Researchers tell us most homeowners who begin a kitchen remodeling project take an average 18 months to complete it, but a full one-third who start the process actually drop out within a day or two because it can be daunting.
Somewhere in between those early drop-outs and the 18-month process is a timeline that will work for you.
Approximately 60 percent of kitchen remodels involve changing the footprint of the kitchen. Spend time upfront to thoroughly define your project. Do you want to renovate one or more existing rooms? Move walls? Add on? Are you tackling a full re-model or just upgrading a few things? Determine your resources and establish how much you’re willing to spend.
For a large project, you’ll want to explore options for at least 4 weeks, but smaller projects, like a bathroom, can be defined in 1 week.
Once you know how big of a project you want to tackle, it’s time to meet with a designer to begin talking about your floorplan, materials, style, color and finishes. This stage can be very time-consuming because measurements must be taken, plumbing and electrical must be estimated and contractors must be consulted.
We recommend allowing a minimum of 8 to 10 weeks for this stage for a big project, or 4 to 6 weeks for a small project.
Expect a lot of activity in your house while contractors are working. Communicate schedules with your contractor and designer to prevent time without a functioning kitchen.
Minor projects can be finished in mere days for tear out and install, while more substantial projects could take a period of 4 to 6 weeks.
