Working with a professional

Working with a professional can be easy and fun if you follow a few basic rules.

1. Provide the designer with as much information as you can. By providing the designer with as much information about your project as you can, you will be presenting a clear picture to them about what you are looking for. Sometimes it's also helpful to clip out pictures of what you like from books or magazines to show the designer.

2. Assess what you need versus what you want. The second step in creating a rewarding plan with your design professional is to develop a "must have" and a "want" list. The "must have" list should include features that you consider essential to your room. The "want" list should be comprised of features that you would like to have, if your budget permits, in your room.

Easy as it sounds, distinguishing your "must have" items from you "want" items can be difficult. It may help to have each member of your family make individual lists. Just listing your needs and wants will help you focus on the features that are most important to you and your family. Take some time to identify your needs and wants with our remodeling questionnaire.

Taking this form to your design or remodeling firm will allow your designer better help you plan your dream room. Click on the links below to view a specific remodeling questionnaire.

Kitchen Needs/Wants Form
Bathroom Needs/Wants Form

3. Identify Your Budget. Before you begin working on your new room, you should tell your designer what your budget for the project is. Keeping your designer informed will help them to make better decisions about the design of your room and the products that you should use to meet your needs.

Here is some basic financial information to help you: The price for a new kitchen or bathroom will be affected by:

1. Where you buy it
2. What features it includes
3. The brands/models you select.

For kitchens, pricing can range from $10,000.00 or so (if you do some of the work yourself) to as much as your willing to spend, including design, products and installation. Bathroom prices generally average around $10,000.00 when you're replacing everything. Again, the cost can be lower or considerably higher depending on your final selections. Now that you've gone through our online remodeling guide, it's time to consult a professional designer for help with your kitchen or bath project. You'll find design professionals to be extremely helpful because they can offer you specialized expertise's and sound advise, and suggest solutions to kitchen/bath problems. They also understand the way families and individuals relate to their surroundings, and therefore may be able to identify any issues and meet needs in innovative ways to ensure that your project runs smoothly.