Embrace Your New Priorities
The passage of time inevitably brings changes, and with those changes come a host of new priorities. For example, the kitchen that once served you so well may suddenly feel deficient once you bring children into the picture. "There’s no such thing as a kitchen that's perfect for everybody," Maykut says. "But renovation gives you the chance to create a kitchen that’s perfect for you." Identify your specific requirements, then work with a pro, be it a designer in your area or a project coordinator from Sears Home Services, to make sure that your new kitchen will fulfill your needs.
Suit Your Personal Taste
When, as Maykut puts it, "you hate everything from the counters to the floor," renovation may be the only way to make the kitchen suit your taste. But going all out doesn't have to mean going overboard. "It's often cheaper to gut a kitchen than to work around existing elements," Makyut explains. Before committing to a new look, you'll need to weigh a dizzying array of options. One advantage of working with a company like Sears Home Services is that, rather than sending you to the showroom, Sears "brings the showroom to you." That way, you can be sure that you're making the right selections for your space.
Achieve Greater Convenience
Older kitchens often include frustrating idiosyncrasies. Maykut remembers one kitchen where "opening the refrigerator door meant blocking the entrance to the room, making it impossible to exit or enter." Some homeowners tolerate such annoyances, but for others, an inconvenient kitchen layout provides a compelling incentive to renovate. If you're devising a new floor plan, Maykut strongly suggests working with a local pro or a project coordinator from Sears Home Services to settle on a space-smart arrangement that maximizes both storage and functionality.
Minimize Household Costs
"Your outmoded appliances may be costing you money,” says Maykut, referring to the utility savings that can be gained with the exceptionally energy-efficient models on the market today. Sears Home Services routinely installs appliances rated by Energy Star for their ability to minimize energy consumption and, in the process, your energy costs. Putting in new appliances can be tricky, he notes. "A lot of times you need to rearrange elements in order to create space." Faced with this prospect, many homeowners capitalize on the opportunity by pursuing a much broader range of kitchen improvements.
Make Maintenance Easier
More than in other rooms, "maintenance really matters in the kitchen," Maykut remarks. Cleanliness in the kitchen benefits not only the appearance of the space, but also the longevity of its components. In the future, technology may deliver us a kitchen that sees to its own needs, but until that day, homeowners are on their own. If you’re sick and tired of all the mopping and polishing, Maykut says that renovation experts—like those at Sears Home Services—can help you combine low-maintenance materials with an accessible floor plan to construct a kitchen with minimal care requirements.
Boost Resale Value
An up-to-date kitchen not only sets your home apart from the rest, but also adds resale value. Of course, renovation requires investment, but according to Maykut, homeowners typically recoup more than half of what they put into the project. Given the favorable return on a kitchen renovation as well as its many other practical benefits, it may be worth discussing your options with a contractor. Maykut notes that with Sears Home Services, in-home consultations are free. As he says, "Why not start there?"
Don't Miss!
If you have the money to hire a handyman for every household woe, go ahead. But if you want to hang on to your cash and exercise some self-sufficiency, check out these clever products that solve a million and one little problems around the house. Go now!
