The good news – yes, it is possible to remodel your kitchen in less than two weeks. The bad news – well, there is not any. You just have to do a little planning, prep, and organizational work to streamline your renovation. That is something you would have had to do anyway.
7 Tips to Do a Kitchen Remodel in Less Than Two Weeks
Kitchen work is not something to throw together willy-nilly or on the fly. With careful preparation, you can do a renovation in one or two weeks instead of three weeks to several months.
You do not necessarily have to perform the steps that follow in the order listed, so do what makes sense for you. Many of the areas overlap, too.
1. Figure Out Your Goals and What You Want From the Remodel
What is your aim with the renovation, and what do you want from the kitchen? Perhaps you want an updated, airy space that motivates you to cook more at home. Maybe you just need to boost your 1990s kitchen to fit modern tastes. Possibly you are getting older and it’s become harder to cook in the kitchen. You’ve redone your bathroom for aging in place, and now it is time for the kitchen.
Remodels can be slight or extremely thorough. For example, if you are mostly upgrading appliances and swapping out range hoods, coffeemakers, air fryers, and that type of thing, then your remodel is less extensive than many others.
Aging-in-place remodels can be fairly extensive and may include widened doorways and pathways, countertops of varying heights, and more accessible cabinets and sinks.
2. Calculate Your Budget
Figuring out the details from step one above helps you calculate your budget. After all, one thing that extends kitchen renovations is running out of money. To be safe, add a few extra hundred dollars or a cushion of about 20 percent. It may come in handy if your plumbing is clogged or you change your mind about the cabinets at the last minute.
Use a spreadsheet or similar tool to budget and track your spending in areas such as paint, new appliances, new flooring, wiring, cabinets, and so on.
3. Set Out the Timeline
Group similar things together to save time as advised by kitchen remodel Chicago company. Write what would ideally be done on day one, day two, day three, etc. Rather than fill out a full 13 or 14 days, try for 12 days or fewer in case setbacks cost you time. It’ll be nice to have an extra day or two of cushioning.
One thing to keep in mind is that while the renovation itself should take less than two weeks, that is with proper prep work and ordering materials in advance. It is unlikely you could plan a renovation over three days and then immediately do it in the next 14 days.
You need time to shop for appliances, flooring, countertops, and backsplashes, and pick them up or have them delivered.
4. Assess Your Abilities and Interest in Handling the Renovation Yourself
Is the renovation something you want to tackle yourself? If so, what is your level of DIY skill? If it’s low, then it may be unrealistic to do the renovation solo or within two weeks.
Ask family or friends who have the skill if they might be interested in helping.
Many people can handle at least some aspects of kitchen renovation themselves.
Otherwise, talk with remodeling companies and get estimates both for cost and timelines.
5. Unify the Project With a Theme
Theme possibilities include rustic, country, vintage, black-and-white, creative, traditional, and minimalistic. Knowing your theme in advance helps you choose the right materials and layouts for the kitchen. Of course, your theme may change over time to fit your budget.
For visual consistency, do stay with one appliance brand.
6. Plan For Your Everyday Living Needs
What are you going to do as far as cooking and eating while remodeling work goes on?
Kitchen work may be more successful if you minimize kitchen use for practical reasons during a remodel.
Otherwise, regular use of the kitchen adds to the confusion and chaos. This is a good time to plan on a lot of sandwiches, cereal, and low-key meals. Get everyone in the household on board with the remodel as much as possible, and explain what they should do while work is occurring.
7. Avoid Common Mistakes
Avoid mistakes such as choosing appliances after the cabinetry and installing cabinets before floors. In the latter situation, for instance, removing the floor can damage the cabinets. Meanwhile, installing cabinets on top of hardwood restricts the floor’s ability to expand and contract.
Another mistake is to space the stove, sink, and refrigerator too far apart. Keep them a few feet from one another. Also important is to properly wire kitchen outlets. Do not wire them to 15 amp breakers. Instead, strive for three outlets on 20 amp outlets on arc faults and ground fault circuit protectors. Don’t underestimate the amount of storage space needed, either, and make sure you would have ample post-renovation clearance.
Remodeling your kitchen in less than two weeks is possible, especially with careful planning and restricted scope for the work. Budget generously so that finances do not get in the way of progress.
