Seattle Kitchen Remodeling and Renovation

Year in and year out, one of the most popular home improvements is the kitchen remodel. It's an easy phenomenon to understand. The kitchen is the center of sustenance and, often, the crown jewel of a home in the Emerald City. It comes as close as a home improvement can to promising a better quality of home living while increasing the value of your home. From Bellevue to Everett to West Seattle and throughout the greater Seattle area, homeowners are finding it's time to reinvigorate the look of their kitchen.

Cost, Value, and Satisfaction with Seattle Kitchen Renovation
Kitchen renovation can mean anything from hauling out old appliances and installing new ones to stripping your kitchen all the way down to the studs. Typically, the smaller kitchen renovations actually are better dollar-for-dollar. On average, the "bare essentials" kitchen renovation will cost about $20,000 and return about $24,000 in property value, or 122 percent. Not too shabby. Larger projects that cost in the $40,000 to $60,000 range return about 100 percent of their cost, and the percentage goes down the further upscale you go. Still, too many homeowners get so obsessed with resale value that they fail to get what they need and want from their new kitchen.

Plus, every home and situation is different. Especially for older homes with original construction, you may need to strip everything down just to be safe. One of the worst-case scenarios is to drop tens of thousands of dollars on a kitchen renovation only to discover a few years later that you have a plumbing leak eating away at your walls or old electrical wiring that must be replaced. Of course, you probably won't have a definitive answer to these questions until you talk to the professionals.

Seattle Kitchen Remodeling Contractors
Do yourself a favor and talk to at least three different contractors before making a decision to hire someone. Naturally, getting estimates is a key element, but use the opportunity to discuss more than just cost. You want to find a contractor who has a remodeling philosophy that meshes with the vision you have for your new kitchen. They may also have a few ideas for your kitchen space that you had previously considered. It may be obvious from talking with your contractors who is right for you, but take the extra time to do your homework. Talk to previous customers about their kitchen project with that contractor. Along with matching you with several Seattle kitchen remodeling contractors, ServiceMagic provides ratings and reviews to help you make this critical decision.

Seattle Kitchen Remodels: Homeowner Advice
Once you've found a contractor you can trust, don't be afraid to get creative with your kitchen. A competent contractor can do wonders for your home. Here's a great story from a homeowner who spent $40,000 on his kitchen remodel: "Knocking out a wall and opening up the kitchen to the dining room/living room was a key decision in our design, and I would recommend it to everyone. We are incredibly happy with the granite countertops, Kitchen Kraft cherry cabinets, and Brazilian cherry flooring. We also did a counter-height bar instead of an elevated bar, undercabinet lights, and an undermount sink. They were all great decisions."

Regardless of your kitchen plans, you'll need to exercise patience. It's not uncommon for a kitchen renovation to take four to six weeks, and if you hire a contractor with a crowded schedule, it can take even longer. This can be trying for even the most resilient homeowner. As one Seattle homeowner put it, "Buy lots of paper plates and plastic utensils!" This same homeowner rated his experience as 4.86 out of 5, so trust that in the end, it's worth the wait.