Do you hate your kitchen? You’d be surprised how many homeowners do. Whether its not functioning the way you’d like, you are using inefficient appliances and/or cabinets, or its just not pretty to look at, you are not alone.

For those of you who plan to move in the next 1-2 years take a good look at your kitchen. A kitchen can make or break the sale of a house; but you don’t need to spend thousands to give your kitchen a fresh look. Replacing old counters with an inexpensive granite (yes…granite does vary a lot in cost), changing out cabinet hardware or adding hardware if you don’t have any, updating that old valance hanging over your kitchen sink, or a fresh coat of paint can go a long way. If you have mismatched appliances think about investing in new ones for a cohesive look. Do it now and you can enjoy them before you move. These are just a few suggestions that you can pick and choose from depending on your budget and needs.

But…for the homeowners who want their dream kitchen, the first thing to address is budget budget budget.

In the last year alone I have been involved in 7 major kitchen renovations and all of my clients wound up changing their original budget. Why?… Unrealistic expectations. Together we eliminated some ‘wants’ { e.g. heated floors, } and concentrated on the ’must haves.’ Custom Cabinets vs. Ready Made, New floors vs. keeping the current flooring, change the footprint of the kitchen layout or just replace what is currently there. The list goes on and on but don’t get overwhelmed. Hiring an experienced designer and contractor can lead the way to your dream kitchen and save you a lot of worry, sleepless nights, and most important, costly regrets and mistakes.

The next thing I recommend is to cut out pictures of kitchens from magazines. What speaks to you? What makes you happy just to look at it? Whether its the color or style of the cabinets, the hood over the range, or something as simple as the pendants hanging over an island; save these pictures and stash them away in a folder marked ‘My Dream Kitchen’.

Next, check out a website called Houzz.

There you can start an Ideabook and add to it all the kitchens that appeal to you. You’d be surprised how helpful this can be when you begin the process.

When the dust clears, and all the work is complete you will stand in your new beautiful kitchen and say over and over “ I can’t believe this is mine!”…Guaranteed!