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Establishing Realistic Timelines for Your Kitchen Renovation

Calendar with push pins in the dates

HGTV, DIY, and other home improvement television shows, social media, and the internet are great sources of inspiration. Unfortunately, they’re also a greater source of misinformation. Timelines and budgets are entirely unrealistic and often lead to frustration and disappointment among our clients in Pittsburgh. Viewers see the entire home renovated in seven weeks, which is not a realistic time frame to completely gut and rebuild a kitchen, let alone re-do a whole house.

The processes omitted on home improvement television are the time it takes to select a designer, the design process itself, the development process, and decision-making. Realistically, the entire process can take between one and nine months depending on the size of your project and what you’re planning on doing.

Here are the steps homeowners typically take when renovating their kitchen.

Step 1: Research (3 to 18 months+)

Most of our clients in Pittsburgh spend months researching different styles, products, and design concepts. We encourage this research because it helps save time once moving forward with a renovation. Create mood boards that identify the types of kitchens, layouts, and products that you prefer via Pinterest, Houzz.com, or your platform of choice.

Step 2: Select a Showroom & Designer (1 to 2 months)

An essential service that you should expect from your showroom and designer is to make order out of chaos by discussing your wants, needs, expectations, and budget. Expect your showroom and designer to narrow your product choices based on your needs, preferences, and budget. This process takes time because there are lots of questions that need to be answered to help your designer better envision what you want and develop the perfect solutions for your project.

Step 3: Develop the Design (5 to 6 weeks)

Based on your input, a designer takes your ideas and expectations and uses them to develop drawings, plans, specifications, perspectives, and elevations.

Step 4: Product Selection (4 to 5 weeks)

You should expect your showroom professional to develop a realistic budget and direct you to products and techniques that represent the best value for your available funds. During this phase of the project, your designer does a deep dive into the details that make all the difference, finalizing material choices and sources and finalizing organization and storage plans.

Step 5: Fabrication & Delivery (2 to 5 months)

The time frame to source and obtain products depends on the design and product selection. Custom-made cabinets take longer to fabricate and deliver than stock cabinets. You should expect your designer and showroom to provide a detailed time frame for sourcing and obtaining products. Product sourcing should begin before demolition.

Step 6: Demolition & Installation (1 to 9 months)

The timeline depends on the scope of the project. If the design calls for moving electrical, plumbing, ductwork, structural systems, adding additional space,or installing new windows and/or doors, the work will take longer than simply replacing what currently exists. You should expect your designer to provide a realistic timeline and offer guidance for creating a make-shift kitchen during the renovation process.

The design and product selection should be finalized before demolition begins. Making changes mid-course will expand the time necessary to complete the renovation and adversely affect your budget.

Step 7: Adding the Finishing Touches (1 week)

This step involves installing window coverings, hanging art on the wall, placing your favorite keepsakes on open shelving, and smiling every time you cross the threshold of your brand-new dream kitchen.