Tips for Getting the Most from Your Residential Kitchen Remodel

Remodeling your kitchen is a very exciting project! Kitchens are where you entertain, gather as a family and cook great food. It is also the workhorse of the house as many of its appliances help you run your household efficiently.

When you decide to do a remodel there are so many aspects that you are thinking about – the layout, the cabinet colors, the tile/granite, the new sink…pretty much you have the proverbial ‘kitchen sink’ to think about – everything. If you are going to spend the time and money it is worth spending the time to do it right the first time.

As you work with your general contractor on making these decisions for you and your family, it is good to bring in a licensed electrician from the start. They can help with planning the ambiance (lighting and placement of outlets) and ensuring your appliances run safely. And now that there are so many more technological devices (since when your house may have been built), it is important that you are wiring your kitchen to accommodate the extra electrical load and code requirements.

Tips for making your kitchen remodel a success:

• When you first meet with your general contractor ask them how they plan to handle the electrical part of the project such as how to wire a kitchen ring main, how many circuits are needed in a kitchen and how to hide electrical outlets for convenience and aesthetics.
• Make sure you work with a licensed electrician who knows your city’s electrical code requirements and can do electrical cables for house wiring whether you are creating an indoor or outdoor kitchen.
• Ask for advice. General contractors and electricians have worked on many different homes and projects so make sure you pinpoint your needs and what would just be nice to have. Reputable electricians will give you cost saving and innovative ideas to get you there.
• Request references. One of the most important things you can do to get the most out of your kitchen remodel is talk to other clients that have used their services. Find out how the company works with other contractors, how responsive they are, how timely they are and how customer service oriented they are.