Few things can delight a homeowner as much as the prospect of remodeling their kitchen. Because of how much time we spend there, new appliances and finishes can make a significant difference in our quality of life.
The time it takes to complete a kitchen remodel project can vary considerably depending on how much you plan to do and a variety of other factors. Excluding the time it takes to plan and design the new kitchen, the average kitchen remodel lasts between four and six weeks. This is if the remodel is mostly cosmetic and involves no changes to the footprint.
A full renovation that requires that your plumbing and wiring be rerouted and changes to all appliances and finishes can take up to five months if the kitchen design is particularly complex.
Why do kitchen remodels take so long?
Each kitchen remodel is one-of-a-kind due to the coordination of various subcontractors, some of whom will be able to start work only after other tradespeople have performed their work. Much of the work will involve large and heavy materials that will be difficult to move. You can also expect the timeframe to change based on if you plan to change the footprint or not.
The Planning and Design Phase
Have a carefully considered plan for remodeling your kitchen before you go shopping for cabinets. Take a look at a variety of kitchen designs so that you can form goals and priorities and develop a vision for your kitchen. You will also need to calculate a budget for your remodel.
You should take your time with the planning and design of your new kitchen. Make sure that you are fully comfortable with it, which means that you should think carefully about what you want. Go over every detail ranging from cabinet styles to hardware. Your designer should be able to show you design options along with the associated costs so that you can decisions with your budget in mind. It is best to make changes during the planning phase instead of when the remodel is underway.
Designing your kitchen is the most enjoyable part of the remodeling process as this is when you get to choose your countertops and paint colors. You get to look at new appliances, flooring and cabinets as well.
The Steps Involved in Remodeling a Kitchen
The time frame for a kitchen remodel has to do with what is involved. The process of remodeling a kitchen (after completing planning and design) can be broken down into the following steps:
Demo:
In this step, you remove all elements of the old kitchen. Countertops, cabinets and flooring will all be taken out. The walls, ceilings and floors will all be checked. If no part of the structure needs to be corrected, the builders will move on to step 2.
Electrical Layout:
Outlets, wiring for appliances and the lighting will be positioned. All of the locations are measured and clearly marked for the electrician who will handle the installation.
Plumbing, HVAC and Electrical Installation:
The installation of pipes, ductwork and wiring can take several days since it involves multiple tradespeople.
Drywall, Insulation and Flooring:
Once the mechanical phase is over, insulation should be installed followed by the drywall.
Cabinets and Countertops:
The cabinets go in first and measurements for the granite countertops sent to the fabricator. The slab is prepared for installation and then delivered.
Finishing and Painting:
Plumbing fixture and backsplash installation are handled at this stage and finishes for hardwood floors are applied. This is also when the walls get painted.
Appliances and Cleanup:
The final stage involves hooking up appliances and cleaning up. Any necessary touch-ups can be handled at this point.
How to Expedite a Kitchen Remodel
The best way to speed up the process is to set a realistic budget from the start. Order all of the materials and products early in the process and provide your designers and contractors with the products before you start demolishing the old kitchen.
Homeowners should understand and accept that renovations will be noisy, messy and generally inconvenient. They involve strangers going in and out every day. The project will take longer if crews have to delay work because their presence is disrupting the homeowner’s lifestyle.
You should get your new appliances as soon as possible after you have decided on your budget. Your cabinets and the layout of your remodeled kitchen will be based on the appliances. If you get new appliances after the project has begun, this can cause serious delays since the layout will have to be adjusted.
In most cases, the period during which the kitchen will be unusable is fairly short. You shouldn’t have to go without your kitchen for more than six months; however, you should still make plans in case you are without a kitchen for longer than predicted.
Learn which products have long lead times such as custom cabinets, tiles and stone countertops. Order those products early so that they will be delivered to your home in time. Stock cabinets can be at the site within a week, custom cabinets take about eight weeks but it can take up to four months to build and ship custom cabinets to you.
If you want granite countertops, order them from a retailer where you can pick out the slab with the color and pattern that you like ahead of time.
If you are interested in having your kitchen remodeled and want to find out how to have the project completed as quickly as possible, communicate with us via our contact form.
