Whether you’ve just moved into a new-to-you home and are rectifying a kitchen nightmare from 1987 or you plan to spruce up a modern kitchen that just needs a little lift, you’re going to need a guide.

A kitchen remodel can be one of the most stressful, exciting, frustrating, and worthwhile upgrades to a home you’ll ever make. To get to your ideal kitchen without the unnecessary costs or drama, make sure to follow this kitchen remodel checklist.

For advice on everything from budgeting and hiring a contractor to planning and getting through the build, keep reading.

Balance Your Kitchen Remodel Budget

The first step in the checklist is to create and organize a budget. It’s difficult to do anything else before you know how much money you have to work with. From the copper range hood you’ve seen in your dreams to the custom cabinetry you just have to have, everything needs to be accounted for budget-wise in order to make it happen.

If you’re not sure what you’ll be including in the remodel, there’s one simple checklist item you can do to help: Empty out every cupboard and drawer in your kitchen and analyze where you’ve been putting everything.

Is there a different place for your silverware that makes more sense? Will keeping the pans on a hanging rack or wall rack be better than stuffing them in the lower cupboard? The answers to these kinds of questions can help you gain a clearer vision of how you really use your space and reveal what you need to make it more functional.

It’s recommended that you not spend more than 15% of the market value of your home on the project. Once you have that number, reserve 20% of it for unexpected necessities. For example, you might discover that you have to shore up the floor to support the weight of your massive new range.

Create a Project Planner List

You will need a few things to hand any professional who will be helping to get your project together, whether they’re a contractor, project planner, or interior designer.

It’s a good idea to have a scale drawing or rendering of your existing kitchen that shows the location of heating, plumbing lines, electrical outlets, doors, and windows. If you’re not working with an architect, you can do this yourself with 3D kitchen design software.

You should also create a list of your goals for the project, whether they’re more stylish cabinetry, more space, more storage, or anything else. Prioritize this list and separate it into “needs” and “wants.”

Collect photos of ideas you like: products, materials, rooms, architectural details, and anything that catches your eye. But think about how you will use your new kitchen before making any choices. If you like the sleek look of glass-front cabinets but are a neat freak, you might end up happier with doors that conceal clutter.

If you’ve always wanted a giant pro range but hate the smells that many foods leave to linger after cooking, you’ll want to make sure you get a magnificent range hood that looks stunning and takes that odor right out of the house.

Choose Kitchen Appliances and Features

Maybe you’ve been comparison shopping for weeks and know exactly what you want in your kitchen. Maybe you really have no idea where to start. Either way, you should keep a few things in mind when it comes to appliances and other kitchen essentials like garbage disposals, lighting, faucets, drawer pulls, and sinks.

Following are some things to consider when shopping for your new kitchen:

Burner Heat Output

Make sure your new appliances have everything you need and want, but don’t waste money on features you won’t use. If you don’t need a pro-style model stove that pushes out 12,000 Btu, don’t pay for one.

Safety Features

Carefully consider your cooktop choices and the placement of the controls; you want the controls at the side or on the top, not between the burners. Make sure any outlets in the plan will be GFCI outlets. Don’t cut back on ventilation, either. The more heavy-duty the stove, the more powerful your range hood exhaust system will need to be.

Ease of Use and Cleaning

If you’re looking to make your life a little easier with your kitchen remodel (and who isn’t?), look for little features like sealed stove burners, fingerprint-resistant textured finishes, and sliding tempered glass shelves for the fridge.

You also may want accessible controls for the fridge, convenient loading for the dishwasher, and easy-grip stove top knobs.

Energy Efficiency

The name of the game here is Energy Star: Look for appliances that have earned Energy Star ratings so you can conserve resources, lower your energy bills, and save money on operating costs. Also, look for a low-flow faucet for your kitchen sink.

Hire a General Contractor and Planner

Don’t make the mistake of not hiring a general contractor. Unless you’re a GC yourself, you’re going to need to hire a good professional to handle your remodel. This will help make the entire project go more smoothly, and in many locations, it’s required by law.

 

You might think you’ll be able to save money by skipping the contractor and handling it all yourself, but don’t be tempted. There are many benefits to hiring a pro to do the job, such as:

• Budget management
• Customizable services
• Organized schedules
• Insurance coverage for work
• Network of subcontractors
• High-quality results
• Safer work area and finished kitchen

A good general contractor is flexible and versatile and will bring their experience and knowledge to the (kitchen) table. They’ll save you time and provide superior project management, and they understand the industry nuances, too.

A kitchen planner can save you money and time by heading off potential issues at the pass. They also know how to make substitutions for high-end materials, maximize storage, and design the layout so that the flow of the space is nice and efficient.

Consider the Layout of the Kitchen

Speaking of layouts, a classic layout for busy kitchens for generations has been the “kitchen triangle” — the three-sided layout connection of the refrigerator, the stove, and the sink. However, there are more options to consider with today’s modern kitchen.

Kitchen Zones

One approach to deciding on the layout of your new kitchen is the zone approach. Map out the room's traffic patterns — for example, from the refrigerator to the stove or the sink to the coffeemaker. Set up different areas, or zones, for each activity, such as cooking, cleaning, and storing.

As you do this, try to avoid having zones overlap each other. For instance, the refrigerator should be in an accessible area of the room where young children (or anyone, really) can reach it without passing close to the cooktop or oven.

Kitchen Islands

Many people these days want a kitchen island, and although they are an excellent choice for many kitchens, they don’t work in all of them.

An island can make the triangle idea very efficient in a large space. In a kitchen that often has two cooks working together, the island can serve as a convenient pivot point, especially if it includes a dedicated workstation or a prep sink.

If you have a smaller kitchen and really want an island, consider one that you can roll away and tuck against a wall when it isn’t in use.

Ask Yourself the Important Questions

No matter how you slice it, a kitchen remodel is a big deal. Ask yourself some important design questions that will help improve your chances of being truly happy with the finished product:

• How many people usually cook in the kitchen at once?
• How important is easy cleanup to you?
• What is the one luxury you’d be willing to splurge on?
• Who hangs out in the kitchen?
• Do you need dedicated storage for spices or baking ingredients?
• How much counter space do you want?

When all is said and done, taking the time to properly plan and organize is essential for a well-done and well-loved project.