Category: NYC Kitchen Renovation

NYC Apartment Remodel, NYC Kitchen Renovation

TOP 10 KITCHEN REMODEL WISH ITEMS 

TOP 10 KITCHEN REMODEL WISH ITEMS 

When it comes to your New York City apartment, the focal point for any gathering or family throughout the day is the time spent in the kitchen. From holiday gatherings to cooking a great meal for the family, the kitchen is what can make or break the value of an apartment. So if you come across a moment when you have money sitting around and you are looking for taking on an apartment renovation, the number one place to put your investment is a kitchen remodel. It is in this space alone you can attack a lot of your wants, albeit with a cost. But here are the top 10 wish items people like to put in their NYC kitchen remodel that will bring value and charm to your home.

1 Quartz Countertops

 Nothing brings instant value to a kitchen than having a high-end counter space, which says quartz countertops are the biggest want and added value to a kitchen space. Quartz countertops are a cornerstone of a high-end kitchen, as they hold up extremely well to all elements and are sturdy for all kinds of kitchen prep. Plus the elegant design just adds a charm and wealth component to the area. Keep in mind though that although this is a major desire in kitchen renovations, these do come in at around $60 – $80 per square foot.

2 High-End Cabinets

 To go with high-end countertops, you’ll want high-end cabinets to go with them. More common now is either a bright white shaker style of cabinetry or a high-end wood-based stain like oak, maple, or mahogany. If you do decide to paint your cabinets white or some other offset color like grey, you most likely will be able to reface existing cabinetry and save a lot of money.

3 Stainless Steel Appliances

 Another feature that is commonplace in high-end kitchens today is stainless steel appliances. These appliances are nice to have because stainless steel is really easy to clean, and are more durable to wear and tear in the daily life of the kitchen. The grey color of stainless steel also makes it easy to match with any color style in the kitchen. Although stainless steel has very few disadvantages, it does come with a premium cost over non-stainless steel appliances.

4 Kitchen Island

 Depending on space considerations in your New York City kitchen renovation, adding a kitchen island is a game changer to a kitchen that previously did not have one. Islands are great in terms of providing a significant expansion of counter space. Depending on budget, your kitchen island can be configured to have appliances such as stove tops or even a sink. These are highly customizable solutions that can return great value for a kitchen if space allows it.

5 Breakfast Bar

 If your NYC apartment has a formal dining area then you might want to consider a breakfast bar if space allows in your apartment remodel. A breakfast bar can either be an extension of a peninsula cabinet or a kitchen island. A breakfast bar provides an informal dining space to complement a formal dining space. Keep in mind that a proper breakfast bar has a higher table setting which requires bar chairs as opposed to standard chair height.

6 Executive Stove

 If you want your kitchen to make an overall great statement, consider upgrading your stove to an executive stove, if you use gas. These stoves are generally much wider than a standard stove ranging from 36 inches to 60 inches wide. If you find yourself entertaining quite often in your space, and putting out big meals for your guests, the extra burner space along with the sophistication of a commercial-grade product will pay off. Be prepared, as these stoves run several thousand dollars.

7 Open Concept

 For those who feel their kitchen is closed off and not well integrated with the rest of their apartment, they may want to create an open concept as part of a larger scale apartment renovation. Depending on space considerations and structural limitations, being able to knock down a wall to open up your kitchen to the rest of the apartment can enhance the overall feel of your entire living space. With projects like these, it is best to work with a design build firm, who can help you visualize the feel of the finished product for your apartment remodel, and provide adequate design support services for the contractor that you bring on.

8 Wine Fridge

 If you are a lover of wine but don’t have a great space to store it in your apartment, then consider investing in a wine fridge that can be built into your cabinet areas. Wine Fridges are generally narrow, around 18 inches, and can again be a small but elegant feature for your new kitchen. 

9 Sink Amenities

 Instead of just a basic looking sink with faucet, just a small investment in this area can completely overhaul this nook of the kitchen and really bring out the entire room. Instead of nickel, go after oil rubbed bronze fixtures, and don’t be afraid to spend extra on larger sink necks and three-piece faucets. Also, consider installing a garbage disposal if you don’t already have one as an easier means of collecting food waste in your drain. Finally consider an instant hot water dispenser that connects right to your sink pipes, that stores one to two gallons at a time of instant hot water close to boiling to speed up food prep or instant tea.

10 Lighting Improvement

 To get that showcase kitchen you’ve always dreamed of, the secret in any photograph is high-quality lighting. Instead of a simple fixture centered in the kitchen, consider an upgrade to recessed lighting to spread out coverage of light throughout the room. You can work with a design build so they can help you determine the best light coverage in terms of locations and the amount of lighting needed. You could even consider investing in smart lights, that can do things like dim and change colors through your tablet and smartphone.

NYC Apartment Remodel, NYC Bathroom Remodel, NYC Interior Remodel, NYC Kitchen Renovation

APARTMENT RENOVATION TIPS: PROJECT DELAYS

TOP 10 APARTMENT RENOVATION DELAYS YOU SHOULD PREPARE FOR

When it comes to your New York City apartment renovation, there is sometimes an expectation that a project should be straight forward, and that everything will go smoothly to get a project done in a certain amount of time. However, the reality is more times than not, your apartment renovation contractor will run into at least one or more delays that can drag out the original project deadline. While some of these delays are hard to anticipate and can be random, other delays can be prevented with proper planning. Nevertheless, here are the top ten NYC apartment remodel delays you can expect.

1) Building Approval

Unless you are doing basic work like painting or flooring, any reconfiguration of a floor plan or amenities will require building approval or a permit. This requires the contractor to submit to the New York City building department the work they plan to do, and the authority will assign any proper permits they feel is needed. Dealing with building departments can be uncertainty, as anything such as being backlogged with other customers or having an inefficient process flow can delay the contractor. Making sure you are clear with your contractor early about the scope of work and having solid design plans is critical to ensuring no other delays occur with the building department.

2) Task Dependency

In projects that require a lot of coordination with subcontractors, there is a lot of task dependency that occurs, and sometimes scheduling these subcontractors can create gaps. A contractor can’t bring a painter until sheetrock is done, so if a painter has a busy schedule or the sheetrock gets delayed, the painter might not have always had availability right when the sheetrock is finished. Or perhaps a delay early on in the project such as plumbing for a kitchen renovation gets delayed, and therefore nothing else can occur until the plumbing is finished.

3) Unforeseen Discoveries

The most common delay in construction is always an unforeseen discovery not captured in the plan sheets. Usually it’s something like piping behind the walls not being where you thought it would, or finding code compliance issues that must be addressed by the contractor for work to continue. Again these are usually uncertainties that are hard to predict but should be built into a contractor’s initial schedule.

4) Inspections

Depending on what kind of permits are pulled for a project, part of pulling a permit is either periodic inspection or inspection among completion for whatever the permit calls for. In some cases, additional work cannot continue until a certain task is approved, and you might find that either an inspector is backlogged to visit your house or an inspector finds work to be unsatisfactory and requires the contractor to redo it. This can cost time and money on your NYC apartment remodel but really comes down to making sure you hire the right contractor.

5) Weather

If your apartment renovation requires any outside repairs such as roof repair, siding, or foundation work, inclement weather can pose a threat to a schedule. While sometimes light rain can be okay to work with, you occasionally can have that day where a downpour makes it impossible to do work. After all, the last thing you want is water getting into your apartment during a project or ruining the quality of your foundation.

6) Back Orders

When an apartment remodeling contractor orders materials for a job, they are usually given an initial estimate range by the manufacturer to factor into their schedule. While most times this estimate is usually accurate, there can be circumstances where the materials get back-ordered, which can create uncertainty. Because back-ordering is not common, most contractors don’t try to build that into their schedule, however, the range of back-ordering can vary from a few days to a few months depending on what is being ordered.

7) Design Process

If its determined that your apartment renovation project needs a design build firm, there is the potential for this to elongate the overall project schedule. A designer needs to not only develop a set of feasible plans but communicate these plans with the apartment renovation contractor and go over any potential issues they foresee. While this ultimately reduces any major delays, bringing in a design build does add some time to a process that would otherwise be shorter with just an apartment remodeling contractor.

8) Payment Issues

In most circumstances, a contractor will develop a payment structure that is periodic whether it’s monthly or weekly, depending on the scale of the project. The agreement will usually state the customer must make these payments for work to continue. Failure to make these payments usually means the contractor will halt any work going on regardless of the state it is in until the payment installment is in full, or the payment structure is renegotiated and agreed upon. Any halt in work is certain to delay the project schedule.

9) Injuries

In many instances, construction injuries can occur on-site. While most times these injuries are minor, anything major can create a liability claim and force a contractor to stop work. While in most cases the liability is not the fault of the customer, the severity of the injury can divert attention away from the project, especially if the injury results in hospitalization or a fatality. In this case, there is little a customer can do, other than making sure to find a contractor who uses safe practices.

10) Scale of Project

Ultimately in any project timeline, there can be little mishaps here and there that push a task out an hour or a day and can add up to be substantial in the end. Ultimately the larger a project, the more these delays can add up to create a substantial delay in the project. Therefore expect a kitchen renovation to cause more delays than a simple interior paint job.

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NYC APARTMENT RENOVATION TIPS: COSTS PER SQUARE FOOT 

How much does it cost to renovate a NYC apartment?

When it comes to a New York City Apartment Renovation, there is nothing more important to a homeowner than making sure that their renovation is an investment and is within their budget. Housing projects can have numerous cost overruns that can easily go over budget and therefore when they plan their apartment remodel, they want to get a good handle on their project costs. 

 When a homeowner is trying to put together an initial cost estimate, they do not always have in front of them all the details of the design they need to put together a good ballpark figure. In many cases, the easiest method homeowners try to go off is a cost per square foot. While considerably a rough estimate, a cost per square foot at least gives a general range of what a project cost should be and is generally an accurate number assuming there are no complex design elements that would through the price out of whack. 

 Even though a cost per square foot is a rough number, it still involves some input based on what you expect to do for your apartment renovation. So here are some tips on how to come with a reasonable number for a cost per square foot for your NYC apartment renovation contractor.

Start with Online Research

 You will want to start with a baseline of what a typical cost per square foot is for a home renovation. On average, a project cost for a whole dwelling typically runs anywhere from $75 to $150 per square foot. So, if you are just starting to think about an apartment remodel, you could always work off these numbers initially based on the amount of square footage you plan to remodel. So, for example, a 1000 square foot dwelling that needs a full remodel could cost anywhere from $75,000 to $150,000. If you are focused on just a kitchen or a bathroom, these costs go up significantly from $150 to $250 per square foot.

1. Consider the Home Type

 Believe it or not, the type of home you live in can make an impact on the cost per square foot of a project. For example, you will find that full renovation for an apartment or row house comes in around $35 to $75 per square foot versus a condo or townhouse which comes in anywhere from $75 to $150 per square foot. The reason is that in some cases shared utilities or wall spaces can impact coordination or access points to utilities. Also keep in mind that historical homes while charming can cost the most to upgrade, as these homes likely have extra steps for restoration plus numerous features that may not be up to code.

2. Consider the Type of Fixtures/Appliances

 While some parts of a project are standard across the board, ultimately what drives a cost up comes down to how high end your fixtures and appliances are. If you are a bargain hunter and want the cheapest materials on the market such as laminate flooring and countertops for a kitchen renovation, expect the cost to be much cheaper than quartz or marble countertops with tile flooring.

3. Scope of Work

 Once you have a clearer idea of what exactly you want to accomplish in a remodel, you can work with your apartment remodeling contractor who can give you a pretty good ballpark estimate based on your project square footage. For example, basements, kitchens, and bathrooms generally will cost more per square foot to remodel than a living room or bedroom. Plus, in general, exterior work will cost more than interior work so be mindful that projects that focus on the exterior should be closer to the middle-end of a cost per square foot estimate. Things like painting and trim work are less material-intensive and quicker to perform which will be cheaper per square foot, than relocating appliances or gut jobs.

4. Geography

 While apartment remodeling contractors generally do the same work regardless of geography, you would be surprised that depending on the zip code or city a contractor would charge different costs per hour of labor. So, while the national average of an apartment remodels would be anywhere from $15 to $60 per square foot, expect an NYC dwelling to cost closer to the $60 range in most instances due to the high cost of living.

5. Design-Build

 For larger scale remodels, consider that you will likely want to bring in a consultant to assist you with the design process. Once you determine the rough cost per square foot for your project, you will want to add 10 to 15 percent to that number. In general, the cost of design work is around 10 to 15 percent of the total project. A design-build firm will work with you to put together an appropriate design, and a set of drawings that are easy for a contractor to understand.

6. Change Orders

 You will want to make sure that as part of your cost per square foot calculation, you factor in another 15 percent for any change orders that may bump the total price tag up. In construction, there always unforeseen circumstances like hidden mold or code violations that require immediate attention and should have a contingency budget baked into the final cost. This number can easily be calculated on a cost per square foot basis. This is especially critical for kitchen renovations or bathroom remodels, as this is where most change orders tend to happen in a full scale remodel, especially in New York City apartments that are historical.

7. Not Everything Can be Allocated by Cost per Square Foot

 At the end of the day, while the cost per square foot is an easy round number to go off of, there may just be some line items that cannot be calculated on a per square foot basis, and you will just have to get flat rate quotes and divide by your square footage to get the total cost per square foot. For example, linear assets in a household like HVAC ducts, wall tiling, and countertops are all measured in linear feet and so this may be a cost you will have to determine later in the design process. For plumbing, a lot of the cost is based on the number of faucets and fixtures you need to have installed and so a cost per square foot will just be a reliable number to go off.

NYC Apartment Remodel, NYC Bathroom Remodel, NYC Interior Remodel, NYC Kitchen Renovation

APARTMENT RENOVATION: TOP 10 WISH ITEMS

TOP 10 APARTMENT RENOVATION WISH ITEMS

For those who are considering doing a New York City apartment renovation, you may find yourself needing to do one because there are critical needs to address from both a safety and functional perspective. But if you are finding yourself undergoing a hefty renovation project to begin with, it doesn’t hurt to tack on a little extra money to add on some discretionary items that you might find joy in installing with your new product. So here are the top 10 wish list items you should consider.

1) Central Air

If your NYC apartment resides in an older building, odds are it may be using radiant or baseboard heat and does not have any ductwork. If you own the entire building and you are doing a full apartment remodel, consider changing over to forced air HVAC that can spit out both warm and cold air for a four-season HVAC system. If you do not anticipate a full gut of your dwelling, you can also consider ductless models, which have become increasingly popular for dwellings that don’t have duct space.

2) Walk-in Closets

In many NYC dwellings today, the number of bedrooms has become less important than the quality of the bedrooms due to smaller families. So, you should consider if you have a master bedroom with inadequate closet space creating a walk-in closet. Clothing storage is critical to every household, and if you find yourself able to sacrifice space in certain spaces to gain more closet space, this could be a great return for living. Keep in mind though that resale may not be favorable to this approach, if you see a benefit in having extra closet space, it is worth pursuing.

3) Smart Home Features

Whether you go for the full smart home experience or just a few basic technology installations, an apartment renovation is always a great time to introduce your home to some new technology, especially if it requires concealing wiring or upgrading existing electrical features of the house. If you buy the technology yourself, it should not draw down a lot of labor costs to have your apartment renovation contractor install them throughout your house. You should always consider basic technology such as smart bulbs or smart switches that can be controlled through your phone. Home security is always a no-brainer as well and a place worth putting some discretionary capital with technology.

4) Separate Laundry Room

If your current laundry room is either a shared bathroom space or other multi-function room, you could consider making a separate laundry room if you think there is sufficient space in your place to do so. While a separate laundry room may not always be ideal based on what space you must give up, there is no downside to carving out a separate room just for laundry. You could consider just converting a wide double door closet space for laundry or take an extra bathroom and build up extra storage with a sink.

5) Wall Oven and Surface Stove

Most standard kitchens today come with a Stove Top Oven Combination that is considered desirable from a cost and efficiency perspective. But for anyone who wants that top-end professional kitchen space, it may be worth exploring having a wall oven and surface stove if space allows it. An open kitchen with appliances spread out a bit can really enhance the cooking experience and does give that high end feel to a kitchen space. Work with a design build to see if your existing apartment layout can support adding kitchen space, and if so a wall oven with a stove-top on a kitchen island can go a long way.

6) Kitchen Islands

Speaking of kitchen islands, along the lines of opening for more kitchen space, a large enough space that cannot support an island is always a fantastic idea. An island is great because it allows to really maximize countertop space as well as storage and is a fantastic accent piece for entertaining. Islands can be basic as simple cabinets and counter-tops or have built-in appliances such as sinks, stoves, or even garbage disposals. Your design build firm you bring in should have some excellent ideas about how to truly capture this space.

7) Steam Shower

While bathtubs are a preferred type of washing area, if you do decide to invest in a shower, consider going all in and getting a steam shower. This is especially great if you have a large kitchen space to really spread yourself out. Work with your apartment renovation contractor to consider space requirements and see what they can build for you.

8) Built-in Speaker Systems

If your apartment remodels touches a living room or entertainment center, then you should consider looking into a built-in entertainment center. While standalone speakers pack a fairly good punch, nothing can beat taking advantage of a room’s acoustics and building out an entertainment center with built-in speakers. This little add-on can really bring a level of authenticity to your entertainment space.

9) Smart Controlled HVAC

Along the lines of smart technology, consider along with an upgrade to HVAC using a smart thermometer to control your housing temperature. Smart thermometers are cheap and when installed can sync to your smartphone, enabling you to control your thermostat anyplace, including when you are not home. Your apartment remodels contractor should have no issues getting one of these devices installed.

10) Heated Bathroom Floors

While a bit more expensive, one great feature you could install in your New York City apartment bathroom is heated floors. These are great additions for creating luxury in an apartment, and your apartment remodels contractor should be able to put these in for you if your existing plumbing system can support it. These systems work by running hot water underneath your tile to create a nice source of heat when you get out of a shower or bath.

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NYC APARTMENT KITCHEN REMODELING COSTS

What are the costs involved in Kitchen Remodel?

If you are considering a kitchen remodel for your New York City apartment, your biggest question and potential hiccup might be what you are looking at in terms of costs. General guidelines suggest an NYC kitchen remodel can cost anywhere from $25,000 to $250,000! While this a quite a big range, not every New York City apartment owner is ready to drop $250,000 on a kitchen remodel but would like to know the costs of specific parts of a kitchen remodeling so they can invest in a product that meets their price range. Here are some basic cost guidelines for a kitchen renovation.

Basic Cost Estimate

Before getting into specifics, a kitchen remodeling contractor or design build firm will start with square footage. The range of cost per square foot is anywhere from $75 to $250 per square foot. Therefore, if you happen to have a 1000 square foot kitchen and you do a full gut and upgrade, that is the rare scenario where you could have a kitchen renovation go for $250,000.

However, like most NYC kitchens, you may be looking at a base cost of $7500 if you have a 100 square foot kitchen with basic repairs. It is recommended that you spend anywhere between five to fifteen percent of your apartment’s value towards a kitchen renovation. This model does not give you a real accurate cost but can at least get you to know early on a reasonable range to look at.

In order to keep a project south of $30,000, you would likely be dealing with a smaller sized kitchen, approximately 100 square feet, and would have to limit yourself to basic tasks such as painting, refacing existing cabinets, and tile back-splash. After that, what drives the cost up substantially is what you choose to replace, and the labor to remove old fixtures and replace with new fixtures. What can drive the cost up even further is when you start looking into a new layout, that involves moving pipes and electrical outlets. This involves the most labor, as now you must open walls and apply for more permits.

Breakdown of Costs

Costs of specific line items can vary substantially but approximate costs can be derived. The first key line item is if you decide to use a design build firm to design your new kitchen. In a full kitchen remodeling project, a design will add up to about five percent of your project cost. The biggest line items to consider will be the installation, new appliances, and new cabinetry. Labor is a larger project that will be about a sixth of the total project cost, while appliances are about fifteen percent.

If you do the full remodel, cabinetry will be your priciest item, which would contribute to around thirty percent of your project cost. Counter-tops in a full remodel would be about ten percent of a project. Other costs that are less than ten percent would be line items such as lighting, flooring, doors and windows, and plumbing. So, keep in mind these are percentages based on a full remodel, so if you take something away, that will drive the percentages up substantially.

Design and Labor Costs

Costs that you can control come down to the quality of appliances and fixtures you choose to invest in. However, in most cases, labor and design are uncontrollable costs because the workflows do not really change the kitchen to the kitchen. Whether you are using high-end cabinetry or knock-off materials, the man-hours required to replace them are generally the same. So, keep in mind that when you hire a designer to do your apartment remodel, expect a cost of around $1000 in most standard remodels, assuming a rate of around $100 per hour for 10 hours of design work.

As mentioned, labor costs in a full remodel come to around 17 percent of a total project cost in New York City. A kitchen remodeling contractor may be your best option, if you are looking at a full, remodel and want to get the most bang for your buck as their expertise should maximize efficiency. Labor costs are usually around $3500 to $6000, again based on how much is being replaced.

Kitchen Cabinets

As shown above, the most expensive part of a remodel is the kitchen cabinetry. When you do a full replacement of kitchen cabinets, this part of the project is thirty percent of the total cost. However, depending on what you do, this part of the project has the most flexibility in terms of cost adjustment. The biggest factor is whether you go with pre-made vs custom design.

Pre-made cabinetry can be found in a home warehouse store, but because they are machine made at standard measurements, this substantially drives cost down, costing anywhere between $75 to $150 per square foot. The only setback is a lot of kitchens may not have the measurements to fit perfectly only pre-made and so there will be gaps in some places. However, if this tolerance is acceptable, pre-made products are anywhere from 10% to 1000% cheaper than customized products.

Additionally, you can save more money by either refacing or repainting existing cabinetry. This eliminates the cost of material and then focuses on labor only. Refacing can cost anywhere from $4,000 to $9,500 while repainting can be $1,500 to $4,000. Depending on the size of your kitchen you may find refacing and repainting are much cheaper options.

Conclusion

Overall, there are many considerations in determining a kitchen remodeling cost in New York City, but these estimates above capture the major costs and how certain considerations can adjust the price. Like in any apartment remodel, you always must factor in specific tasks like design and permit, but after that, there can be a lot of flexibility. It all comes down to working with your designer or contractor to understand what your budget is and what you can reasonably do within your space.

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APARTMENT RENOVATION TIPS: CHANGE ORDERS

What are the potential change orders that can be easily avoided?

If you are looking to undergo an apartment renovation in your New York City dwelling, it is likely that you want to have a clear timeline for how long your apartment may be uninhabitable or limited. While contractors are usually particularly good at providing reasonable timelines, there are often unexpected occurrences during construction that can delay the project’s finish date. Most commonly, the cause for a project delay is what is called a change order, more specifically a design initiated change order (DICO). These are unforeseen circumstances that can delay a project by a few days or even a few months depending on what is found.

A DICO is put in place whenever it is determined by the contractor that what was designed for can no longer happen, due to an existing condition not being accurately depicted, or an existing condition that causes a construction task to be infeasible. Examples in NYC apartment are circumstances such as utility wires or pipes not being where a designer thought they would be when opening a wall, finding something like mold, or a leak that was not anticipated or seeing code compliance issues that cannot be touched unless they become code compliant. There are many other examples but any time there is an interruption, it is up to the contractor to stop his work and inform a designer of the issue. In most cases, the design build firm will put out a DICO to review the plans and make any changes necessary.

So, what are these common change orders to look out for, and how can they be avoided? After all, if you are spending a lot of money on your NYC apartment renovation, so you want to make sure it all goes smoothly. Here are some of the common ones, and how you can avoid them.

Make sure you hire a qualified contractor

Perhaps the easiest way to avoid any change orders could be as simple as making sure you hire the right individual. If you are working on a specific room like a bathroom remodel, then do not hire an individual who specializes in kitchen renovation. While contractors through their general training may be capable of doing projects across their discipline, the reality is that their specialty is built on their experience within that specialty through proper training and common issues they have learned from.

If you are in the market for an interior renovation, you do not need to hire something who specializes in kitchen or bathrooms, as they are more about understanding utilities and less about making aesthetic improvements to rooms. More importantly, these specialists know what to anticipate, and working on numerous New York City apartments, understand what to factor into their estimates and project timelines.

Have 10% set aside for any additional labor concerns

In many cases, the contractor will put a change order in place because they anticipate additional labor to complete a task. It may not necessarily mean that the design must change but the contractor believes that absorbing the additional cost of the work will be detrimental to the bottom line and was not covered in the original scope.

While a scope usually may have a lump sum agreement in cost, there is usually a clause in a contract that allows a contractor to request additional funds if they come across unanticipated labor. So, when a contractor comes to you and says we have a labor issue, having the money set aside can essentially negate any delay in the project.

Always Review Design plans for Exclusions or Inaccuracies

The most common reason a change order must be initiated is when design plans misrepresent or exclude something that should be present in the drawings. A lot of times a design build firm might have to guess where things are when odds are a homeowner might have known and did not say anything or check work.

An example might be a kitchen renovation design that guesses wherein the ceiling electrical wires might be running. But maybe you had done some previous work in the electrical and you were informed where the wires are. Or maybe you have blueprints of your original structure, that could show the designer where the electrical is. It is always important to communicate with your designer and share any knowledge you have and thoroughly look through designs.

Consider the complicated nature of your design

Odds are that change orders are more likely to come to the surface during a large scale apartment remodel or a new layout for a bathroom remodels or an interior renovation. So, keep in mind that even if you have a lot of money and can invest in an expensive renovation, a complicated design can create a wide range of issues.

Anytime that you move appliances that rely on electrical or plumbing utilities, it generally requires having to open walls to relocate those utilities. When walls get opened, potential issues could be things such as code compliance or obstacles that prevent access to the proposed location. This can lead to significant cost overruns by trying to make your design safe and functional.

It is recommended that you should always have a plan B in mind if your desired layout becomes difficult or infeasible. Or more importantly, if you can envision a layout that does not require you to move appliances, but maybe just simply upgrades them, this is a recommended solution that can save a lot of time and money. If you do decide though that your dream layout is what you really want, then always be prepared to throw extra money in the budget, and factor in the potential for additional time of the project.

Conclusion

Overall an apartment remodel is a good investment and should make your dreams come true with the substantial price tag that comes with it. But keep in mind that there always limitations, and while most things can be done, ensure you prioritize the unexpected in your plans.

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KITCHEN REMODELING TIPS: TOP 10 MISTAKES

Top 10 NYC Apartment Kitchen Remodeling Mistakes to Avoid 

When it comes to remodeling your kitchen, a lot of mistakes can be made in the process mainly due to a lack of knowledge or unforeseen circumstances. These mistakes can cost time, money, and frustration on both parties. So, when it comes to doing your New York City kitchen remodel, make sure you avoid these top ten mistakes throughout the planning, design, and construction of your kitchen renovation project.

Do not make it a Do It Yourself Project

 Unless your project is nothing more than a fresh coat of paint or changing out knobs on drawers and cabinets, do not attempt a kitchen remodel by yourself. With projects like these, there is a lot of heavy lifting and utilities that should not be touched without a professional. A kitchen remodeling contractor often has a team on hand to help, as many parts of a kitchen require multiple hands.

Underestimating Storage Requirements

 If you are performing a full kitchen renovation as opposed to a remodel, it is important during your design phase that you do not overlook storage requirements for your space. While modern kitchens like to focus more on open areas and tiling, you do not want to downsize your cabinet and drawer space. A kitchen from a functional perspective is designed to hold all your tools, and when storage is insufficient, a kitchen becomes a room of clutter, defeating the purpose of making it nice in the first place.

Giving Up Counters

 Most people who are big on cooking always say the biggest issue with a kitchen is a lack of counter-top space, especially in moderate-sized kitchens. NYC is no stranger to this phenomenon, as most Manhattan apartment kitchens tend to have gully kitchens or even kitchenettes. Counter space must be prioritized, and if it must be reduced, it should be as minimal as possible.

No Concern About Workflow

 The Aesthetic of a Kitchen only goes so far, a NYC kitchen must consider function, especially in tighter quarters. A kitchen should always use what is called the triangle approach, in which the placement of your refrigerator, stove, and kitchen make a triangle if drawn out on paper. Make sure if you work with a design-build firm to design your new workspace, that this approach is considered. Otherwise, a kitchen without function is an aesthetic waste of money.

Forgetting About Your Budget

 One of the most common mishaps people make when they prepare for an apartment renovation is saying they have a budget set up and then easily exceeding it for things they want. It is important that you stick to your budget and be reasonable with what you can expect. Kitchen remodels and renovations can cost anywhere from $25,000 to $250,000, so be mindful that expenses can get way out of hand fast. You also need to set aside ten percent of whatever you expect to invest that can cover any incidentals or unforeseen cost overruns.

Choosing Appliances Last

 Make sure that if you are working with a kitchen renovation contractor that you let him know before construction what appliances you intend to pick out for your kitchen. Appliances although somewhat standard in terms of dimensions can have tolerance up to a few inches, and not knowing these dimensions ahead of time will cause complications or awkward gaps when they go to install them around existing cabinetry. You will know you have a superior remodeling contractor if he demands to know the appliances ahead of time.

Undervaluing Your Back-splash

 One of the most overlooked parts of a New York City kitchen is the investment made into tiling back-splash. Although this is not the most significant in terms of visible square footage or function, if this space is underappreciated, then it is the equivalent of leaving a piece art ten percent incomplete. It connects your raised cabinets to your counter-tops and drawers and creates a nice aurora around your stove. Make sure when you work with your design-build to ensure that you have selected a nice back-splash. This is one area you can splurge a little bit if you like.

Space Inefficiency

 As is common in many Manhattan apartments, space is at a premium, which means all efforts should be made to fully utilize every square foot of a kitchen. Do not create awkward or large counter-tops where storing items are out of reach. Make sure you get creative with drawer designs like serve-ware or a concealed sliding drawer for trash.

Don’t be Original

 One of the most discouraged behaviors is to take a model kitchen and say I want that one. When you see a model kitchen, it may look good in one place, but odds are if you take it inch by inch and try to fit it into your apartment, it just will not look right. A good kitchen renovation contractor should be able to look at your existing space and let you know right away what parts of your dream kitchen are feasible, and parts that create challenges. Avoid a remodeling contractor who says right away that he can fit every part of your dream kitchen into your space. That realistically just does not happen.

Not Keeping in Mind the Big Picture

 At the end of the day, you are not creating a masterpiece, rather you are creating a functional space. Always think function first and aesthetic second. But do not create a kitchen that ignores either. A good kitchen remodeling contractor should be able to work with you to ensure every square inch is designed appropriately and leave you overall happy.

NYC Apartment Remodel, NYC Bathroom Remodel, NYC Interior Remodel, NYC Kitchen Renovation1 Comment

Start a Home Remodeling Project During Coronavirus, COVID 19 Pandemic

No Better Time to Start your Home Improvement Project 

 Although times have been rough lately as COVID-19 has decimated New York City, this is one of the best times to consider working on your next home renovation/apartment renovation. With interest rates so low and many companies available and eager to get back to work, you should consider calling a home remodel remodeling contractor.

You’ve Had Time to Think About and Design your Remodel

 Odds are during this pandemic; you have had a lot of time to sit at home and think about what you like and do not like and envision what a new space could look like. Perhaps you have put off that kitchen renovation, or you just had that vision you had for a bathroom remodel come to fruition and your itching to get it done, especially if this Corona Virus could keep you at home much more for the foreseeable future. In a time where COVID 19 has brought a lot of people down, put a positive spin on these times, and bring in a home remodel remodeling contractor to complete that home renovation you need.

 Before you bring in a specialist, you may want to take the extra time you have had on your hand to do some of the pre-planning needed for your house project. Therefore, this can greatly minimize any potential need for a designer or contractor to have to enter your house for any pre-construction activities. 

 First, you should take as many pictures as you can of your existing room you plan to renovate. Take it from all angles and be ready to run through all the existing features. Take pictures underneath sinks and depths of cabinets and flooring as well. When you upload photos, you could label things if you have a software that allows you, but if not, you can easily explain features of the room. 

 Second, take measurements, and a lot of them. Measure the length, width, and ceiling height. Measure doorways and any windows, and what type of clearances you have. Explain how big your appliances are and what brands they are. If for some reason you have access to blueprints of your apartment or house, that is a huge plus and can make the designer’s job much easier. If you do these two steps generously, you may find that a firm may not even have to step foot into your house until the first day of construction.

Use a Design-Build Firm

 If you’re considering a large scale home remodeling apartment renovation and need some design assistance, then you should strongly consider a design build firm to help you. A design build firm’s staff is equipped and ready to work with you online and over the phone to run through your ideas and come up with a design for either that kitchen renovation or bathroom remodel you have desired. They have the computer technology on hand to easily share files through email and instant messages, so it is a painless collaborative effort. 

 Once the design is complete, a design build will handle all the permitting and approvals and bring in their licensed contractor to perform the work. It will work great because, throughout the project, you will only be working with one or two people, while the firm manages all the project steps.

Concerned about Safety? No Worries

 For those who are concerned that bringing in people is a safety hazard, these contractors are fully prepared and have taken the precaution’s necessary to ensure they will not be carrying the virus into your house. They will ensure that they perform only what is necessary for your house, and any other contact with you will be via online or over the phone. When they are in your home, they will wear the proper masks and wash hands and/or wear gloves. There will be minimal interruption to their workload so they can get your home renovation done quickly. Safety is always the top priority.

Fiscal Responsibility First

 For those who may have a more uncertain fiscal situation or limited funds, it does not mean that you should not move ahead with some of your New York City apartment or home projects. While a kitchen remodels may not be ideal for someone with a more constrained budget right now, anything critical like electrical work, HVAC installation, or plumbing repairs are relatively inexpensive and may serve more value to someone who may be home more frequently. While aesthetics is great to focus on, it is always important to make sure you have a house or apartment that functions properly. 

 More importantly, during this COVID 19 epidemic, you may start to see house values go down so make sure you are not investing in aesthetic projects that don’t improve house value, as during this time you may not get the rate of return on your home investment. So, do not let the pandemic shut you down entirely from spending money, but rather get some of those essential repairs done now.

 Alternatively, you may find that during these times some contractors who have seen their work dry up may be offering their services at a discount. If you are in a better financial position, some of those non-essential repairs like a kitchen remodel and bathroom renovations have dried up for kitchen and bath specialists and they may offer their services at a discount to get back to work. A design-build firm can likely steer you towards a discounted price if that is your ambition to get on with your next housing project.

Conclusion

 Do not let COVID-19 be defined in your life as a negative moment, but rather take a bite out of something positive. If you have the money saved up and feel your job is secure, use this time wisely to invest in your property. You will likely find a discount and will enjoy the space more if you intend to be home more often for the foreseeable future. Safety measures are intact so there should be no concern on your part. Bring in a design-build firm today to make your space the shining star during this rough time.

NYC Kitchen Renovation

KITCHEN REMODELING TIPS

Things to consider during your Kitchen Remodel 

If you are in the market for a kitchen remodel for your New York City apartment, there is a lot you need to consider. Kitchen remodels are generally one of the most extensive repairs you can make in your NYC apartment, and that means you will want to have all the facts in front of you about what to expect during this process. Everything from cost, to style, to the type of contractor, and to what a project timeline will look like, you will want to consider the following:

Kitchen Remodel Cost

 A kitchen renovation in New York City can range anywhere from $25,000 to $250,000 depending on the size of the kitchen, the extent of work, and the types of amenities that you decide to buy. There is a lot that comes with this price tag including, design work with a design build firm, materials, labor, permit fees, and demolition. The first question should always be what is your budget, and wherein it can you splurge. What is most important in a kitchen renovation is overall appearance and function, so make sure you pay top dollar for quality cabinets and for the tiles and fixtures that will be most visible. Alternatively, you can scale back appliances, and more times than not you should not need to hire an interior designer unless you feel you lack the ability to visualize the design.

Type of Contractor

 As a kitchen is one of the more typical rooms a person will remodel in their NYC apartment, a lot of times you should hire a kitchen renovation contractor specialist who spends his entire line of work focused on kitchens. A kitchen remodeling contractor spends his entire line of work focused on kitchens and therefore has experience in understanding what works for a kitchen in terms of getting permit approval and typical unforeseen circumstances. They generally will have a fairly good handle on what the best brands of cabinets, fixtures, and appliances are and a more accurate quote on what the level of effort and cost truly is. You’ll also typically find that a kitchen renovation contractor usually has a team of people that work at a quick pace and can get the job done very quickly to minimize disruption.

Styles

 When it comes to style this is where the hiring of a design build can come into play, especially if you are considering a full kitchen rebuild. As mentioned above, it is not necessary to hire an interior designer, as they will charge you only for their design work and do not consider the construct-ability of a project. By using a design-build, you can work with a firm that will handle every step of the project, from pre-planning to construction, including permitting and building approval. You will be surprised to find that using a design build can save you anywhere from $5000 to $25000 on design costs. These firms will work with you to understand what kind of style you are looking for and what brands to consider, along with design challenges and anticipated cost.

Project Timeline

 The most important question you will want to know next to the cost is how long your kitchen remodeling contractor will need to get the project done. While in general, the design phase and permitting phase is usually the same time project to project, the size of the kitchen and the scale of work can greatly impact the range of timeline. 

 You should factor in at least a 4-6 weeks for design and permitting, and at least another eight to twelve weeks for actual construction. If the kitchen remodel is a moderate-sized layout and nothing more than replacing fixtures and cabinetry and preserving the existing layout, you should expect your construction time to take closer to six weeks. However, if the project involves a full renovation, this timeline can go to twelve weeks, as now this requires breaking up Sheetrock, as well as redoing electrical and plumbing. 

Conclusion

 So, if your Manhattan apartment needs a remodeling contractor for a kitchen renovation, then you should now know what to expect. Whether you live in a high rise condo or an old brownstone, nothing is more elegant than bringing guests into a Manhattan property and showing off a nice fresh kitchen that can entertain guests for hours. A kitchen is always the first room to show off in an apartment and you want to make sure that your investment reflects that. So, when it comes to hiring a remodeling contractor, you should always make sure you consider price, style, and timeline. Just make sure you hire someone who knows there way around the kitchen, meaning they know how to build one and at the right cost.

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