Remodeling your kitchen is often one of the most valuable investments you could make in a house or condo.
Safety Tips for DIY Kitchen Renovation
When you are renovating your home’s kitchen (whether to increase your home’s value or simply to brighten up your living space), there are some commonly suggested safety guidelines you should always bear in mind.
Always Shut Off Gas Before Kitchen Renovation Work
Find out where the gas shutoff is if you are going to do some work in a kitchen. You also need to use extreme caution during the project itself. You would not want to have an explosion or fire put a damper on your home improvement project.
When Installing New Kitchen Cabinets, Always Use a Level
Prior to installing new kitchen cabinets, draw a horizontal line along your kitchen’s perimeter. This level line will provide a reference point for you to measure from when installing your wall and base cabinets. The benchmark line needs to start where your floor is highest.
Make Sure to Mount Home Kitchen Cabinets on Wall Studs
If you’re putting in kitchen cabinets, you should make sure they’re screwed on tight on a wall stud. Mark all of the wall studs in the beginning of your installation so that you know where to put the screws. You can buy a cheap stud finder from a hardware store to make this go more quickly.
Ideas for Remodeling Your Home Kitchen
For those thinking about improving the kitchen in their house or condominium—after all, an updated kitchen is one of the best investments to increase the value of your home—here are a few ideas for what, exactly, to fix up in your kitchen.
Replace Your Kitchen Sink
Installing a new sink is a great way to freshen up a kitchen that’s starting to look old and dingy. The impact of a stylish, tasteful sink is immediate and powerful. Fortunately, you have many color options for a new sink; therefore, you will certainly be able to add the best color to complement your kitchen. New sinks are available in a number of colors, so you hopefully shouldn’t have trouble matching it perfectly with the overall look of your kitchen.
Go With Wood Cabinets
When thinking about replacing the cabinets in your home, look to wood cabinets. They are strong and can withstand a lot of wear and tear. Maple, cherry and oak are commonly used in cabinets. If you want a different color, they are all easily stained.
Removing Grease Stains from Kitchen Walls (and Repainting)
The kitchen is a great place to start with home improvements. If you have grease stains on your walls, one commonly suggested method to get them off is to mix a solution of 2 to 1 TSP (trisodium phosphate) and water. This will remove the grease and a lot of the old paint. Re-painting your kitchen with tan colors will amaze you, since it will often have a totally different look when the painting is completed.
Ways to Save Money on Home Kitchen Renovations
It’s smart to update your home’s kitchen—and lots of inexpensive improvements can be made. Lots of people are interested in low-cost kitchen remodeling ideas like these.
You Can Paint Kitchen Appliances Cheaply and Quickly
Do you want new kitchen appliances? If you would like to have a fashionable stainless steel finish, there is no reason to get rid of your perfectly good refrigerator. A simple spray paint application will allow you to make your appliances look however you want. Appliance paint can go a long way toward an updated kitchen look—often fairly quickly and easily.
Save Money by Installing Cabinets and their Knobs Separately
You can reduce the costs associated with a kitchen remodeling project by putting in cabinets without hardware. You can easily purchase any hardware you need at a home improvement store or online if you cannot find what you want locally. Knobs and pulls are easily found in a variety of styles suitable to any decor, and installation is quick.
Making Your Home’s Kitchen Look Better
In this section, we’ll look at some ideas for that go beyond hardcore home remodeling, and may just make your home’s kitchen look nicer overall. These are some easy enough investments that could increase the resale value or attraction of your house, and rejuvenate the space you live in while you’re at it.
Put Microwave Over Stovetop Range
If you have no counter space, install a microwave over the range. These microwaves replace the hood of the range and are available in many price ranges, depending on the features desired. They are especially good for cooks who aren’t too focused on ventilation, as they use a recirculating filter only.
Home Safety Tip: In Your Kitchen, Add an Electrical Outlet for the Microwave
Hire an electrician to install an outlet above the location of your microwave. This will make it easy to plug in without the cord being visible. That is a safety issue that is easily resolved with this small improvement.
Refinish Kitchen Cabinets/Cupboards and Replace Handles/Knobs
Your kitchen remodeling budget can be reduced greatly if you opt to refinish cabinets in lieu of replacing them. You can create a new and attractive look just by painting the bases and installing new hardware and doors. These changes should not cost you a lot, but they should make your kitchen look like a new room.
Also, new fixtures such as handles and knobs for your cabinets can brighten up any kitchen. They can quickly update a tired outdated look, are quick to install, and inexpensive to purchase. Before installing the new knobs, do a deep cleaning of your cabinets. It’s much less of a hassle when you don’t have to deal with the knobs banging around. Screw on your new knobs and you’re finished!
Make a Kitchen Backsplash from Wallpaper
Utilize wallpaper and varnish to create a simple, inexpensive kitchen backsplash:
- Buy wallpaper in the design of your choice.
- Measure the space of your walls and make sure you cut your paper too big.
- After you apply the paste to the back of the wallpaper allow it to become somewhat tacky for a minute or two before hanging it on the wall.
- Place the paper on the wall and use a trowel or squeegee to remove any bubbles.
- Once you have the bubbles removed, trim any excess paper off to create a better fit.
- After hanging, add the varnish.
As soon as it’s dry, your attractive, cost-effective back-splash is complete.
Decorate Your Kitchen with Fruit and Flowers
Brighten up the home with fruit and flowers. Tastefully and well-arranged flowers in a vase or bright colored fruits can add some zest to your kitchen. This cheap fix can lighten up any kitchen quickly. Looking at a vase filled with vibrant flowers any time at home can elevate your mood and make your kitchen look really nice.
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For those who wish to get the best ROI on home renovations, updating your kitchen is something you must consider. There are a variety of smaller and inexpensive kitchen improvements you can make in your home that could really increase the sale price of your house or condo.