Ahh, the joys of celebrating in your shiny, new kitchen. The spectacular granite-topped island beckoning your friends and family to gather sharing the love with a good cabernet in hand. Your kitchen is now a warm, well-lit oasis of comfort and pleasure, the new beating heart of your home…

Too bad you have to go through such pain and agony to get there. I’ve been remodeling kitchens for clients for over 35 years, and I’ve lived through the experience in my own home a couple of times. I’ll give you the straight dope on kitchen remodeling.

What You’ll Miss Most

If you wear a watch every day and you remove it to get it fixed, you suddenly realize how many times a day you unconsciously look at your wrist. Way more than you ever would have guessed, right? The same thing happens when you gut your kitchen to the studs.

First, you miss your kitchen sink. Who knew you were such a frequent visitor?

Rinsing produce before cooking, washing utensils and plates, washing hands, filling up pots for boiling noodles…Instead you might be washing dishes in the bathtub, and rinsing produce with bottled water. But really, using plasticware will become second nature.

Pretty much the only cooking inside you can do is in that microwave on the TV tray.

You don’t remember it being so small. Start your “restaurant list” now, because you’ll exhaust all your favorite spots in no time and quickly need some variety.

Even in the midst of a Texas summer, you’ll be grateful to have a grill in the backyard that lets you eat a meal at home. If you don’t own a crockpot, you might want to invest in one.

It takes at least two weeks to get used to finding the refrigerator in its odd new location in the den. As for the coffeemaker, it will never end up anywhere convenient.

There Are Plenty of Horror Stories

Responsible contractors “house train” their workers (even if they are subcontractors) for proper behavior.

My company has a written code of conduct that every crew must sign and follow.

For example, our guys are not allowed to smoke on the job, or talk politics or religion with our clients. And no urinating behind the garage, either.

Sadly, many contractors are not so house-trained. With a bad (cheap guy) contractor, you’ll have weeks of stalled progress, followed by having to fire that guy and hire a more expensive pro to tear out the substandard work and start all over; a high-stress nightmare.

And that’s just your run-of-the-mill bad contractor.

Here are some of the disaster tales my clients have recounted of their kitchen remodeling nightmares:

Obviously these sins go way beyond playing loud radios and using foul language on the job!

Fortunately, there are some time-tested steps you can take to avoid these horrific ordeals.

Remodeling your kitchen may not be a “pleasant” experience, but believe it or not, it can be done in a reasonable amount of time and reasonably on budget.

You can even be friends with your contractor at the end, and rehire him or her to do your bathroom next!

Yes, Kitchen Redos Are Expensive

Whether you’re doing a “partial” remodel, a mid-range “gut to the walls” job, or a kitchen expansion into other rooms, it’s going to cost more than you want.

According to Remodeling Magazine ’s Cost vs. Value 2021 Survey , a major mid-range kitchen remodel costs a national average of $75,571, while an “upscale” kitchen remodel will set you back an average of $149,079.

I generally concur with those numbers based on my own company’s experience.

Of course, you can spend less with good planning, but the naked truth is most people don’t realize what kitchen renovation work really costs, especially when using a good contractor with a high-quality construction team.

Why Are Kitchen Remodels Expensive?

From a construction standpoint, kitchens are one of the most complex projects to plan and execute.

They involve the most expensive elements in a home: new custom cabinetry, stone counters, tile on floors and backsplashes, plumbing, expensive appliances and fixtures, to name a few. Throw in wall removal to create that coveted “open look,” relocating the kitchen sink, raising ceilings, and expanding the footprint, and the price soars.

Don’t blame your contractor for running up the cost of the job or finishing late when you kept upgrading to prettier things along the way.

Remember that changes to the project add cost, interrupt the rhythmic schedule of a job, and extend the completion time.

You also shouldn’t expect to recoup these costs through increased home value.

At best, a minor mid-range kitchen remodel may return value up to 80%, but your typical major renos return roughly 50-60% on investment. For example, Remodeling Magazine ’s latest numbers peg a major mid-range kitchen remodel’s ROI at 57.4%.

You May Experience Delays – A Kitchen Remodel Takes Longer Than You Expect

Here is the process a kitchen remodel follows, along with each step’s approximate length (when done by professionals):

Learn more about the steps involved in a kitchen remodel .

Delays and setbacks will obviously stretch out your timeline, and those are more likely to happen for DIYers, although some problems are nobody’s fault (except maybe the builder!).

For example, excessive use of cement may have made tile inseparable from the wall, but you won’t know that until you start trying to pry them off and they want to take the wall with them.

Or you may discover you have mold, or termites, or foundation problems during the demolition.

Supply chain issues for your countertops, flooring, or cabinets can hold things up, as well, as they have in 2021 for many home projects. This is why I always say, it takes longer than you expect. It’s just the nature of the beast.

Five Top Tips for Success On a DIY Kitchen Project

For more help, check out our list of nine mistakes to avoid during a DIY kitchen renovation .

Five Top Tips for Success When Working with a Professional Remodeler

I have an 11-question “Contractor Test” that you can read over the phone, at this link: https://legaleaglecontractors.com/contractor-test /. You are welcome to print off and use this test to find and screen contractors.

Kitchen Remodels – A Disruptive But Rewarding Experience

So there you have it, the naked truth about kitchen remodeling.

It can be a nightmare or it can just be difficult and disruptive, but well worth it.

Like most things in life, you get what you pay for.

If you hire “Joe Pickup” the price will be cheap but the cost on your brain and body will be high.

Use the tools and advice above to find the right contractors and create that spectacular kitchen. Remember, remodeling is like child-birth: the pain will soon fade and you’ll enjoy your beautiful new baby for years to come.

© By Dan Bawden, updated July 2021