Most of our clients and homeowners usually have a target date of completion in mind when thinking of remodeling their kitchen. Sometimes it’s a big event such as an anniversary or a graduation. Often times, homeowners want their new kitchen to be done in time for the winter holidays. What most people don’t know, however, is when they should start their kitchen remodel.
When clients come to us, they can simply tell us what their target completion day is. We can then tell them how early they need to start so we can comfortably finish within schedule. However, if you haven’t started working with a kitchen designer or contractor yet, it helps to have an idea of the luxury kitchen remodel timeline.
Different Stages of a Kitchen Remodel
Roughly, a kitchen remodel can take about 4 to 5 months, or even more depending on the scope. As with any type of project, be it in construction or not, there are multiple stages involved. For a kitchen remodel, we can break it down into roughly four parts. These steps are: planning, fabrication, construction, and installation.
Stage 1: Planning Your Kitchen
The very first step towards your new luxury kitchen is planning –and lots of it. This step can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. In this phase, the goal is to clearly define your project. Ask yourself: “What is my goal in this kitchen remodel?”
When you have the answer to that question, it’s time to start talking to professionals such as an architect, interior designer, or contractor. With their help, you’ll gain a better understanding of what your kitchen remodel needs. Hiring professionals also ensures that any decisions made will be up to standard and meet any local regulations.
Another thing that may not have immediately crossed your mind is how you’ll use your kitchen while it’s being remodeled. If your kitchen will be undergoing a major overhaul, you may have to setup a temporary kitchen somewhere in your home. You can also opt to look for an alternate place to live for the time being. This will relieve you of having to deal with construction-related stresses.
The most important piece of advice we can give with regard to this step is to take as much time as you need. No matter how excited you are to get your new luxury kitchen cabinets, don’t rush the construction. Carefully plan things out and talk things through with your designer. As much as possible, make changes while everything is still on paper. This will help ensure you stay on schedule and within budget.
Stage 2: Cabinetry Fabrication
Once all the measurements have been taken and all plans have been finalized, work on your new kitchen can finally begin. Off-site, your contractor or specialty cabinet maker can start fabricating your kitchen cabinetry. Most of the pieces are made at a workshop and brought in later once the construction and installation stage starts. Note that this step can take as long as 2 to 3 months. Even more, depending on how much custom cabinetry you ordered.
Stage 3: Demolition and Rough Construction
This stage is when you’ll start to see big changes in your home and things start to get exciting. The demolition stage involves taking down cabinets, appliances, and any other equipment. Some luxury kitchen projects also involve opening up the space, so some walls may also have to be demolished. While the demolition itself can be finished in a few days, the next part is quite variable.
Upon demolition, unforeseen issues may come to light. This is especially true in older homes. You may discover that your floor needs to be leveled, your walls have been attacked by termites, or your utility lines need to be brought up to code. Issues such as these can take a while to resolve depending on the gravity, and can make a dent on your project timeline.
After all of that, we start with the rough construction. This is where any issues that turn up get resolved. Existing columns and beams may need to be retrofitted, and new drywalls get put up. New flooring gets installed in this step as well. Lastly, this stage is also when changes to plumbing and electrical lines are installed or adjusted to accommodate for your new appliances.
Stage 4: Kitchen Installation
This last stage is what you’ve been waiting for all this time, the kitchen installation. The cabinets that were being fabricated in stage 2 start to come in, starting with the lower cabinets. Once those are installed, countertop production can begin. This process can take about 1-2 weeks as the countertop fabricator would need to laser-measure the needed material for it to fit perfectly. Then there are the shop drawings, then the slab preparation and installation afterwards.
If all the prep work in the previous step was done properly, the installation of kitchen cabinetry should go on with minimal issues. There won’t be any need to use a caulk gun to fill in gaps because of an out-of-level floor or ceiling. Conflicts between cabinets and electrical outlets also won’t be an issue if everything was carefully planned an accounted for in the prior stages.
The very last step involves the finishing touches such as installing the plumbing fixtures, finishing of hardwood flooring, and painting works. Once all the work on cabinetry is done, lighting fixtures and appliances can be installed. After a bit of fine-tuning and one final clean up, your brand new luxury kitchen is ready for turnover.
Starting On Your New Luxury Kitchen
As you’ve seen from this rough breakdown, getting to your newly remodeled kitchen can take many months. If you want your remodel to be done in time for Thanksgiving or Christmas, then you should be getting started as early as summer. It’s better if you can get started even earlier than that if you’re gunning for the winter holidays. This is because there are likely other people who want to get kitchen remodels done by then. By getting started early, you have more time to prepare.
If it’s not obvious to you by now, we at Wood & Co. greatly advocate careful and advanced planning. Keep this luxury kitchen remodel timeline in mind as you consider your project. Ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible by consulting with experts and working with professionals.
When you’re ready to get started on your project, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us!
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