One of the easiest ways you can give your home a more modern look and feel is with a kitchen remodel.  New cabinets and counter tops can work wonders.  A kitchen remodel is also a great idea for anyone planning to sell their home.  Home shoppers often like to see a modern kitchen when looking at a home.

If you’re considering remodeling a small kitchen, there are a few things you will need to figure out before you get started.  You will want to establish a budget for your project.  You will probably want to decide on your budget first, so you can will have a better idea of how extensive of a remodel you will be able to do.  This will also let you start shopping for things like appliances, plumbing fixtures, cabinets, counter tops, flooring and lighting, just to name a few.

You will also need to come up with the design.  Hiring a kitchen designer to help you with this step could be a huge time saver and could make the process much smoother.  Another thing you’ll have to decide is will you do the work yourself, or will you hire a team of professionals to do the work for you.

One thing to keep in mind is how much time are you willing to spend doing the work yourself.  Remember that although you will be saving money if you do the work yourself, you’re time is valuable too and just because you’re remodeling a small kitchen, this will not be a small project.  Are you willing to give up your weekends and evenings for the next few weeks or months?

We recently came across this great blog post and video that give lots of great tips for the homeowner who’s considering remodeling a small kitchen

You can give your kitchen a completely new look by updating your stove. New appliances are considered a major appeal for homebuyers, so if you’re planning to sell your home, or you simply want a sleek new look, consider the following considerations for upgrading your stove.

First things first, measure the space where your new appliance will go. There’s nothing worse than bringing home a new appliance only to find that it won’t fit into the opening in your counter. Measure first and buy later.

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After that, you should set your budget and stick to it. While going into debt for a new stove might sound appealing, it’s not the smartest choice. Budget should the one of the main considerations for every home remodeling project.

You should then take into consideration your preference for gas or electric. These days, electric cook tops are most popular and prove to be a bit safer than their counterparts because there is no open flame to avoid. Your sales person will be able to provide you with information and the pros and cons of each option. You should also take into account your preference and the availability of flat ceramic cook tops versus traditional stove eyes. These cook tops are popular, but if one eye tears up, repair can be costly. In some cases, repair is impossible and the entire unit must be replaced.

If your new stove will also have a built in oven, this should be factored into your decision making process as well. There are lots of variations in stove and oven selection and features will prove to be very important, especially if your appliance will get lots of use. For example, people who cook often, may find self cleaning options to be important. Bakers may desire a convection oven over a conventional oven, and so on.

The double oven feature is also an option for the gourmet. This choice is not always practical but may be ideal for people who do a lot of cooking or for large family homes.

New stoves offer a wide variety of features, and these features vary by brand. If you have a specific brand preference, you can easily choose features that fall within that category. Some examples of stove features are delayed cooking and ‘warmer’ options that will keep food at a certain temperature without overcooking or drying it out.

Lastly, but certainly not least, is color selection. Ovens and stoves come in a wide range of colors, and also offer the option of stainless steel. It’s wise to match your new stove to your existing appliances. If your fridge and dishwasher are white, your stove should probably be white as well. And while stainless steel is a high-end option, it’s more important that your stove compliment your existing décor. Stainless steel is also more expensive than its counterparts and shows fingerprints easily, a detriment to people who cook often. Don’t feel obligated to purchase your new stove based on trends, it’s best to buy an appliance that offers practicality and durability all while preserving the aesthetics of your kitchen!

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Old and out of date flooring in your kitchen can bring down the value of your home and can ultimately hurt the sale and appraisal of your home; however, installing new tile floors in your kitchen can make all the difference. Let’s take a look at some of the tile varieties and the pros and cons of each choice.

The most popular tile choices are ceramic and stone. Ceramic and stone tile comes in a variety of colors and patterns and is highly durable. Ceramic and stone will not stain and can be easily cleaned. However, ceramic and stone tile is expensive and may not be practical if you’re on a budget. Many people restrict the installation of ceramic and stone tile to areas of high traffic. Some examples of stone tile are granite, marble, and slate. These floors denote sophistication and will give any kitchen a high-end gourmet look. However, marble and granite flooring may not be right for some kitchen styles.

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Resilient tile flooring is a type of manmade tile that is designed to resemble natural tile like ceramic and stone without the added cost. Resilient tile flooring is popular because it can be easily installed right over top of most existing floors. Resilient tile flooring is durable and easy to keep clean, but may not afford you all the same return benefits of its natural counterparts. Some people elect to use other types of synthetic tile flooring. Like resilient flooring, other materials are hard surface and prove to be durable and easy to clean. However, these other materials (asphalt and rubber) are not typically popular and may not bring significant added value at resale.

To give your kitchen an updated and stylish appeal, consider a tile sampling. When done properly, tile sampling can be very beautiful and unique. Tile sampling is the use of more than one type of tile for a flooring project. For example, depending on the dimensions of your kitchen floor, you can start at the outside of the room and alternate tile row by row until you reach the center. Or perhaps you’d like to stick to horizontal patterns, again alternating rows until the floor is complete. This look can be a creative combination and will definitely customize your kitchen with little effort. Bear in mind however that different tile types have different installation methods. It might we wise to choose tiles with similar installation to speed the project along.

Using variant colors and patterns for your kitchen floor, whether ceramic tile or stamped concrete, will quickly update your kitchen’s appeal and will add value to your home. Be creative and consider consulting an interior designer to help you choose the perfect floor for your kitchen. Designers are professionally trained in color, composition, and material choices. They can help you to determine what look will compliment the rest of your home, what flooring choice is right for your needs, and which will give your home added value while making your kitchen a more pleasant place to be.

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