You need to know it will take longer and cost more than you think. Most kitchen remodels take two to three times longer than planned, and you should add 20% to your budget for surprises. Plan for dust everywhere, set up a temporary kitchen, and get everything ready before work starts.
A kitchen remodel feels exciting. You imagine beautiful new cabinets, shiny counters, and a space you love. Then reality hits. Dust covers everything. Contractors run late. Costs climb higher. Your dream project becomes stressful.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. When you know what to expect, you can plan better. This guide shares the most important things people wish they knew before starting. You’ll learn how to set realistic budgets, manage timelines, work with contractors, and survive the chaos. Whether you’re planning a big remodel or small updates, these tips will help you avoid common mistakes.
Set a Realistic Budget From the Start
Most people spend way more than they planned. The average major kitchen remodel costs $60,000, but many homeowners underestimate their true costs.
Add 20% to 25% Extra for Hidden Surprises
Your budget needs breathing room. Once walls come down, problems appear. Old pipes need replacing. Wiring doesn’t meet current codes. The subfloor has water damage.
These issues aren’t anyone’s fault. They’re just hidden behind walls. Budget experts say to add 20% to 25% on top of your planned spending. So if you think your kitchen will cost $20,000, plan for $25,000.
This extra money isn’t wasted if you don’t need it. But having it available keeps you calm when surprises pop up.
Track Every Single Cost
Small costs add up fast. You might budget for big items like cabinets and appliances. But what about cabinet hardware, light bulbs for new fixtures, touch-up paint, cleaning supplies, paper plates for your temporary kitchen, and all those takeout meals during construction?
Write down everything you spend. Use a notebook or phone app. Many people are shocked when these small items total thousands of dollars.
Don’t Forget About Permits and Inspections
Most remodels need permits. These cost money. Inspection fees add more. The exact amount depends on where you live and how much work you’re doing.
Call your local building department early. Ask what permits you need and how much they cost. Some areas require multiple inspections at different stages. Each one might need scheduling weeks in advance.
If you skip permits to save money, you risk big problems. Your insurance might not cover issues. You could have trouble selling your home later. Just get the permits.
Plan for Much More Time Than Expected
Nobody’s kitchen remodel finishes on schedule. Ever. Most people think their project will take one to two months. It usually takes four to six months or longer.
Why Kitchens Take So Long
Remodels slow down for many reasons. Supply chain problems mean materials get delayed. Your dream cabinets might be backordered for weeks. Appliances can take months to arrive. Scheduling conflicts happen when your plumber finishes but the electrician can’t come for two weeks. Then you wait for the inspector. Then the tile person is busy. Weather delays stop outside work. Extreme heat or cold slows down some tasks. Delivery trucks get stuck. Design changes add time when you see the space differently once walls are open. Changing your mind mid-project means more work. Permit delays happen because many inspectors are booked weeks out. If your work doesn’t pass inspection, you wait again for them to come back.
One builder shares that in a perfect world, contractors would work every day until the job is done. But that almost never happens. There are always gaps between different workers.
Double Your Timeline Estimate
If you think your kitchen will take six weeks, plan for twelve weeks. If contractors say three months, expect six months.
This way, you won’t feel frustrated when things take longer. You might finish early and feel happy. But probably, you’ll finish close to your longer timeline.
Set Up a Temporary Kitchen
You’ll live without your kitchen for weeks or months. Make life easier by setting up a temporary cooking space.
Good locations include a basement with a sink, the garage, dining room, laundry room, or any space with an outlet.
Your basic temporary kitchen needs a microwave, toaster oven or hot plate, coffee maker, small fridge (or use your regular fridge in a new spot), paper plates and cups with plastic utensils, trash bags, and a cooler with ice for extra cold storage.
One homeowner put her temporary kitchen in the bar area. It had a sink, which helped a lot. Not everyone has this option, but get creative with your space.
Stock easy meals too. Microwave rice, frozen dinners, and canned soup become your friends. Or budget extra money for takeout. One remodeler suggests getting DoorDash or Uber Eats passes to save on delivery fees.
Choose Your Contractor Carefully
Your contractor makes or breaks your project. Good ones keep things moving smoothly. Bad ones create nightmares.
Get Multiple Quotes, but Compare Carefully
Many people get three to five quotes. This seems smart. But comparing quotes gets tricky.
One contractor might quote $25,000. Another quotes $40,000 for the “same” work. Why the huge difference?
Maybe the first contractor uses basic cabinets from a big box store. The second uses custom cabinets. The first might not include permits or cleanup. The second includes everything.
Make sure you’re comparing the same work. Ask each contractor to break down their quote. What’s included? What’s not? What quality of materials do they use?
Sometimes the middle price works best. The cheapest bid often means cheap materials or rushed work. The highest bid might include services you don’t need.
Check References and Past Work
Ask to see finished kitchens they’ve done. Talk to past clients. Ask these people if the contractor finished on time, if they stayed on budget, how they handled problems, if the work site was clean and safe, and if they would hire them again.
Red flags include contractors who won’t give references or show past work. If they pressure you to decide quickly, walk away. Good contractors don’t need to rush you.
Trust Your Gut
If something feels wrong about a contractor, don’t hire them. Maybe they’re slow to respond. Maybe they seem disorganized. Maybe their estimate seems vague.
One kitchen owner shares that their first two contractors didn’t work out. The first moved away. The second took forever to respond and never gave a clear quote. They finally found their perfect contractor through an app with good reviews.
Your contractor will be in your home for months. You need someone you trust and can talk to easily.
Understand the Difference Between General Contractors and Managing It Yourself
A general contractor costs more but manages everything. They hire and coordinate all the subcontractors (plumber, electrician, tile worker). You just talk to one person.
If you manage subcontractors yourself, you save money but do more work. You schedule everyone. You make sure each person finishes before the next one arrives. You handle any conflicts.
One expert says if you work full time, a general contractor is worth their weight in gold. Your time and stress have value too.
Protect the Rest of Your House
Dust goes everywhere. Everywhere. One remodeler learned this the hard way when drywall dust filled his entire house through the AC vents. It took weeks to clean.
Seal Off Your Kitchen Completely
Don’t skip this step. Cover air vents by taping plastic sheets over all vents in and near the kitchen because dust travels through your HVAC system to every room. Use zipper doors with special plastic sheeting that has zippers so workers can go in and out while keeping dust contained. These cost about $20-30 and save hours of cleaning. Tarp nearby rooms by hanging heavy plastic sheets in doorways, and tape them to the ceiling and floor so dust can’t sneak through gaps. Protect floors by putting down heavy cardboard or plastic runners on any path contractors use, which includes from your front door to the kitchen and down to the basement.
One DIYer says to go overboard on mess prevention. It seems boring at the time, but you’ll thank yourself later.
Designate a Contractor Bathroom
Decide which bathroom workers can use. Make sure it has toilet paper, soap, paper towels, and a trash can.
Also show them where to get water or ice. Making contractors comfortable helps them work better and keeps them happy.
Get Everything Ready Before Demo Starts
Starting work before you have everything ready causes delays and frustration.
Order Materials Early
Supply chains can be unpredictable. Cabinets might take eight weeks. Your dream refrigerator could be backordered for months. Special tile might ship from overseas.
Order everything as early as possible. Yes, it means storing items. But it’s better than having your kitchen torn apart while you wait for cabinets to arrive.
One builder says he wishes he’d waited to start demo until all appliances arrived. Instead, he started too early and had to pause work.
Consider Storage Space
Where will you put all the new materials before installation? Plus, where do demolished items go before trash pickup?
You might need a garage or shed for storage, a dumpster rental for debris, and tarps to protect stored items.
Get creative if space is tight. Some people rent a storage unit for a few months. Others make deals with understanding neighbors.
Communicate Everything With Your Contractors
Good communication prevents mistakes and fixes problems fast.
Assume Nothing Is Obvious
Don’t assume your contractor knows what you want. They might think you want the light switch in a different spot than you do. They might mount cabinet handles in a way you hate.
Talk about every detail. Show pictures. Draw diagrams. Point to examples. Over-communicate in a friendly way.
One remodeler came home to find her sink light wired to the ceiling instead of the wall where she wanted it. Luckily, she spoke up right away. The contractor fixed it in 15 minutes because the walls were still open. A few days later would have meant much more work.
Speak Up Immediately When Something’s Wrong
Don’t wait. If you see something you don’t like, say something that same day. The longer you wait, the harder and more expensive it becomes to fix.
Be polite but clear. Most contractors appreciate knowing right away rather than at the final walkthrough.
Stay Available
Return calls and texts quickly. Make decisions fast. Contractors often need quick answers to keep moving. If they’re waiting for you to pick between two options, work stops.
Set expectations at the start. Tell your contractor the best ways to reach you and when you’re usually available.
Make Smart Design Decisions
Some choices make kitchens work better for years. Others create regrets.
Think About Lighting First, Not Last
Many people design their kitchen by picking cabinets, appliances, and counters first. Then lighting becomes an afterthought. This is backwards.
Good lighting changes everything. It makes colors look better, tasks easier, and the whole space more beautiful. Plan your lighting first, then design everything else around it.
You need task lighting for work areas like under cabinets and over the sink, ambient lighting for general room light using ceiling fixtures, and accent lighting for style with pendant lights or inside glass cabinets.
Design for How You Actually Live
Don’t design for someday buyers. Design for yourself. You’re living here. The investment is for your daily happiness.
Love bright colors? Use them. Want a fun glass rinser by your sink? Get it. Prefer gold finishes over trendy silver? Go for gold.
One homeowner put in a glass rinser and loves it. She says it makes cleaning bottles and jars so much easier. Another chose gold fixtures when everyone said they weren’t “timeless.” But gold made her happy, so she did it anyway.
Plan Enough Storage
Almost everyone wishes they’d added more storage. Think about what you own and where it will go.
Consider storage helpers like deep drawers instead of lower cabinets, pull-out trash bins, lazy Susans for corner cabinets, drawer dividers for utensils, tall pantry cabinets, and cabinet organizers installed from the start.
Storage solutions are much cheaper to add during construction than after. If you’re interested in maximizing your kitchen space, understanding what type of kitchen design is best for an apartment can offer helpful layout ideas that work in any size kitchen.
Think About the Work Triangle
The work triangle connects your sink, stove, and refrigerator. These three spots should form a triangle with each side between 4 and 9 feet.
This layout makes cooking easier because you move efficiently between these key areas. If you’re planning a major layout change, consider this basic design rule. Good flow matters more than you think.
Don’t Cheap Out on Quality
It’s tempting to save money with cheaper materials. But low-quality cabinets, counters, and appliances wear out fast. Then you’re stuck with something you hate or paying to replace it again.
Spend more on cabinet boxes and doors (not just pretty faces), durable countertop materials, quality appliances with good warranties, solid flooring that handles traffic, and good faucets that won’t leak.
You can save money on trendy items you might want to change later, some decorative elements, and hardware since it’s easy to replace.
Understand the Inspection Process
Inspections are required for most remodels. They check that work meets safety codes.
Schedule Inspections Early
Don’t wait until the last minute. Many inspection offices book two to three weeks out. Some are even slower.
You typically need inspections after rough plumbing work, rough electrical work, and the final walkthrough.
Each inspection must pass before the next phase of work can start. If something fails inspection, you fix it and schedule another visit. This adds more time.
One remodeler thought he could call in the morning and get an inspector that afternoon. He learned they were ten days out. This pushed back all his contractor appointments.
Call the inspection office as soon as you start planning. Get appointments on the calendar early. You can always reschedule if needed.
Expect Some Regrets, and That’s Okay
Almost everyone has small regrets after finishing. This is normal. You might wish you’d picked different hardware or added one more outlet.
Most regrets are small things. They don’t ruin the overall result. You’ll still love your new kitchen way more than your old one.
Common regrets include not adding enough outlets, choosing trendy colors that now feel dated, skipping certain storage features, picking the wrong hardware finish, and not making counters deeper.
Learn from these for next time. But don’t let tiny regrets overshadow your beautiful new space.
Consider Doing Some Work Yourself
DIY work saves money but takes time and skill. Be honest about your abilities.
Easy DIY Projects
These don’t need special skills and include painting walls, installing cabinet hardware, basic cleaning and prep work, removing old cabinet doors, and some demolition work.
Projects to Leave to Professionals
Don’t DIY electrical work beyond changing switches, plumbing beyond replacing a faucet, gas line work, load-bearing wall changes, or complex tile work with grout.
Bad DIY work costs more to fix than just hiring someone in the first place. Know your limits.
If you’re looking for ways to refresh your kitchen without major construction, you might enjoy learning how to upgrade your kitchen without actually renovating it.
Keep Perspective Through the Chaos
Remodeling feels overwhelming. Your house is messy. You’re eating takeout again. Contractors are late. Costs are climbing.
Remember why you started. Picture your finished kitchen. It will be worth it.
The Mess Is Temporary
Right now, dust covers everything. You can’t find anything. Your house feels like a disaster zone.
But this phase ends. In a few months, you’ll have your beautiful kitchen. The dust will be gone. Life returns to normal.
One blogger says breathing through chaos might be the most important DIY skill. The mess is real and overwhelming. But it’s temporary. Keep reminding yourself of this.
Document the Journey
Take lots of pictures. Photo document your old kitchen before demo, the empty space after demo, rough work before walls close, each stage of progress, and the finished result.
You’ll love looking back at these photos. They help you appreciate how far you’ve come. Plus, you need documentation for your records.
Save all paperwork too. Keep warranties, receipts, and contractor information in one safe place.
Focus on the Positive
Yes, things go wrong. But many things go right too. Your new sink is amazing. The lighting looks perfect. The cabinets are exactly what you wanted.
Celebrate small wins during the process. It helps you stay positive through frustrations.
Small Updates Make Big Differences
Not every kitchen needs a total gut. Sometimes smaller changes give you most of the benefits without the full chaos.
Consider updates like painting cabinets instead of replacing them, adding new hardware and lighting, installing a simple backsplash, replacing just the countertops, or updating your home without remodeling.
These projects cost thousands instead of tens of thousands. They take days instead of months. You still use your kitchen while working.
If your layout works and your cabinets are solid, updates might be enough. Save the full remodel for when you really need it.
Know When to Get Professional Help
Some people successfully DIY their entire kitchen. Most people need help with at least some parts.
When to Call in Experts
Consider professional help when you’re not sure where to start, your ideas feel overwhelming, you want the project done faster, you need help coordinating contractors, you’re making major layout changes, or you want a cohesive design.
Working with professionals like interior designers can actually save money. They help you avoid expensive mistakes. They know which materials work best. They have relationships with good contractors.
The consultation process for interior design helps you understand what you’re getting and how designers work. Many offer different service levels, so you can get help with just design or full project management.
If you’re curious about costs, understanding how much you pay an interior designer for 2000 square feet gives you a realistic baseline, though kitchen projects vary widely. Many designers also help you understand what is a reasonable budget for interior design based on your specific goals.
Learn From Others’ Biggest Mistakes
Here are mistakes real people made during their kitchen remodels:
Starting work too early – Beginning demo before materials arrive causes long delays with a torn-up kitchen.
Skipping the temporary kitchen – Trying to cook in chaos or spending too much on takeout makes life miserable.
Not sealing off the work area – Dust spreads to every room, taking weeks to clean.
Poor contractor communication – Assuming things are obvious leads to mistakes and disappointment.
Forgetting about permits – Skipping permits creates problems later when selling or with insurance.
Ignoring storage needs – Not planning enough storage means cluttered counters forever.
Choosing style over function – Pretty kitchens that don’t work well become daily frustrations.
Underestimating the budget – Running out of money partway through creates huge stress.
Learn from these mistakes instead of making them yourself.
Final Thoughts
A kitchen remodel tests your patience, budget, and ability to handle chaos. But it’s also one of the most rewarding home projects you can do.
Go into it with realistic expectations. Know it will take longer than planned. Budget extra money for surprises. Protect your home from dust. Communicate clearly with contractors. Make design choices for how you really live.
The process will be messy and stressful at times. But when it’s done, you’ll have a kitchen that works perfectly for your life. You’ll cook happier meals, entertain with confidence, and enjoy your space every single day.
Most people say their remodel was absolutely worth it, despite the challenges. The key is going in prepared. Now you know what to expect and how to handle it.
Ready to start planning your kitchen remodel? Take your time with decisions. Do your research. Hire good people. And remember that in a few months, this will all be behind you, and you’ll be cooking in the kitchen of your dreams.