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Kitchen Remodeling Nightmares-and How to Avoid Them

Thursday, June 26th, 2014 by Danny Peterson

 

Ask any realtor or any remodeler and you will get the same answer: If you want to remodel a room in your home to add significant value to the property, you need to choose the kitchen. The kitchen is the room in which most families spend the most time, and it is truly the focal point of any property. Thus, the kitchen is the place where a home remodeling project can have the biggest impact. Unfortunately, it is also the place where you can do the most damage.

Simply put, kitchen remodeling is not an easy task; it requires careful planning and strategic execution, plus a strong vision of what you want your new kitchen to look like. This is why most homeowners undertake serious kitchen remodels only by working with remodeling professionals.

Forgetting Function

Embarking on a major kitchen remodel without professional assistance, meanwhile, can lead to a true kitchen nightmare. One of the most common nightmares: Finding that your newly remodeled kitchen looks great, but lacks basic functionality. In other words, many homeowners get so excited about their new cabinetry or their new tile that they totally forget about the fact that they’re going to need to cook and to eat in this kitchen! This can manifest in many ways, of course—a dishwasher that’s placed so close to a cabinet that you cannot open both at the same time, or a new range that’s installed without an exhaust fan, leaving your kitchen to fill with smoke or steam any time you cook. The moral of the story is simply that, when remodeling, you need to think about more than just the look. Homeowners in Bowie or elsewhere need to consider actual kitchen use, as well.

Over-designing

Another common kitchen remodeling nightmare is over-design. Simply put, a lot of homeowners believe that they need to go big or go home. They assume that, since they’re remodeling their kitchen, they might as well go to the extreme—but that can often result in a kitchen that’s too busy, too garish, or—again—not very functional. A stylish kitchen does not need to be overly complex, and in most cases it isn’t. There is much to be said for simplicity. Picking some basic colors and appliances and then letting their vibe dictate the mood of the room can often be the best approach.

Ignoring the Size of the Kitchen

Some homeowners hate having a small kitchen—and when it comes time to remodel, they might even try to ignore their kitchen’s small size, filling it past capacity with appliances and cooking surfaces. A better philosophy: Whatever the size of your kitchen, make it work for you. Rather than over- or underfilling it, work with a remodeler or a design professional to make the most out of the space you have.

Not Investing in the Right Appliances

When you remodel your kitchen, it’s an ideal time to invest in some new appliances. You might decide to scrimp in this area, in order to save money, and that’s fine—but you run the risk of being terribly disappointed down the road, especially if your remodeled kitchen makes it hard for you to retroactively change the appliances. Here is just one example: Do you need an oversized refrigerator to accommodate the needs of your family? If so, the time to get it is when you’re remodeling—otherwise, you might find that you don’t have the room amongst your cabinets and other appliances for the fridge you really want. Better to plan on those big appliances now than find out they’re not viable options later!

Not Calling the Shots

For all of this, though, the biggest kitchen remodeling nightmare of all is allowing someone else to call the shots. You may be working with a professional remodeler—in fact, you should be—but remember that you’re ultimately the one who has to use this kitchen every day. You need to make sure that whatever kitchen you end up with, you’re happy with it!

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Paul ChristensenPaul Christensen
17:25 18 Sep 23
I found this company is consistently capable, honest, and efficient. And they stand behind their work. My roof and gutter repair went very smoothly.
Stephanie CramerStephanie Cramer
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I always contact Integrity for all of my major projects! They are reliable, have great project teams, and always do an outstanding job!
Steven WeberSteven Weber
16:29 07 Sep 23
Bathroom remodel exceeded expectations. Raul performed the work as if it was his own bathroom. His attention to detail was exceptional!If you want a quality job done right, choose Integrity Home Pro!
Anthony BynumAnthony Bynum
01:48 22 Aug 23
Recently we hired Integrity Pro to design and complete a combination bathroom and Laundry room in our basement.We knew for quite sometime this would be a big time consuming job. We actually interview at least 6 other construction companies. We found out that a lot of plumbers were not interested in the construction aspects of this type of work. We found out that anyone offering to do this for 7-8 thousand dollars was not trustworthy.More than once we were ready to pull the trigger only to walk back from the ledge for different reasons.The first thing that stood out on the Integrity estimate was that big fat liability policy that was part of the estimate proposal. As a retired Casualty Insurance Professional this was definitely a determining factor. The other was the fixture allowance.But it did take 2-3 conversations to lead to the big hand shake.Then the next “feel good” factor was Alberto the lead carpenter. He came in on a Saturday after the plumber because he needed to get a jump on things. He worked every Saturday until finished.We saw Mike the Project Manager like 4 times. Very reassuring.The door to the laundry room needed some creative thinking. Once again great results.For us this was a once in a life time project, we had much to loose if done incorrectly, but much to gain when done right. That is where we are, on the plus side. Well done.Anthony Bynum
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As always excellent!
Tammy BrownTammy Brown
00:16 13 Aug 23
This company is very responsive. Not only did Danny (owner) listen to our concerns, but he heard our concerns. Many days, I was leaving as the workers arrived. Danny would leave post it notes to ensure the contractors addressed any concerns from the day before. The contractors are very respectful of our home. They cleaned up every afternoon so as not to leave our house in disarray.My fireplace turned out beautifully. My bathroom doors were moved and the new locking barn darns turned out beautifully. Danny is having a custom threshold designed to make the transition between too rooms seamless. Danny took a load barring wall down to open up the kitchen and the back room. Danny ensured the openings to these rooms were at least 36 inches. Ensuring the house is ADA accessible was very important to me.
Lynn KellnerLynn Kellner
16:11 08 Aug 23
Our project coordinator on site was Alberto. He was so fastidious, and was so committed to making the job look fantastic at the end. He even came back after he realized he forgot to put some thing on our final cabinet installation even thought he was in his truck, on his way out. He was just so excellent and we can’t have asked for a better project result.
Crystal LemieuxCrystal Lemieux
01:57 14 Jul 23
I’m so happy to have found Integrity Home Pro! After working with multiple contractors on various house projects, Integrity Home Pro has been a breath of fresh air. They’re professional, courteous, knowledgeable, reliable, show up when they say they’re going to, and are quick to respond to phone calls and emails. Not only that, their work is excellent. We hired them to renovate a bathroom and were so impressed we hired them to renovate our sunroom and kitchen and make various improvements around the outside of our home. I cannot recommend them highly enough and will work with them again for any future home improvements.
Philip CoynePhilip Coyne
19:28 04 Feb 23
My wife and I reached out to Integrity Home Pro for a quote to repair/replace wood under our bay windows that started rotting years ago. Within a few days, we had an estimate with several different options, and reasonable price set for the work done, as well as an estimate for how long the work would take.Within 3 weeks, Integrity Home Pro sent out their team to replace our rotted wood with panels and had finished the work within the time originally estimated. We're so happy with the work they've done, that we will certainly be reaching out again for more work on our home.Long and short: Integrity Home Pro has shown us professional courtesy, impressive workmanship, and genuine care for our needs. The quality of service is a rarity, and we plan on reaching out to Integrity again in the near future.Photos provided to show the before and after
K MalindaK Malinda
18:51 06 Jan 23
Integrity Home Pro was a pleasure to work with. I had extensive hail damage to my house and the process of getting information to my insurance and approval for a full replacement was a long process. Ben at Integrity was very patient and extremely helpful every step of the way. He assisted with everything the insurance needed so that now I have a new roof and siding. The installers were outstanding and when they were finished you could not see any debris on the lawn or damage to any bushes. I used Integrity about 10 years ago for the previous roof that the hail damaged ( I thought they were terrific then) and I think they only have improved with time. I highly recommend them!
Monica BriggsMonica Briggs
15:51 06 Oct 22
Integrity Home Pro did an excellent job at remodeling our bathroom. They are very skilled, professional, and they work together to get the job done in a timely fashion. They were very patient, attentive, and courteous, and always kept us abreast every step of the way. Our newly remodeled bathroom exceeds our expectations and is simply beautiful. We could not have asked for a more dedicated and devoted team.
Kerry WesterveltKerry Westervelt
16:33 20 Aug 22
Integrity Home Pro were very pleasant and easy to work with when our roof was damaged by a tree branch. They replaced my roof quickly in the morning. Also, I am a returning customer knowing they did a great job replacing my roof 20 years ago.
Jeanne BeansJeanne Beans
07:42 08 Mar 22
Integrity Home-Pro just completed remolding our kitchen. The process took two weeks. Elmer Lopez did the work. He worked non-stop everyday; his workmanship is premium. Tera Ingwersen guided us through the process from the office on a regular basis and was always available to answer questions. Integrity's quote for the work was significantly less than a quote given by another company. Integrity's owner, Danny Peterson, personally came when we called about getting a quote. He followed up on two occasions as the work was being done. Integrity Home Pro has done other major projects on our home and we have been pleased each time.
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