Kitchen remodels are very popular upgrades for Long Beach homes right now—and have been for a while. With the average Long Beach, California home price now approaching a million dollars, home buyers expect modern, stylish kitchens when they’re in the market. Even if you aren’t planning to sell your home anytime soon, having a well-equipped, well-designed kitchen will improve your everyday life in ways that other home improvement projects never could.
Where is the best place to start with a kitchen remodel? Who do you consult with first? If you’re just doing a minor remodel—more of a facelift, really—where you are just painting cabinets and updating appliances, you certainly don’t need to hire an architect. But what about if you are completely updating the layout? In that case, you may want to hire an architect, or at the very least, a kitchen designer, to help you with space planning.
Someone who is an expert in designing highly functional and beautiful spaces, such as kitchens, can have a huge influence on how well your new kitchen turns out. These types of professionals know how to design kitchens that complement the style of your home, as well as how you use your kitchen. For example, maybe your kitchen is the space in which friends and family tend to gather when they come over. Or perhaps you enjoy cooking or baking in large quantities and need the space and appliances that can accommodate that. Hiring an architect or kitchen designer can be money well spent, as they can design a space that will function perfectly for your specific needs.
When moving or removing walls as part of your kitchen remodel, you will also want to bring in a Long Beach architect to help. Not only will an architect make sure everything is done correctly and to code, he or she will also take into consideration things that may help improve the adjacent spaces. Some architects in Long Beach will even take your plans though the permitting process on your behalf. Then, your approved plans can be passed on to the general contractor of your choice who will bring those plans to life.
If you’re still on the fence about spending money with an architect for your Long Beach kitchen remodel, think of it this way: Five years from now, you likely won’t remember the money you spent to have your kitchen professionally designed, but if you choose not to spend the money, you will almost certainly regret that decision every time you set foot in your kitchen.
What about general contractors who claim to be able to design and build kitchens? Certainly, there are some who can do a good job with both, but they are few and far between. An experienced general contractor may be able to draw up the plans for a simple kitchen remodel, but it would be wise to leave the designing of a major kitchen remodel to those who have been trained and have experience specifically in this area.
