Novice Kitchen Remodeling Mistakes

I recently received an email from the editor of the blog for Purcell Murray, a distributor of premium kitchen and bath products, located here in the San Francisco Bay Area.

She wanted me to answer the following question for their blog, where other area designers commented as well:

I'd love to get just a few bullet points from you. What are things that people tend to overlook or underestimate when they're planning a kitchen remodel? For example, choosing trends over practicality, choosing to DIY when they should be hiring qualified professionals, etc.

Here was my response:

Peggy

Sufficient planning time:
Many consumers think planning a kitchen is no more complex than refurnishing a family room. Big mistake if you have a deadline like a baby on the way.
Allocate at least three to six months to plan your kitchen and get everything ordered before your start date.

Electrical:
Consumers planning their own kitchen remodel, without professional help, are usually clueless when it comes to the electrical and lighting requirements for a remodelled kitchen today. If they don't have upgraded service, they often must sink thousands of dollars into new service to handle the additional load. That means a new or auxiliary electrical box with enough free circuits to provide a dedicated circuit for each appliance (yes. that includes the microwave and disposal), two plug circuits and lighting circuits. Typically this is seven to nine free circuits dedicated to the new kitchen alone.

Lighting:
The requirements of California's Title 24 Energy Code mean that at least 1/2 of the wattage dedicated to kitchen lighting must be high efficacy. That means fluorescent or LED lighting. Incandescent and halogen lighting are now dinosaurs and on their way to extinction. It is difficult for us pros to keep up with the constantly changing codes and new products in lighting these days. Consumers are totally in the dark.

Adequate negative space:
Everyone seems to want an island these days, and with good reason. Islands are convenient and separate the cook or cooks from traffic passing by the work areas. They also make great places for bar stools and a quick snack. An island really needs 42-48" aisles around it to be functional and let people pass behind those who are working at the island and at counters across from the island. It's also the right amount of space to be able to open appliance doors without endangering anyone walking by, or blocking the passage. With islands in high demand, we designers are often pressed to fit one into a room that really doesn't have enough space. An expert can squeeze things down to 36" aisles if appliances are placed so they won't interfere with each other when open. Imagine not being able to get into the fridge on Thanksgiving because your husband is removing the turkey from the oven.

Recognize when you are in over your head:
Many kitchens are easy for their owners to plan. Plenty of space for adequate counters, storage, passageways and your chosen appliances. It's really hard to make a huge mistake going to a Big Box store with your floorplan with a kitchen like that. Other kitchens are not so easy: too many doors and traffic patterns going through. Not enough room for counterspace and storage, let alone your desired appliances. This is the moment when consumers need to realize that a professional can wring far more out of an inadequate and antiquated space than they themselves or any novice can do. They will also be delighted to find that such professional help is not really unaffordable at all. In fact, pros save their clients far more than they cost.

Shopping for the contractor with the lowest bid:
Low-balling contractors often "find" problems that reputable contractors will call out up front. Better to find a contractor you trust and negotiate to bring your project in at a price you can afford. Contractors are not the enemy. They are glad to work with homeowners as a team on the project if given half a chance.
Because a remodeling contractor does this kind of work day in and day out they can very often suggest ways to save money by doing things a little differently. This is why it pays to select your contractor early, and keep him/her involved in the process while you are planning your kitchen remodel. If the contractor you want comes in with a price you can't afford, ask what can be changed to bring it within your budget. Better to create a team than work with a low-baller and be surprised by change-orders that make your project unaffordable while you are doing it.