Mission Statement
Knowledge is King
Where to Start
FCS Cabinets believes in giving our customers as much information possible to insure their Dream Project to be a seamless, stress-free experience. Correct Knowledge is King! Here we dive into a few steps you can take to understand what to expect, so that you can make an educated investment in your home.
The decision to remodel your kitchen or bathroom is an exciting one, but it is usually made with at least a little hesitancy. There are many unknowns when first beginning your project – you have to determine an appropriate budget, find the right contractor, plan for the disruptions, and more. Many homeowners feel justifiably overwhelmed by the prospects of a remodeling project and aren’t sure where to turn to get answers to their questions. To help you with this process FCS has put together a few pointers and a Starting gate of recommendations.
First you need to gather ideas. We know you want your dream kitchen to be creative and different, and it will be, but it helps you and your designer to picture what your dreaming of if you show them pictures. Designers try there hardest to capture your dream but none of us are mind readers. Many homeowners think this is the easiest part of the project, and as a result, it is the one that most often gets the least attention. Design ideas come from a number of valuable resources such as TV shows, websites, blogs, showrooms and magazine articles. These ideas are very personal and reflect individual style and taste as well needs and wants. Much like a snowflake, no two kitchen projects will ever have exactly the same requirements or identical layouts. You will need to create a folder for your design ideas. This folder should contain:
- Magazine clippings, photos from the internet, pictures and advertisements that show styles and functional elements that you like.
- Pictures of your existing space and the rooms that lead into it.
- Pictures of other areas of your home that are representative of your style and taste.
- Accurate measurements of the space you plan to remodel. But keep in mind your supplier for cabinets will still have to come to your home and take their own measurements.
To help plan your budget, you need to develop a list of “Needs,” “Wants,” and “Desires.” This list helps you prioritize the styles and functional elements you want to see in your new kitchen and ultimately stay within your budget. To create this list, FCS recommends the following steps:
- Make a list of everything you don’t like about your current kitchen. Once you think you have a pretty good list of “dislikes” – you can always add more later – take a few minutes to number this list with one being the most important change you need to make.
- Go through all of the design ideas you have gathered and make a second, separate list of every design and functional element you want to see in your new kitchen. Be sure to leave room for new ideas that may come up as you’re shopping. Draw three columns to the right of your list labeled “Need,” “Want,” and “Desire.”
- With your list of “dislikes” close by, begin going through your list of new features. For each one, if it clearly addresses one of the things you dislike about your current kitchen, put a check in the “Need” column. If it does not, put a check in the “Want” column for something that adds value, or a check in the “Desire” column if it is simply an “oh wow” item, like decorative molding or chocolate glaze. This is one of the most important steps, and the challenge here is to remain honest with yourself.
- Prioritize all of the items in each of “Needs,” “Wants,” and “Desires” columns, beginning with number one as the most important. Compare the item to what it “fixes” from your first list to help determine how important it might be. You might need to repeat this step a couple of times to make sure you are happy with the order.
- Rewrite the entire list, in the order you have just selected. This last step may seem trivial, but it gives you a final opportunity to make changes and adds a little peace of mind that you were thorough.
Next Step is always a difficult one especially if you have been watching a lot of HGTV. Here we try to tackle the “Elephant In The Room” your budget. Below is a Budget Calculator that you can download and work with your numbers. Industry studies suggest that a typical kitchen remodeling project budget should be between 10% and 20% of your home’s current market value. As a rule, well-planned projects in this price range can return up to 90% of the project cost when you decide to sell your home. For a home valued at $200,000, a good starting point for your budget would be $20,000 to $40,000 for a complete renovation, including:
- New cabinetry and counter tops (About 50% of your total budget)
- New flooring (10%)
- New appliances (10%)
- New sink, faucet, and disposal (5%)
- Labor for removal and installation (25%) As you begin thinking about your budget, use the 10% to 20% rule as a starting point to clearly set the maximum you are willing to spend on your project.
Then begin looking at the value of homes in your neighborhood and try to talk with friends that may have recently completed a remodeling project. Care must be taken not to price your home well out of the market by investing much more in your new kitchen than you can hope to get back if you were to sell. This should allow you to come up with an initial budget that is somewhat less than your maximum. For example, the budget range for your $200,000 home would be $20,000 to $40,000, and you decide that $30,000 is your personal maximum. After talking with friends and considering neighboring home values, you could potentially set your initial budget at $25,000 for your project. Keep in mind that these estimates represent national averages and prices will vary by region of the country.