ArcaMax

I’ve discussed in recent columns how the real estate market is frozen.

You may want to sell or buy, but it’s exceedingly difficult for any number of reasons. As harsh as this may sound, you may be stuck on either side of the transaction for a number of years. Just look back at the remnants of the horrific 2008 real estate collapse. It took years for that mess to normalize.

Now may be the time to think about investing some money in your existing home. This will prove beneficial when the marketplace recovers from the current interest rate jolt. Transforming your home into the belle of the ball will make it more attractive to buyers. Any seasoned real estate agent will confirm this.

There are quite a few places you can invest money in your home, but it’s best to put your money into things that will provide you with the best return on investment. Your kitchen is one of those places.

It’s wise to spend a small amount of time doing research. You should identify the current trends that excite buyers in your market. You can have a discussion with the top real estate agent in your town or city who has the most listings. Ask the agent if he/she would be willing to stop by for a consultation.

You can also visit showrooms that sell kitchen cabinets. I’m not sure visiting a home center big-box store is the best idea. Your goal is to gather a consensus as to the cabinets, countertops, and accessories that are most desirable for a buyer.

It’s important to realize there are different levels of kitchen remodeling. You may discover that painted cabinets are in vogue. It’s not hard to paint your existing cabinets. I wrote an ebook years ago about the simple steps.

New countertops can transform a dated kitchen. Perhaps there’s room in your kitchen for a small island. An island is very simple to install.

An aggressive remodel will cost significant money. This type of work may include installing new cabinets and relocating sinks or stoves. A week ago, I did a phone consultation with a woman in Arizona who is moving her sink 5 feet to the left and then putting her cooktop where the sink used to be. This type of work almost always requires professionals to do the tricky plumbing, gas line, and electrical work. The current labor costs might shock you.

New lighting and flooring will go a long way to make a kitchen quite attractive. Waterproof luxury vinyl plank flooring (LVP) should be on your radar. It’s not hard to install, but it does require your existing subfloor to be very much in the same plane. Humps and dips in a floor don’t play well with LVP flooring. Always read and follow the LVP installation instructions.

A kitchen remodeling checklist should be your north star if you decide to embark on this project. A great checklist ensures you don’t forget something important. It also helps you get back contractor bids that allow you to compare apples to apples.

I took the time years ago to develop a checklist that’s helped hundreds of homeowners like you navigate the rapids of kitchen remodeling.

It can be used as a DIY guide or as a checklist to vet contractors. The checklist contains easy-to-understand questions that cover electrical needs, plumbing needs, and even older plumbing drain lines that might be in very bad shape.

The checklist does a superb job, in my opinion, of culling out sketchy contractors. Once they see the questions they’re required to answer, they often just disappear. This is exactly what you want!

My checklist also includes several past articles I’ve written about different aspects of kitchen remodeling. You’ll discover inspiration that might help you create the kitchen of your dreams.

The thing I like the most about the checklist is the simple spreadsheet that breaks down the cost of the kitchen remodeling project. You’re forced to put in a dollar amount for each step of the process. This helps avoid unforeseen cost overruns.

You’ll appreciate the suggested payment schedule too. You never want the contractor to get ahead of you on the job. This happens all too often when a contractor demands a large upfront deposit before she shows up to work.

My checklist walks you through when upfront deposits are OK and when they’re not. Always keep in mind the contractor is not paying his employees or subs in advance, so why should you be forced to do the same? There are instances when a job has special order items that do require a deposit. This is just about the only time you should advance money up front.

You can get my kitchen remodeling checklist using this link:

https://go.askthebuilder.com/KitchenChecklist

I’m available to answer any questions you have about your kitchen remodel. Just use this link to set up a phone call: https://go.askthebuilder.com/coaching

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©2026 Tim Carter. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.