Edmonton, AlbertaA kitchen is the renovation most Edmonton homeowners think about first, and the one most worth planning properly. It is used every day, it touches plumbing, wiring and ventilation all at once, and it is hard to live without while the work is going on. A few decisions made before anyone gives you a price will save money and stress later.
Start with how you use the kitchen
Before cabinets and colours, think about what does not work today. Is there nowhere to put things down next to the stove? Does the fridge door block the way through? Is there room for two people to cook at once? Write the problems down. A good layout fixes those, and the finishes come after.
Decide what is moving
The biggest difference in cost between two kitchens is usually not the countertop. It is whether the sink, the stove and the walls stay where they are. Keeping plumbing and gas where they already run is the simpler job. Moving them, or opening a wall between the kitchen and the dining room, is where a kitchen becomes a bigger renovation. If a wall is load-bearing it needs a properly sized beam, an engineer's drawing and a permit before anything is cut.
Set a budget, then leave room in it
Decide what you want to spend before the quotes come in, and keep some of it back. Older Edmonton homes often have surprises behind the drywall: wiring that has to be brought up to code, a subfloor that needs work, a vent that goes somewhere unexpected. A budget with room in it absorbs those without the project stopping.
Plan for living through it
Most kitchen renovations happen around a household that still has to eat and get to work. Think about where a temporary kitchen could go — a table in the dining room with the microwave, the kettle and the fridge. Work can be planned in stages so the rest of the house stays usable and the dust stays where the work is.
Choose finishes that suit an Alberta home
Dry winters are hard on wood. Solid wood can move with the seasons, so ask what the cabinets and flooring are made of and how they will cope with January air. Good ventilation over the stove matters more in a house that is sealed up for half the year. Lighting under the upper cabinets makes more difference to how a kitchen feels than almost anything else.
Know what the quote should cover
A kitchen involves several trades — demolition, framing, electrical, plumbing, drywall, cabinets, counters, tile, paint and the clean-up at the end. When you compare quotes, check whether each one covers all of it or only part. A price that leaves out the electrical or the drywall is not really cheaper; it just moves the cost somewhere you will find it later.
At Dunlop Contracting we give one written quote for the whole job, so there is one number to look at and one company answerable for all of it. The quote is a starting point for a conversation, not a take-it-or-leave-it, and the price is agreed together before work begins.
Ready to talk about your kitchen?
If you are planning a kitchen renovation in Edmonton, St. Albert, Sherwood Park or anywhere around the city, tell us what you have in mind. A few lines and a photo of the kitchen as it is today are enough to start.
