You are finally able to remodel your kitchen and you have all these choices to make from colors and faucets to cabinets and counter tops to flooring. There are few mistakes that homeowners make that could be costly to you.

In your quest to have the kitchen of your dreams you want to make sure you utilize your space effectively. When you choose, the cabinets make sure they are a good fit for the space not just look good. You also might want to consider getting cabinets that you can replace the doors later down the line when you want to spruce up the look of your kitchen. Make sure the cabinets are well built with strong hinges, keep in mind what you will be putting in the cabinets and the weight.

Don’t go too heavy with the “Trend of the year” in your design as trends come and go. Some new trends do not work well in a smaller kitchen, for example: in smaller kitchens, you want to stay away from darker wood and colors as that will make the space even look and feel even smaller. Stand back and think in 10 years will you still love the kitchen or hate the look and want to renovate again?

One of the key aspects of a kitchen renovation is ventilation, if your kitchen is not vented properly it will hold the smells of your cooking and will linger causing the room and possibly other rooms in the house to have a bad odor. Spend some time researching the best range hoods for your kitchen, good ventilation will pull the smells from the room, moving the air around and helping your cabinets and appliances last longer.

As you get a clearer picture of your kitchen and what you want it to look take some time to focus on the high traffic areas. The path to the refrigerator, sink and stove need to be free of anything that would block your path. The doors to the stove should come down without hitting the cabinets and the refrigerator doors should open without hitting the wall. Your counters should be at a level that is good for you to work on them, too low and your back will hurt when you work since you will constantly be bending over. If you have a seating area or bar again make sure the counter is not too low or too high and you can’t find the chairs or stool to accommodate the height. Custom made chairs or stools can really take a bite out of your budget. Think about all the meals you will be cooking in that room and make sure you can walk around freely.

We have all walked into a kitchen that was “just there” no color, no pizzazz but there. Don’t make the mistake of not focusing enough attention on this room. You might think the kitchen is not the heart of the house but in fact it is. It is where you cook your meals, catch up with friends and family, one of the first rooms you go into when enter the home or get up in the morning, and you are in and out of this room several times a day. Add your own colors and flair to make it warm, inviting and a place to be.

Avoid these little mistakes some people make and you will have a beautiful kitchen that you will want to spend time in and will fall in love with every time you go into it.