Friday, November 27, 2009

Simple and Affordable Kitchen Remodeling Ideas

If you want a new look for your kitchen, but don't want to shell out the big bucks for a full-scale kitchen remodeling job, you're probably looking for a few ideas on how to create the biggest effect for the smallest impact on your bank account. Fortunately, as with many home improvement projects, sometimes it's the smallest things that can have the most dramatic effects. Here are four areas where your can remodel your kitchen without, hopefully, having to refinance your whole house.

If the walls could talk...

They would probably say that they're tired of their worn-out look and could use a fresh makeover. One of the most dramatic changes that you can make to your home -- the kitchen especially -- is to apply a fresh coat of paint, new paneling, wallpaper, or even spruce up the walls with a natural-looking wood. Even changing the color tone a notch in your kitchen can produce dramatic effects, and the vibe you receive from your kitchen will change dramatically if you choose to move from bright to dark or vice versa.

Throw out your kitchen sink...

And purchase a new one. Purchasing a new, stainless-steel kitchen sink doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg, and especially if you consult with a kitchen remodeling contractor beforehand, you can avoid having to replace your entire kitchen counter top. Though, while replacing your kitchen countertop is the number three idea on our list, if you happen to like your countertop, you probably don't want to spend the extra money fixing something that isn't broke, so to speak.

Class-up your kitchen counter top

If you have a large kitchen counter top, or if you have an island in the middle of your kitchen, when you're revamping your kitchen's walls, that might be a good time to consider a change to the largest kitchen mass area besides your flooring. While replacing your kitchen's countertop can be expensive depending on what materials you use to replace it with, you can also find an attractive kitchen counter top for budget prices that will help, even more, to create a new look and feel for your home's culinary center.

Replace your kitchen's flooring

Unless you have a kitchen the size of a house, replacing your existing flooring can be an inexpensive kitchen remodeling project. While kitchens and carpeting do not always work well together for a wide variety of reasons, maybe adding a foot-warming touch to your cold vinyl flooring can make a big difference in how you perceive your kitchen. Likewise, if you're currently sporting carpeting in your kitchen, maybe making the switch to tile flooring, vinyl flooring, or even hardwood flooring, will create the 'new kitchen' look and feel that you're looking for.

Remodeling your kitchen does not need to be a massively expensive undertaking. Whether you use one of these kitchen remodeling ideas or all of them, each one, individually, can make a drastic difference in how you perceive your home's cooking center. Fortunately, even if you can't afford to make multiple changes to your kitchen all at once, these small kitchen remodeling projects can be worked on individually, at a pace that is comfortable for you and your budget. Even little by little and step by step, it won't take you long to turn your current kitchen into a new, and more inviting, room that you will actually enjoy spending time in.

Oceanic Construction is a Fort Meyers kitchen and bath remodeling company. Visit their website to view their remodeling services.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Increase your Home's Resale Value by Remodeling your Kitchen and Bathroom

For many home owners out there, increasing the sale value of their property is something that's a focus. Over the last couple of years, these homeowners have been looking to remodel their home in direct ways that will provide immediate value when they put their home on the market. This doesn't have to be big time construction, either. A cabinet here and there doesn't cost a lot of money, so kitchen and bathroom remodeling is a cost effective way to go about improving the home. Statistics say that with a successful kitchen remodeling project or bathroom improvement project, homeowners can get a significant return on their investment. In some cases, they can increase the value of their home by 70% more than what they paid to remodel.

That statistic isn't true across the board, though. Solid projects will bring in more return on investment than poorly completed projects. If you want your home to be worth a significant amount more when you're done, you have to make sure the project is done correctly. This might mean hiring the right contractor or contracting company, or it could mean pulling off the custom construction by yourself. Your own abilities will determine which of these is a better option.

If you are thinking about remodeling your kitchen or bathroom, then you probably have some questions. Why do these two things add such value to the home? What real estate agents will tell you is that when people are shopping for a home, they are more apt to remember these big projects. Women and men alike will value a great area to prepare food. Likewise, bathrooms are something that seems to stand out in the mind of many potential home buyers.

Another reason why you might want to remodel the bathroom or kitchen is that it's one of the cheapest projects to complete within the home. You can find affordable cabinets for your kitchen and a lot of the work can be done on your own. The cost of the projects is often quite low, even if you hire a contractor or two to take care of certain aspects of the remodel. When you only pour a few thousand dollars into a project and you can get more than a couple of thousand in return on added value in your home, it is time to start really considering this project as more than a remodel. It's an investment in a way, and something that almost any homeowner can benefit from.


Oceanic Construction provides bathroom and kitchen remodeling services to Estero, Bonita Springs, Naples and Fort Meyers, Florida.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Affordable Kitchen Upgrade Options

Upgrading your kitchen, commonly known as kitchen remodeling can vary vastly in terms of cost depending the upgrades you plan to make. If you are looking at affordability and you are working on a limited budget, it's a good idea to shop around and get quotes from several different remodelers because costs can vary for remodeling services, even in the same geographic region.

For starters, effective yet economical changes which will really change your view of your kitchen can be as simple as putting in a new sink and painting the walls. Lighter colors tend to be better-suited for kitchens, but if you want, you can also match or contrast the color of your kitchen to your utensils and appliances to create a uniquely vibrant feel to your food-prep area. Alternately, you could also skip the fresh paint job and add some stylish wallpaper to get your desired look.

A kitchen remodeling job, even a simple one, wouldn't feel right without replacing your kitchen's sink. Your sink is virtually the 'headquarters' of the food-preparation area, and giving it a fresh new look that can not only change your perception of your kitchen, but it is a relatively simple kitchen upgrade that won't cost you an arm and a leg. In most cases, the best option for a new sink will be stainless steel, and if you're willing to put in a new countertop, or if your new sink is larger than your current sink, you may be able to switch out the shape and style of your current sink to something that is more fitting for your tastes and the new look and feel of your 'new' kitchen.

Even with these two simple, and affordable, changes -- a new sink and changing the color of your kitchen's walls -- it can make a big difference in how you look at your kitchen and how it makes you feel. Kitchen remodeling doesn't have to cost a fortune, and for a relatively small monetary investment, and maybe a bit of creativity, you can spruce up your kitchen within a few short weeks without breaking your budget.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Hiring Kitchen & Bath Remodelers - Why Experience Matters

Designing and remodeling your kitchen or bathroom is something that should be done with great care as these rooms can be quite complex, and they are amongst the most used rooms in your home. For this reason, as well as for your own sanity's sake, it's a good idea to hire an experienced home remodeling company to help you get the perfect look and feel so that your renovated rooms match your home's look and your own personal tastes perfectly.

Quality workmanship doesn't just happen -- it's an acquired skill that takes years of practice to develop. Plus, having an eye to catch something out of place, or seeing a small change that could improve your kitchen's functionality could be invaluable when you're planning on remodeling your bathroom or kitchen. These are traits of an experienced home remodeling company, and this is the type of company you want working with you to remodel your kitchen and bath.

Experienced and reputable contractors have a long list of satisfied customers, which means they likely have a large, refined skill set, which can help you turn your current kitchen and bathroom into rooms of comfort, rather than just rooms of convenience. Plus, when you start to check on references from an experienced remodeling company, you can have the peace of mind that you are dealing with a company who will do the job right and will treat you right -- new remodeling crews simply won't have the large client base to help you make your decision regarding which remodeling company you should choose for your home improvement project.


When it comes to remodeling your kitchen and bathroom, who you hire matters. If you choose an experienced home remodeling company, you can rest assured that they have the skills to improve your home, and they have the track record that won't leave you second-guessing whether you've chosen the right crew to remodel your kitchen and bathroom.