takes longer than anticipated. This way, you will not feel crowded or rushed and can still eat proper meals.
Start Small
One of the easiest ways to totally revamp your outdated kitchen is to replace your cabinet hardware. Over time and with extensive use, cabinet knobs and pulls often look tarnished or downright ugly, especially if you have pleasant decorations and cabinet material installed. By adding attractive cabinet door handles, you’ll kick up your kitchen’s design and value instantly. Classic knobs are available in bronze, nickel, chrome, brass, pewter, stainless steel and even colored glass. The real challenge is to select a proper material (listed previously) with an elegant and refined finish. Typical finishes for these accessories include oil rubbed, satin, polished, weathered, iron, matte, antiqued and burnished.
Think in Layers
Recent style changes show that the layered look is in. What does that mean for your kitchen cabinet hardware? Starting with your lowest cabinet units and working upwards towards the ceiling, each ‘level’ should have a designated material. Renovation professionals recommend beginning with darker colors waist-level and below, allowing brighter finishes and materials to glean and glisten near your lighting fixtures at arm and ceiling levels.
Cool and Contemporary
Additional stylists suggest that the cool, crisp refined look of stainless steel is a must. If you appliances are already in stainless steel, why not complete the look with matching cabinet pulls? These accessories are easy to clean and sanitize, which is great for busy homes with children and pets. Best of all, stainless steel matches any pattern; so if you change your mind about the striped wall paper in a week, you will not have to run out to replace these accessories again.
Purchase and Mount
The easiest step in this kitchen makeover process is the purchase and mounting of these hardware materials. When you are ready to make your purchase, be sure you have counted and recounted the number of knobs you will need. Finally, you will also need the additional mounting hardware accessories which include screws and hinges. Be sure to purchase both the mounting hardware and the knobs simultaneously so that the material and finishes match perfectly. Viola! Your kitchen renovation project is completed and you are ready to put your house on the market!
