Guest Blogger: Jamie Goldberg, Kitchen Designer

Design & Remodeling FAQs
So often, people don’t know how to start a kitchen or bath remodel, and are afraid of making expensive and time-consuming errors. This posting is designed to help take some of the fear out of the process, and get you started on updating your home smoothly, stylishly and successfully! These are the questions I’m asked most often as a professional designer.

Q. Where do I start?
Start in the room to be remodeled. Take stock of what you like and want to keep – if anything – and what specific parts need to be changed. On a blank sheet (or screen, if you prefer), list what doesn’t work for you and what needs aren’t being met. The more specific and detailed about what you want to get rid of and, more important, what you want to achieve, the easier it will be to achieve the results you want.

Q. Who do I call – a kitchen and bath designer, contractor or architect?
There isn’t a single, simple answer to that question, as each project is different. In general, I suggest that if the overall architecture of your home is going to be impacted by an addition, or considerable interior structural changes impacting an entire floor of your home are being considered, an architect will be an excellent starting point. An architect will recommend a licensed general contractor or builder for your project in this scenario. They may also team with a designer to select your finishes and materials. If your project involves remodeling an existing space, rather than adding on, a kitchen and bath designer is the professional to engage. They will work with you on the overall design of the space, to include flooring and wall tile, cabinetry, hardware, lighting, fixtures, faucets, appliances and even some accessories. The designer can recommend contractors and installers, as well, to handle the work that needs to be done to implement the plan.

Q. How do I find the right person for the job?
Membership in a professional association is one way to gauge someone’s professionalism.

Architects:
American Institute of Architects

General Contractors:
Remodelers Council of the National Association of Home Builders
National Association of the Remodeling Industry

Kitchen and Bath Designers
National Kitchen & Bath Association

Professional associations like these offer certifications, as well, that indicate advanced professional training and knowledge. These are indicated in the initials following a professional’s name.

Finally, before interviewing someone, check with your state or local licensing commissions and the Better Business Bureau to see if there are licensing issues or outstanding complaints against the person or company you’re considering.

After finding someone you think you’d like to hire, ask for both recent and older references. (The latter will be able to share details on how the recommended products and workmanship are holding up over time.)

Q. How much will this cost?
Again, each project is different in its complexity and material selections. As a general rule of thumb, your investment should be appropriate for your home and neighborhood. A complete kitchen remodel for an upscale home in an upscale community could total 20 to 25 percent of that home’s value. It will include top-flight appliances, fully-accessorized cabinets, and top-of-the-line flooring, ventilation and countertops. Anything less could actually hurt its resale value.

On the other hand, a $100,000 kitchen remodel won’t recoup its full value in a $300,000 home. An entry-level home should invest 10 to 15 percent of its value in a new kitchen to get the biggest bang for its resale buck.

Homes in the middle of the market can safely invest 15 to 20 percent for a reasonable return on remodeling investment.

These percentages are applying more and more to master baths these days, as they become increasingly larger, more luxurious and higher tech.

Q. How do designers, architects and contractors charge for their services?

Everyone works a bit differently, so it’s important to clarify in pre-contract conversations just how they do charge. In general, contractors and builders will provide you with a bid for the overall project, based on labor costs and desired materials. Architects and independent designers tend to be fee-based, and will charge based on the time or overall budget involved in the project. Some kitchen and bath showrooms apply retainers or design fees to the cabinetry sales, but mark up labor provided by their subcontractors.

It’s important to understand how you’ll be charged, and what you’re getting for those charges, in order to truly compare different bids.

Q. How long will the remodel take?
This is a three-part answer that has nothing to do with 30-minute HGTV shows. Part one is the planning/designing/shopping process. This will depend on your availability, as well as your designers’. It will also depend on the complexity of the project. In some instances, you’re keeping your existing appliances, so you don’t need to spend time choosing and shopping for new ones. That can certainly shave days or weeks off the process. In other instances, you’re opting for a complex wall and floor tile design. This can add days, in terms of choosing each element of the design and approving layouts. Typically, a full-scale kitchen or bath remodel will take two to three months to plan, including showroom visits, design plan and revisions, contractor bid preparation and consultations.

Part two is ordering your selected materials. Cabinetry can take from two weeks to 12 weeks to arrive, depending on whether they’re stock or custom. Special order tile from overseas can take weeks, as well. If you’re not planning major structural changes, you can wait until the new cabinets arrive and are inspected before tearing out your old ones.

Part three is the actual on-site work. This will vary from days to weeks, depending on the extent of work to be performed. Your contractor can advise you on the timeline in advance. Chances are, by the time the project is completed, you’ll be about four to eight months later than when you wrote your first check, longer for major additions.

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This posting was excerpted from Gold Notes: Nuggets from the World of Residential Design by Jamie Goldberg, AKBD, CAPS, a professional kitchen designer in Tampa, Fl. You can reach Jamie at (813) 810-0467; jamie@jgkitchens.com; @JTGoldberg on Twitter, or through her website at www.jgkitchens.com. You can read the complete Kitchen & Bath Remodeling FAQs posting by clicking here.