Tips for a DIY Kitchen Remodel

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This post is sponsored by CliqStudios. All opinions expressed are my own.

If you're looking to complete a DIY Kitchen Remodel take a look at my top 7 tips to budget, plan, and execute your next project!

Remodeling a kitchen is no easy task. It takes lots of time, planning, and constantly readjusting your plans. When we bought this house we knew it would be lots of work, but boy did we underestimate that! A kitchen is one of the most expensive spaces to remodel in a house and today I'm going to walk you through a few lessons we learned when deciding to do a DIY Kitchen Remodel.

Make a Plan

When you first decide to do a DIY Kitchen Remodel you need to make a plan. Here's the order in which I like to plan:

• Gather inspiration (I make Pinterest boards)
• Decide on the color of cabinets (We went with the color Carbon from Cliq Studios)
• Choose kitchen appliances, sink, and any other permanent fixtures
• Pick out flooring and backsplash
• Decide on metal finishes
• Consider permanent decorative items
• Choose decor (lighting, etc)

Shop our Kitchen:

See our Kitchen Design Board below (or click here to visit the post)... I ended up going a slightly different direction once we got going, but it was so nice to have something to refer back to when making those decisions and I would consider this a necessary step!

Think about Functionality

You've scoured pinterest and pinned your little heart away, but at the end of the day you can't be fooled by all the pretty pictures. You have to think about your storage, functionality, and ease of use when you're cooking in your kitchen. We chose open shelving, and I know that doesn't necessarily sound functional, but it was for us. We are trying to create a life where we minimize our possessions because we hope to travel more. So for us this was functional, but that doesn't mean it is for you. Maybe you have a huge family or entertain a lot. Think about your lifestyle and make sure your kitchen meets your needs. This is where you spend a big majority of your time.

Shop Our Kitchen:

Creating a Budget

Yes, we have to talk about money. I know this is the part where we all wish we could just get what we want and move on. But it's extremely important to create a budget. I would spend a lot of time here because once you get started you can't really stop. Unless of course you are prepared to live without a kitchen : ). When you're budgeting add up all of the things you want, then add a 10-15% margin for unknown expenses. If you're planning a luxurious kitchen, I'd lean towards 15%. If it's a fairly budget friendly remodel you can plan on 10%. This is just a guideline, if you're more comfortable adding more, do it!

Once you have your budget in place you can look at where you might need to spend less. You can also choose your non-negotiable desires. Wherever you choose to spend your money, just make sure you know where it's going.

Know What You're Getting in to

Getting a new kitchen doesn't just cost you cash. It costs you time. Lots and lots of time. Plan on not being able to cook for a while. You'll want to be able to set up a make-shift kitchen somewhere and have a place you can wash dishes. We used lots of paper plates, but you still need to plan for the inconvenience of a kitchen remodel.

Buy the Right Tools for a DIY Kitchen Remodel

I know you are trying to save money by doing it yourself, and it will be tempting to save even more money as you buy the supplies. However, I promise you will end up spending more money when skimping on the quality of certain items. Not to mention if you buy the right things you can use those tools in future projects.

Shop Our Tools:

Don't Rush Anything

I'm not saying don't work quickly, but it's never worth it to try and cut corners in a project of this magnitude. Double check everything, and if ever in doubt, don't feel bad for triple checking. When we installed our cabinets there were multiple occasions that we caught a mistake and had we not, it would have caused us to undo everything we did. We actually did end up having to redo one section and that was with double checking, which is why I say don't feel bad for triple checking ; ).

Know When to Call the Professionals

Yes, this is a kitchen series about remodeling your own kitchen and saving tons of money. However, there are a few things that you may want to call in the professionals for. We didn't have a gas line for our stove and had to have one run, so we had a plumber run that for us as well as run the line for the pot filler. We still saved tons of money doing most everything ourselves, but nothing is worth risking our home and the lives of our children to save a few dollars. Also, spending a few extra dollars on a plumber allowed us to work on other items simultaneously which sped up our completion time.

If you're planning a kitchen remodel I'd love for you to check out the other posts in our Kitchen Series:

• Kitchen Design Board
• Rustic Modern Kitchen Reveal
• How to Choose Kitchen Appliances
• How to Install Kitchen Cabinets
• How to Plan a DIY Kitchen Remodel from Start to Finish (coming soon)
• How to Pour DIY Concrete Countertops (coming soon)