This guest post appears courtesy of Gary Bell of Bell Plumbing & Heating, a prominent Denver remodeling company specializing in kitchens and bathrooms with a gorgeous 8,500 sq. ft. showroom showcasing cabinets, vanities, tile, faucets, fixtures, tubs, showers, and more. Visit our YouTube channel for remodeling videos. 

For many homeowners, remodeling can be both exciting and daunting. While it’s a wonderful way to customize your home, it also requires planning, temporary disruptions, and decision-making. Moreover, you need to hire a company you can trust, so that the job is completed on time and within your budget.

The bathroom and kitchen are popular spaces for home remodeling because of how much they are used, and what they are used for. A new kitchen will transform your diet, menu, and cooking, while a new bathroom can combine practicality with luxury. They are also the two spaces within the home that require extensive electricity and plumbing, so it often requires the work of a consummate contractor, or organizing several subcontractors to work together.

If you’re thinking of remodeling your bathroom or kitchen, you probably already have some kind of idea in your mind, however vague, of what you want it to look like. Perhaps you are already envisioning a walk-in shower with a deluxe rain showerhead or a large farm-style sink with a soapstone countertop for your kitchen. Jot your ideas down. Ask yourself some further questions: what’s lacking in my current bathroom, or what do I want my new kitchen to do that my current layout doesn’t allow? Make some more notes about your expectations. Get a hold of some interior design or bathroom/kitchen magazines from your local bookstore, and visit a remodeling showroom to pick up some brochures. This is the time for brainstorming your ideas. Is energy-efficiency important to you? What type of fixtures and lighting do you want? You might even try a sketch or two.

Next, take a good hard look at your budget. Know what you can spend on your remodeling project and give yourself a bit of leeway for last-minute additions and changes. Once you’ve got some numbers, head back to your design ideas. With these two in tow, call up your local remodeling professional to talk about an estimate. Make sure to find someone with a good reputation, and make sure you feel comfortable around that person. Because it’s your personal space that will undergo changes, remodeling is not only business, and for that reason, you want to find someone right for the job. Once you’ve arranged for a professional consultation, then you can begin to figure out which of your design ideas are realistic options, which ones may stretch your budget but not break it, and which are even possible given the layout of your home.

After some initial consulting and estimates, you and your trusty contractor are ready to begin the job. Depending on the size of the job, and the extent of your modifications, remodeling can take time. Communication is vital for time frames. Make sure that you have an agreed-upon timeline for your project. While even slight modifications to the plan may change this schedule, knowing how long the various stages of your project will last ensures that everyone is on the same page, and that your new bathroom or kitchen turns out the way you desired.