No matter if it’s in the bathroom or kitchen, there’s no denying that a remodel can have a significant impact on the look and feel of the room. Whether that be a major renovation where you’re changing everything or just a few minor changes here and there, it can definitely be a worthwhile investment. As a plumbing business offering residential, commercial and new construction services, you can also safely assume that we do quite a bit of work in bathrooms and kitchens over the course of the year. On this week’s blog, we’ll be discussing a few tips to consider when contemplating a kitchen remodeling project. Obviously, “kitchen remodeling” is a rather broad term and can look quite different depending on the scope of work, but there’s certainly some common points worth mentioning and we’ll highlight several today.
Before we hop into some kitchen remodeling talk, we would first like to welcome any first-time blog visitors. Welcome to Stine-Nichols Plumbing! We are a plumbing business located in North Kansas City, MO. Since opening our business in 2014, we’ve had the opportunity to work with thousands of awesome customers throughout the Kansas City area. From minor service calls all the way up to design-build new construction projects, we strive to be a one-stop shop for all things plumbing. As mentioned above, we’ll be taking a moment this week to discuss a few tips to consider in your kitchen remodeling journey.
#1: Hire Experienced Contractors
Unless you’re planning on completing the renovations yourself (which can be a challenging process given the potentially-complex nature of a kitchen remodel), the first piece of advice we’re going to give is to take your time when hiring contractors. While this is extremely important for those embarking on a large remodeling project, it can also be said for simply swapping out a few plumbing fixtures. How can you ensure you hire the right contractor for the job?
Read Reviews – In the digital world that we live in nowadays, you can learn a lot about a business online. Prior to hiring any home services contractor, do some research on the internet. Do they have any reviews on their Google listing? How about their social media pages and business website? Do those all look professional? Do they have any photos of their work that you can reference? These won’t necessarily guarantee someone provides reliable and professional services, but it is a good place to start!
Multiple Estimates – This is a point that could be more so geared towards those making significant renovations, but is nonetheless worth bringing up! Get a few estimates to ensure you’re receiving a fair price and that there are no questions left unanswered. Major kitchen remodels can be a serious investment and it’s worth taking your time in the initial stages to ensure everything turns out as expected.
Referrals – For a business, you can’t beat word-of-mouth marketing. If a past customer was pleased enough with your work to the point that they’re willing to recommend you to a friend or family member, that definitely means something. With referrals, these can come from a past customer or even another contractor in a different trade that has worked with this other contractor on a previous project.
#2: Consider Small Changes
As mentioned above, the scope of work for a kitchen remodel can vary substantially. Before deciding to turn your kitchen into a full construction site, it wouldn’t hurt to evaluate the impact that can be made by a few minor changes. As a plumbing company, one element that instantly comes to mind is modernizing your sink and faucet (maybe even the countertop/backsplash too if you want to take it one step further). In any case, a new sink and faucet has the ability to instantly improve the look of a room. Not to mention, when it comes to kitchen faucet options in today’s world, you have no shortage of possibilities to pick from. Aside from the basic decisions (like one-handle vs two-handle), it wouldn’t hurt to check out some of the cool features that now accompany faucets.
Voice-Activated Faucets – If you’re someone that likes to cook, you would agree that things can get quite hectic in the kitchen at times. In these situations, do you think it would be helpful to have a voice-activated faucet? In other words, you could just ask, “pour one cup of water” and the faucet would process that request. Well…that is possible with several smart faucets currently available. For an example of these capabilities, take a look at this faucet HERE from Moen.
Touchless Faucets – Hands-free faucets have clearly become extremely popular in commercial restrooms (especially after the Covid pandemic). However, it’s not hard to see how touchless technology could also be beneficial in residential kitchens. With a built-in sensor, you can simply wave your hand in front of it to start and stop the faucet. Another feature that you’ll likely find yourself using quite frequently!
Furthermore, before we continue on with this blog post, there is one final point I wanted to mention in regards to modernizing your faucets. While it can instantly be a breath of fresh air to your existing kitchen, it’s also worth noting that the faucet industry has grown immensely over the past decade or so. With so many reliable brands out there and a wide range of styles/finishes to pick from, homeowners will have no trouble finding something that matches their current kitchen aesthetic.
#3: Planning. Planning. Planning.
Our final point can be said about many home improvement projects, but is still definitely worth mentioning. Whenever you’re thinking about a major renovation, make sure to have a plan. We already discussed the importance of hiring a qualified contractor, but there are certainly a few other points to highlight.
Timeline – One of the most common frustrations homeowners can have with a contractor is when they don’t stick to a timeline. Make sure this is ironed out ahead of time and when doing your research on potential options, it wouldn’t hurt to look for reviews on contractors known for sticking to their estimated schedules. It’s a trait that could save you a bunch of headaches along the way!
Budget – Another thing you’ll want to solidify before even calling contractors is how much do you want to spend on the project. Once you have this established, there are ways in which you can maximize that budget, most notably being in regards to specific materials used on different elements.
Plumbing Changes – We already highlighted one example of plumbing changes (i.e. swapping out fixtures). However, that is an example of a minor replacement (in retrospect to a substantial remodel). If you’re looking to gut the kitchen and change the entire layout, you may find yourself moving plumbing pipes as well. For those where more significant changes are needed, you’ll want to make sure you’re 100% satisfied with the layout before getting started!
Need Help With the Plumbing Part of a Kitchen Remodel?
As mentioned throughout this blog post, plumbing is certainly intertwined throughout a kitchen remodel. Whether that be in the form of replacing faucets, sinks, garbage disposals and so on, or as big as a complete plumbing rough-in, your friends at Stine-Nichols Plumbing have you covered! Our team of plumbing professionals possess years of experience working on a wide variety of plumbing projects. If you’re interested in a free estimate on anything plumbing-related, we would be more than happy to help out! We currently serve the entire Kansas City area and many of the surrounding cities. To get in touch with our team, feel free to fill out the form HERE or give us a call at (816) 348-3481. We look forward to hearing from you!