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Part 2 – The “Nice to have List”

home remodeling checklist

Part 2 – The “Nice to have List”

A while back I did an article titled” Where do I start”. Now, I’m sure you know where to start so now we are on to part 2, the “Nice to have” list. This is where almost all of your remodel ideas will go. And this is where you need to spend the most time organizing, editing and saving all of your ideas.

home remodeling checklist

The “Nice to have” list is going to be L-O-N-G. This is where you will spend most of your time in the beginning stages of planning your remodel. These are the things that you think you can live without, but may be possible to incorporate into your design. This is where the spice rack next to the stove goes. This is where the heated toilet seat goes. Put it all in here. Because a ridiculous idea may turn into something that you really want later on. It’s your kitchen or bath that is being renovated, and you are the best person to know what needs to go in there. A designer can make a suggestion, but they aren’t you. They don’t really know what you want, but they can help you decide that.

NOW, take a good, long, hard look at this list. Are you REALLY going to use the built in ironing board on the side of the pantry cabinet? Or the gold plated bidet in the guest bathroom? You know you won’t. So move these into list 3, which I like to refer to as the “What was I thinking” list.

Once you go thru your “Nice to have” list, you may be surprised how quickly this list empties out, and the “What was I thinking” list fills up. It’s perfectly natural. But don’t discount any of your ideas yet. We’ll take another look at the third list later on. Because all of your ideas aren’t ridiculous, just maybe misguided.

-The Basics

And while we are making these lists, don’t forget about the basics. Because the basics are sometimes what makes or breaks a remodel design.

Paint colors really do matter. Floor styles and patterns are noticed. Door hardware is not something that you say “Oh, just put the cheapest thing on there”. It all matters. The devil is in the details. Categorize all of these lists and have your paint samples together. Have your floor styles together. Keep it organized and neat. It makes your life much easier when it comes down to making the important choices.

Ok, so now we have all of these awesome ideas, and they are well organized. What next? Now is where I tell you that no matter how organized you think you are, you still don’t have enough information.

decision

-WHAT!?

Now you need to choose someone to help you design and bring all of your awesome ideas to life. Someone that can look thru your lists, and suggest better ways of doing what you want done. Someone to take that “Must have” list and flesh it out. Someone to take that “Nice to have list” and remove, or add a few things. Someone to look at your “What was I thinking” list, and go, “hey, that’s a good idea. You should really think about doing this”.
You need professional help.

Sounds scary, but it’s not really. But it is going to take time. It could be a whole lot of time. But in the end, worth every second. Why? Because you will have exactly what you want and you will have it on your own terms. You won’t have settled because it’s the easy thing to do. It will be yours. You will own it, and it’s exactly what you always wanted, even if you didn’t realize it at the beginning.

So, now you realize that it’s time to take that next step and FIND this person to help you plan out your dream remodel job, someone that can be objective, and has years of experience working with people in your shoes.

So yes, you need me. The designer. So, please come by Sanders Home Center at 201 Route 168, Turnersville, NJ. 08012 or call me at 856-857-6435 and ask for Curt. Talk to you soon!

time for a change

Next installment – Part 3 – What do I bring when I meet with my designer for the first time?

-Curt Thacker
Kitchen and Bath Designer

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