Kitchen remodel!

[nonofyobiz]

so my mom wants to remodel her kitchen and I just know she's going to screw something up! she always makes silly decisions that aren't very well thought out. She won't be living in this home that much longer...honestly I'm thinking like 7 yrs. She tends to make decisions too much based on what she thinks she wants and not what would be best for her budget and re-sale value.

So my question, for ppl who have done some major renovations, what is the best way to go about this project? I suggested to her she look into how much it would cost to hire a designer and have them help her come up with the design and sort out all the details. They probably also have people they work with to actually do the work? So far it sounds like she's just planning on bringing in some contractors and give her quotes. This plan is very much less favorable to me because you don't really know what you're going to get, and she really doesn't know what the fcuk she's doing lol

This project will most likely be a complete gut, new floor, cabinets, hopefully knocking out a couple walls, new everything. It's a house built in the early 70's i think and never been updated lol

Also i'm wondering, if one or both of the walls we want to knock out are load baring ( bearing? ) is it possible to take them out and maybe leave posts or something? It'd be nice to open up the main floor.

advice?

[masoncgy]

I am certain there will be contractor recommendations forthcoming from other Beyonders, so I will await those responses.

In terms of wall removal, it is possible that one or both are load bearing and perhaps neither are. Always good to have someone check that, of course. I have removed walls myself and it is straight forward. If they are load bearing walls, it's possible to build support beams, etc.

If you have any questions on appliances, let me know, that's my real area of expertise.

[sxtasy]

Check to see if the walls run parallel or perpendicular to the floor joists. If they are parallel then they are not load bearing.

[derek_k]

As for the quoting and design part of the Reno, enhance your home, which is located in the se of calgary in lake bonavista, they offer free design and quotes of any Reno you are doing, the designer has been in the home buisness for 30 years and was Vice President of Beattie homes for 16 years, while designing every home the produced while being there. Enhance your home will show you a 3d rendering of your kitchen/house of what it will look like before you give them a penny, and if you don't like it then enjoy the free consult lol. They have a show room where you can make all your selections from so your not running around the city to select your flooring, tile and granite options ect., and all the kitchens they supply are all custom to your specs. If you do plan on checking enhance your home out, let them know you heard about them from beyond.ca, they have completed some very nice jobs in the past.

[blueToy]

#1 ... create a budget . How much do you want to spend . After deciding on one number , think long and hard about wanting to stick to that number .

#2 ... make a list of everything you could possibly want . Walls removed . New appliances . Flooring . Counters . Everything you can think of .

# 3 ... do your research and look into hiring a competent GC , general contractor . They should be able to provide names of competent draftsperson/designers to draw up plans ( if needed ) and structural engineers to approve , again , if needed . Make sure your GC and all trades hired are insured , bonded and have references .

# 4 ... from your GC , get a breakdown of timeline and make sure they know you will want them to do everything possible to stick to said timeline .

# 5 ... make sure you are upfront about releasing money to GC in time sensitive increments . NEVER pay out cash before work is to be completed as per schedule , and be very careful about trying to make a lot of changes as you go . This can easily double the cost of your reno .

# 6 ... be prepared to live in a construction zone . I know lots of folks who move out for the reno because it can be a very stress filled experience . Even the exposer to dust and dirt and chemicals can make you sick if you have sensitivities .

# 7 ... be aware that things make take longer then expected and contractors/trades can sometimes be difficult to schedule so there may be lulls in the project . This may vary due to size and scope of the project too .

# 8 ... again , try and look into as much beforehand as possible , and communicate with your GC about what you should be looking into buying well before you need it . I've heard some folks can spend months doing research on taps and counters and such . Then try and order just before they need only to find lead time for them is 4-6 weeks . Puts whole project back and costs everybody time and money .

# 9 ... if your mom has champagne tastes and wants to do it on a beer budget , the lesson is going to be a difficult and expensive one . Been there , done that and seen lots of it . Also to keep the stress levels down as much as possible , try and not deviate from plans and avoid the temptation of trying to either do things as cheap as possible , or hire folks who promise the world . In the end , you get what you ask for and it will show .


# 10 ... lots of other good info on here , search and good luck .