Revitalize Your Kitchen With These Simple Upgrades
November 24, 2015 by
Filed under Blog
As you pay more attention to your kitchen during the holiday food season, keep adding to your wish list for changes you’d like to make, either for you or for a potential buyer. You might even want to have fun making a few simple changes now before the big December rush. The big work should wait until after the holidays, though, just in case you run into unexpected issues.
Just Add Screwdriver
Some changes to your kitchen can be as easy as swapping out the cabinet hardware. Anybody with a little time and a screwdriver can do that. It might be a good time to check all the latches and replace any that aren’t closing properly. If it’s a self-closing hinge problem, you may need a handyman to help replace them so that the doors line up and close properly when you’re done.
Put On a New Coat
Paint is another easy fix. In a kitchen where there could be grease build-up, wash the walls thoroughly first so that the paint will stick properly. If the existing paint is glossy, you will also need to use a de-glosser chemical on it or the next layer of paint will not stick and could just peel right off in big pieces. Make sure you use a paint that’s easy to clean and durable.
Light the WayFor bigger changes to your kitchen, you’ll probably want help. New lighting is a great way to change the look and atmosphere of your kitchen. You can fix those dark corners with directional or under-cabinet lights. If you want the kitchen to be a gathering place, pick out a showpiece ceiling fixture for the center of the room. If your kitchen doubles as your dining area, install dimmer switches so that you can go from bright lights for cooking to mood lighting for a quiet dinner or wine tasting.
Now That’s a Switch
Speaking of switches, make sure you have enough and that they do what you want, where you want them to. Some kitchen light switches almost seem like an afterthought, placed in weird areas or even in another room. These can be rewired to make more sense. And, while you’re at it, upgrade the switch to something more attractive than beige plastic: One fun choice is a retro push-button switch like you might see in an old movie or cartoon. Even a different style of switch plate that matches the cabinet hardware is a nice touch that can bring it all together.
The Shocking Truth About Outlets
Outlets are often a problem in older kitchens. New homes have ground fault circuit interrupt (GFCI) outlets that automatically shut off if tripped by a short, such as if you drop your hair dryer in the bathtub. It can save a life to have this type of outlet in your kitchen and bath so that there is no danger of being shocked if something goes wrong. Water and electricity do not mix, so it’s better to be safe (and up to code) than sorry.
Everything… AND the Kitchen Sink
Appliances are a popular thing to swap out if you’re looking to upgrade in order to sell. If that’s the case, look into what the most current popular trends are for kitchen appliances: This year’s brushed metal look is last year’s avocado green with chrome edges.
Take a good look at your sink, too. Is it chipped and stained? Is it too shallow? Would you rather have one big basin than be divided by “soap and rinse” halves? And what about those fixtures? Are they dated and coated with minerals or modern and functioning perfectly? Swapping out the sink basin and faucet are fast ways to change the look of the entire sink area and make it more appealing to buyers (or usable for you).What Lurks Beneath
Kitchens are notorious for hidden rot problems. And small leaks are the worst, because you don’t notice anything is wrong, and then when an appliance or cabinet gets pulled out you discover years of rot and mold. A lot of kitchen cabinets are made of particle board that turns into more and more of a sponge once it starts to get damaged, which makes things worse.
The good news about mold is that it’s basically harmless in most situations. Obviously you don’t want to get a snoot full of spores while working on your kitchen, but according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
, common molds that grow in damp places in your house are not toxic or dangerous for most people. It also doesn’t cause much damage (if any) and is easy to deal with by scrubbing the area with a bleach and water mix. It’s important to find out what’s causing the mold so it doesn’t come back, such as a small water leak that needs repair.
One thing you don’t need for the holidays is more work. Let The Fix-It Professionals help you get things done! Whether it’s replacing appliances or installing new cabinet fronts, give us a call to get your kitchen working properly and looking great. Consider hiring us on retainer so you can keep up with all the repairs that crop up during the winter, especially with El Nino on the way!
Kitchen Remodeling For You… or Future Buyers
November 12, 2015 by
Filed under Blog
With the holidays upon us, everybody is spending a lot of time in the kitchen. This is a great time to notice problems and annoyances instead of continuing to ignore them. As you put your kitchen space to work this Thanksgiving and Christmas, keep a list of things you’d like to change as you plan your next remodel.
The first important question to ask about a kitchen remodel is: Who is it for? If you plan to stay in your current home for many years to come, the remodel needs to be for you and how you use the space.The most important thing is how easy the kitchen is to use and maintain. If you’re small-statured, is the microwave over the stove too hard to reach? Are the built-in cabinets and shelves too high, or too small? Is your kitchen accessible and safe if someone in your family has become disabled? Do you have tile counters with grout that’s impossible to keep clean, or cracked tiles? Do the appliances all work properly and are they easy to keep clean?
It’s easy to look past problems when you’ve lived with them for many years. They become, literally, “part of the furniture” that you’ve learned to work around. But you shouldn’t have to keep doing that. If the remodel is for you, make a wish list of everything you would change if you could. Ignore fashion trends and do what makes you happy — it’s your kitchen!
However, if the remodel is in anticipation of selling your house in the near future, trends do matter. You’ll need to fix obvious problems, but you’ll also need to make the kitchen area gracious and pleasing. Kitchen remodels are the best return on your investment when selling your home (interestingly, expensive showcase bathrooms are the worst).
It’s tough to know what a future buyer will want, so playing it safe with neutral colors and clean lines is a good bet. Shaker-style cabinets are still popular, because they fit in with vintage-look or modern styles equally well, depending on the hardware used with them. Open floor plans with a countertop gathering place are popular with couples who like to invite friends over for wine and cooking parties. Clean white and cozy tan are popular and safe color choices. Try visiting a home supply or cabinet store for the latest ideas.If your kitchen is so old that it’s circled back around to being fashionably retro, you may want to repair and revamp instead of remodeling. “Mid-century” is a hot trend right now, so if you’ve got an authentic 1950s kitchen, you could be sitting on a vintage goldmine… after some restoration work to bring it back up to its original atomic-age glory.
Some of this you can do yourself, but major work needs to be done by a professional. Unless you’ve done a lot of restoration work yourself in the past, it’s easy to get in over your head, and you could end up spending a lot of extra money to get mistakes fixed, especially if you run into unexpected problems.
The Fix-It Professionals are here to help you see your kitchen in a new light! We can work with you to figure out what needs to be changed, and help you plan your next steps. By hiring us on retainer, you can take your time and make small changes as you think of them, because sometimes new ideas pop up during a revamp. Just give us a call.
