What to Expect When Expecting… a Kitchen!

It’s time! You finally saved enough of your hard-earned money to get the kitchen of your

dreams. You’ve done your research, and you’re up to date with what HGTV recommends; you’re

beyond excited for a fresh look, anxious to have all the newest inserts you’ve been eyeing, and

so ready for that crazy amount of storage and organization you’ve only been able to dream of

until now.

Now, don’t get me wrong, getting your dream kitchen is very exciting, but I’m going to be

straight up with you, the process isn’t as glamorous as the end result. And if anyone tells you

otherwise, shame on them!

First and foremost, there are going to be a decent number of unexpected bumps along the way,

causing unanticipated costs and most of all, a lovely amount of stress and frustration. Please

don’t get it twisted; I’m not saying it’s not worth the wait, because it totally is, but it’s important

that expectations are made clear from the get-go.

So, what should you expect when you’re expecting a kitchen?

Let’s start with when everything’s a done deal; decisions have been made, contracts have been

signed, you’ve hired a contractor, and the transformation begins!! But what now ?!

Remodeling can be pretty messy, to say the least; not only while the project is in motion, but it can take weeks after the project is complete for all the dust to fully settle. Definitely be prepared for that. From time to time, the tear out part of remodeling can uncover existing, yet hidden issues. For example, your existing cabinets are removed, and your walls and floors are rotten, or there’s

termite damage... yep, dead serious. This stuff happens, and it’s no one’s fault, but the

installation and completion schedule you originally planned on now must be reworked, which

causes delays, sometimes major delays. But chill, take a breath, and just keep reminding

yourself, this too shall pass.

Now let’s say it’s time for your new appliances!! But hold up, what??? Back orders?!?! Yeeeah,

welcome to the 2020s… but again you’ll get through this.

Let’s fast forward a bit. You finally have everything you need for installation to pick up steam but

now you see scratched doors, the delivery team destroys your beautiful new hood, turns out

your floors are out of alignment so new trim must be ordered to finish off the bottom of the

cabinets and a gazillion other tiny things that could happen and would take up too much of our

time to mention. But you will think, “I have come all this way with all these headaches, how can

it possibly keep going on and on?” It’s ok, it will all be fine, I promise. It's just part of the process, but it’s okay to sit on the floor of your unfinished space with a glass of wine (or bottle) and

have a short cry if you must, but you will bounce back from this, promise.

We’re at the point where your cabinets have finally been installed, and you have just a few

weeks until your countertops arrive so you can finally have your sink back and can start using

your beautiful new kitchen. But the dude who templates countertops is now out with Covid…

WTF?!?! By now, you’re certain that the remodeling gods have deemed you unworthy of having

the beautiful kitchen you want. It’s ok! Those tops will get there and be installed, and you

will adore them when they do.

As your project nears completion there are always ticky tack things for your installer to take

care, a nick here, a scratch there, but no need to break out the magnifying glass, your installer

will handle all of this before officially giving you your kitchen back. Stay focused on the glorious

get togethers that you’ll be throwing for your friends and family. Oh, to think of all the oh la la’s

you’ll get.

Remember when I said, “every second of it is totally worth it!” It Is!!! And knowing what to

expect, when expecting a kitchen, is key to making the journey easier and more enjoyable for

everyone involved … especially you.