IKEA Kitchen Remodeling TIPS: Part 1

The more you know, the more expert guidance you have, the better result you will get. This means that, not only will your new kitchen look better, but you'll get more for your money, you'll spend less time and experience fewer delays, and the finished result will be much more satisfactory. Make knowledge a priority over money. Money, i.e., your budget IS important. But the best way to stay within your budget and still get a great result is to plan wisely and to invest a little in the help and guidance of experts.

The typical sequence of events in an IKEA Kitchen remodel:
0) Research. THEN decide if IKEA cabinets are the best choice for your remodel.
1) Kitchen design
2) Meeting with contractor; get a line item bid sheet
3) Ordering cabinets
4) Purchasing any non-IKEA materials: tile, appliances, flooring, lights, etc.
5) Bid sheet for installation and remodeling services approved
6) Permits gotten
7) Cabinet delivery scheduled
8) Contract for bid specs signed, job scheduled
9) Bin for trash ordered
10) First day of project. Meet with contractor in a.m.
11) Schedule countertop template (for solid surface countertop only)
12) Once base cabinets are in place, template is made
13) Complete cabinet installation, place appliances
14) Countertop company installs countertop
15) Contractor returns to hook up appliances, install sink/faucet, make final adjustments. Meet with contractor in p.m. for final inspection.

Kitchen design
IKEA provides software for a do-it-yourself kitchen design. It’s unfortunate because for a small investment you can have a professional designer work with you. The difference is huge. Don’t cheat yourself. Our company charges $275 in most cities within LA county, $375 and up outside the county, to send our expert designer to meet with you, look at the kitchen, house style, and find out what your ideas are. He’ll usually design more than one option and he’ll work with you on design until you love the layout. He can customize cabinets and use them in ways the planner software does not allow. He’s designed thousands of kitchens, he’s an expert with IKEA materials and with kitchen design. Included in the price is cabinet design of a bathroom or similar small area. Unlimied revisions. Best deal in town. People all over the U.S and even Europe call us about this planning service. IKEA is everywhere.

Meeting with contractor
There is really no way to get a price for the labor part of your remodel without having the contractor come out to look, with the new cabinet layout you want available to him.

If a representative, (salesperson) of some other cabinet company (that sells cabinets and installs them) comes for free and gives you a free design and a big price “$28,984.52” for your new kitchen, something is wrong. You’ve lost control because you don’t really know what that includes, the quality of the cabinets, the details of installation and remodeling. They’ll give you a contract with tiny print that explains it all. Don’t go this route.

Instead, meet with a contractor expert with IKEA cabinets if you’re using IKEA cabinets. Show him what you’d like, ask questions. Do you feel comfortable with the guy? Most important, get an easy- to-read line item bid sheet and make sure you understand what each item on it means and includes. Leave nothing ambiguous. Ask all the questions you think of. If he doesn’t answer, or takes days or weeks to do so, find someone else. Our company sells nothing, no products, we only provide service. It’s a better way to go.

Ordering cabinets
Our planning service, which includes professional design, also includes help with ordering. This can be the most difficult part of the whole process. Even with a finished design, you can spend 87 hours at IKEA trying to get the kitchen ordered, never sure if you’ve ordered the right things and paid the right price. For our local remodeling and installation customers, we send an expert who worked for IKEA for 15 years, to meet you at the store when you go to order. He will ensure you get the help you need, the items you need, the best deal. If you prefer to go to the store on your own, we’ll still fill out IKEA order forms for you so that the parts and quantities and numbers are already figured out beforehand.

Purchasing non-IKEA materials
You may not want to buy all your stuff at IKEA and you don’t need to. Appliances come in standard sizes. As long as the designer knows what you will want or have, he can work it into the cabinet layout. During IKEA kitchen sales, if you buy appliances at IKEA you get a discount on the cabinets and countertop. IKEA appliances are Whirlpool, by the way.

Appliances: Enjoy the shopping process. Make sure our kitchen cabinet design accounts for the appliance sizes you purchase. Check with your designer or contractor as to how a certain appliance will affect the cabinet installation. Sometimes, the refrigerator height will determine the height of all the wall cabinets. Know before you buy how the appliances will affect other things. It’s easy to sort out, just do it ahead of time,

Tile: Tile is a very creative and personal choice. A tile backsplash can be awesome. But keep in mind that the installation of the tile adds time to the project, at least two days. More complex tile types or patterns cost more to install than simple patterns. Ask the cabinet designe for suggestions, ask how much tile you’ll need for a backsplash, add 10% when you buy. Get a price for tilesetting listed on the bid sheet.

Lighting: Ask your contractor about code requirements for lighting and other electrical. In California you cannot install incandescent fixtures and usually you’ll have to replace them if you already have some and are doing any remodeling in that room. There are kits for this. It’s not a huge cost but it’s an issue to know about.