More Kitchen Layout Options

U Shaped Kitchen
A U shaped kitchen requires plenty of space 8 feet by 8 feet at the bare minimum. This layout is only feasible where there are unbroken stretches of wall on three sides of the room, with no door interrupting the U. Units run along the three walls, providing maximum storage and working space. This kitchen offers a great amount of counter space and one area of the "U" may be used to separate the kitchen from the dining area. In a U shaped kitchen, the major appliances (sink, fridge, stove) should each be placed each on one leg of the U.

Islands
The work triangle is created either by you facing a run of sink, cooker and fridge along one wall, or by fitting the sink or cooker into the island.. An island can be incorporated into any of the kitchen floor plans and can add to the ease of cooking in kitchens that are rather large as you can locate a sink or stove on the island and have it near the other appliances for ease of use in cooking and preparing food. Appliances should be at least 48" apart (measure from center to center of the appliances). If your kitchen is too small to allow for this, try a portable island that you can move in and out as needed. Islands are great places to have an extra appliance or add an eating counter.

Cabinets along One Wall
Using wall cabinets on both sides can make the room feel cramped, so consider replacing with open shelving. This could be practical if you have a long narrow kitchen. This is the least functional type of kitchen. If you have to have this type of plan, make sure the sink is in the center with the oven and fridge close by so the cook can easily prepare the food. Also make sure you have enough counter space between appliances a common mistake is to put only 8" to a foot between appliances and layout is not conducive to family gatherings in the kitchen unless you have a larger area where you can put a table and chairs.

Kitchen Remodels Made Easy

Probably the most important aspect of a kitchen remodel is choosing the floor plan. Kitchen remodeling is one of the most desirable home improvement projects for many homeowners. A new kitchen increases the value of your home and makes your life easier. The first step to your new kitchen is to set a budget.

Cabinets along One Wall
Using wall cabinets on both sides can make the room feel cramped, so consider replacing with open shelving. This could be practical if you have a long narrow kitchen. This is the least functional type of kitchen. If you have to have this type of plan, make sure the sink is in the center with the oven and fridge close by so the cook can easily prepare the food. Also make sure you have enough counter space between appliances a common mistake is to put only 8" to a foot between appliances and layout is not conducive to family gatherings in the kitchen unless you have a larger area where you can put a table and chairs.

Galley Kitchen
This style of kitchen is often seen in apartments and smaller homes and offers an efficient use of space, making it the choice of many professional chefs. A layout with two rows of units allows room for lots of preparation space, and moving between activities areas can be as easy as simply turning around and consists of a somewhat narrow kitchen with cabinets along 2 opposing walls. The most efficient use of small space, the Corridor Kitchen allows for convenient access to the cabinets and appliances on both walls. Allow for the corridor to be at least 48" wide. Closing one end off will cut down on traffic, but it does not leave any room for family or friends to join in the fun.

L Shaped Kitchen
An L shaped cabinet arrangement can make good use of space and be a lot easier to work in. The work triangle joins two key areas on one side of the L, with the third on the other side. The sink, cooker and fridge can be in any order, although putting the sink and cooker on opposite sides of the L works well, as you’ll have worktop space around them. The L-Shaped kitchen provides a work area largely unbroken by traffic. One of the most common kitchen designs, it provides excellent flexibility in the placement of major appliances.

Decorating Your Bathroom With Your Style

There are numerous approaches to treating your bathroom wall. You can combine several types to decorate your bathroom:

Waterproof bathroom cladding - is constructed from uPVC honeycomb section panels that slot into each other using a tongue and groove system. The face of the panel has a vinyl layer, which is available in a number of different: wood grain; marble effect; tile effect or solid color.


Ceramic wall tiles - Ceramic tiles are still the best selling selection of bathroom wall treatment and are available today at very inexpensive prices. By using different sizes ceramic tiles and combining them with other tiles for a border, you can achieve an unusual design.

Custom Waterfall - Installing a custom waterfall in your bathroom is another modern design that is gaining wide acceptance. A waterfall mounted on the wall or set on any surface in the bathroom is a great way to transform your bathroom into a place that is refreshing and calming. A waterfall design in your bathroom is a guaranteed attraction and provide relaxation for the mind, body and spirit.

Bathroom paint or wallpaper - you can easily combine paint and wallpaper to cover your bathroom wall. For example, you may need to use tile inside the shower cubicle but paint or apply wallpaper to the rest of the bathroom, but try not to use lots of different products as your bathroom design might start to look cluttered. It is important is to use colors, textures, and patterns that complement each other.

What to Remember When Renovating Your Bathroom

The method of bathroom renovation should include redoing the structural elements along with surface alterations. You can change the layout of your bathroom. You might even consider a complete remodeling or tear out for totally revamping the moisture patches that have marked the joists and walls.

The basic thing is to have the bathroom renovation well financed. Bathroom remodeling is an expensive affair and this is why you need to specifically understand the requirements of the project. The reason for the high costs is the intensive sub contracting work that might be required. You may require plumbers, electricians and floor tiling experts to handle the job. Expenditure also rolls out from elements like cabinetry and bathroom fixtures. The most common way to get started is with the home equity loan.

Take a good look at the bathroom remodeling project and decide whether you need a contractor for the job. Simple tasks like toilet installations may be handled by yourself, but then for creating a tiled shower, you need the help of a pro. In case you go for hiring a handyman, you need to know about their skills. The contractor should be a licensed provider, although the license does not mean that he does quality work. It is an indication of the fact that the person has fulfilled the basic requirement of the licensing agency. Bathroom remodeling jobs may require building and electric permits. So it is advised that you apply for them early.

Kitchen Remodeling Rules

When you begin to think about remodeling your home, it's easy to go overboard, tackle too much, or overspend. By following a few simple rules, you can avoid those difficulties. Here are some things to think about--even before you begin your remodeling project.

1) Anticipate Your Budget Going Over- 9 times out of 10, your remodeling project is going to go over budget because of unexpected expenses. Especially when you are working on your kitchen, you will typically find your ultimate cost to be about 25 percent higher than your original estimate. The same 25 percent figure also applies to the amount of time it will take to complete the project.

For example, if you have decided to spend $10,000 to remodel your kitchen and give yourself five weeks to finish the job, you can generally expect to end up spending about $12,500 and seven weeks on the project. There are no hard-and-fast rules, but one thing experienced remodeling professionals have learned--always expect the unexpected.

2) Research Everything- Do lots of research concerning the materials you will be using and the specifications of each product. Go to your home improvement store to get test paint color samples. They should be knowledgable about current trends and the latest products on the market. Don't assume that the big box stores are going to have the best prices. Even though they have the buying power, you can find the same extra products online for a lot less because they don't have the overhead of the retail stores.

3) Don't Put Off The Small Items- Once you've decided on your main components, don't forget to spend time on the small things, as well. It's easy to get caught up focusing on the big ticket items, but it's often the interior design details, like trim, accent colors, and hardware that really make a remodeling project come to life.

Designing the Bathroom of Your Dreams

A lot of people are often apprehensive and perhaps a little overwhelmed when it comes to remodeling the bathroom because of the the dizzying details involved in the selection of the color, materials and other accessories.

The bathroom is one room that takes a small amount of effort to design or decorate. Unlike other areas in your home, the bathroom just needs some paint or wall covering and replacement of the fixtures to give it a different look. The first step to a successful design is choosing the right kinds of materials. Whether it is a complete bathroom remodeling or just adding accessories to existing fixtures, your options are endless and fortunately - the marketplace is well-stock with paint in every tints, tones and shades and accessories for your bathroom at bargain prices.

Selecting the Right Tile and Wall Covering

The floors and walls set the atmosphere for the entire bathroom space. Choose an interesting floor pattern and wall color to create a unique bathroom design. Select a tile that has great pattern or color and coordinate a wall paint or covering that complements with the rest of the bathroom. Combining different tile sizes and patterns adds visual interest to any bathroom design.

Beautiful Bathrooms

It's not a great time to sell your home. We all know that. But some of us don't have much choice, and need to sell our homes now anyway. But how do you improve the value and appearance of your home on such a shoddy market? Perhaps the single most effective way of marking up your home's market value is to renovate or remodel your bathroom, especially with the installation of bathroom vanities.

When you really look at it, your home is a financial investment as well as an investment in your security. When you have lived out your time there, you're going to want a good return on the home you invested so much time and money in. Generally speaking, statistical evidence suggests that the kitchen and the bathroom are responsible for the largest returns on your investment, more-so than any other room on your property. A clean and well-kept but ordinary house won't exactly sell prospective buyers, but an aesthetically stunning kitchen and comfortable, attractive bathroom definitely will. To put it a bit frankly, buyers won't even notice if most of the rooms in your home are "ordinary," so long as your kitchen and/or bathroom stand out; attractive bathrooms, therefore, increase the probability of a purchase.

The Hard Part! Comparing Bids!

This may be the hardest part of the entire process but it is also the one that has the biggest rewards.  After you have received all the information from different home remodeling contractors you are ready to find the one that is best for you!

This is where your initial homework starts to pay off. Each estimate your receive needs to be in writing and it should have a specific scope of work that mirrors the information that you provided them. And in most cases the estimate will have more detail. If the Contractor's estimate is vague and lacking specific details relating to the work, this is a Contractor that you may want to pass on. If you accept an estimate that does not specifically describe the work that the Contractor is proposing to complete, you are leaving yourself open to costly "Change Orders" at the discretion of the Contractor. It's not a good position for you, as a homeowner, to put yourself in. So keep in mind, it's your responsibility as a homeowner to make sure the Contractor has a complete understanding of the work you want completed and it must be conveyed in writing on the estimate.

Once you have established that each estimate is for the same scope of work, let's now look at each price. When it comes to remodeling, the saying "You get what you pay for" is a good guideline but it definitely doesn't mean that a more expensive bid is your best choice. For example, you could have (2) bids that are somewhat higher than your budget and a lower bid that may be a little less than your budget. Most of us would automatically consider the lowest estimate initially but we have to figure out why that Contractor's bid is much lower than the other two. Below are some questions you need to ask each bidder.

- Did the Contractor omit a portion of the scope of work? If so, have them revise the estimate.
- Does the Estimate include having the Contractor prepare architectural drawings, if necessary?
- Are they using lesser quality materials (paint, cabinets, tile, etc.)?
- How long will it take to complete the work?
- Are they insured with a General Liability policy?
- Can they provide a minimum of 5 to 10 references from previous projects?
- Are permits necessary and if so, is the cost included in the estimate?
- Is the Contractor willing to let you visit several of their jobs?
- What type of Warranty does the Contractor provide?

Organizing Your Ideas for Your Contractor

Step 1 - Organize your Ideas

The first and probably the most important step is to do a little research yourself to find out how much the work you want could cost.  There are many resources available, such as:  the internet, library, or other family and/or friends who have had similar work done.  Doing this helps start the project off on the right foot.

Your goal is to get several estimates or bids that are all based on the same scope of work; apples to apples if you will. You have to be able to provide the remodeling Contractor with enough information so they can prepare an estimate that meets your goals and you must provide each Contractor with the same scope of work. If not, the pricing that you get from each Contractor will be very difficult to interpret which could slow you down and ultimately cost you more money. The last thing you want is a home remodeling Contractor that is going to "Change Order" you until your pocket book has dried up. So, try to finalize as many of the details as possible.

This means that you, the Homeowner, must put all of your ideas and scope on paper including photocopies of pictures, any layouts, designs, sketches, etc. And never give your originals away because you may not see them again.

Talk to Several Contractors, Not Just One!

It's be really easy to just find one contractor that you like to do your home project.  It's even easier to get several bids and just pick the lowest priced one.  However, this is a serious mistake and gets your home project off on a terrible start.  You need to shop around for home remodeling contractors and find one that provides quality and affordability.

Look for Contractors affiliated with the Better Business Bureau, National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) or any other local building or remodeling association. Look at each Contractors website to see what type of work they perform. What are their specialties? And if they do not have a website, you should be cautious if you decide to contract with them.

The most organized Homeowners form a typed copy of a basic scope of work with copies of any pictures, layouts, designs, sketches, etc. And it's easy for the home remodeling contractor because they know exactly what you want!

During your meetings with each Contractor, hand over your information that you compiled and walk the job with each of them. Be prepared to answer numerous questions. Some will be easy to answer and others may need some additional research on your part. Either way, try to stick with your initial scope of work and do not deviate. You want the bids to be apples to apples and changing the scope during your meeting with the Contractor will only make it more difficult for you to interpret the figures on each bid. You can always adjust the scope after the estimates are gathered and you have narrowed down the potential Contractors.

Ask each Contractor how long it will take them to prepare the estimate and make sure they honor those dates. If they don't, that should be a red flag.