The kitchen is one of the most important rooms of the house. It serves as a meeting area, a place to eat, and a work place as well. Because of the high traffic in this room, the kitchen should be a focal point to any home, whether you are trying to sell the house or if it’s just for the common everyday household uses – the kitchen receives plenty of attention. When starting a kitchen renovation project, it is important to put as many modern ammenities in your kitchen as possible, without breaking the bank. Following these steps or taking some of this advice will help you in the renovation process and at the very least get you going in the right direction.

First you want to find and identify all plumbing lines. This is especially important if you are planning on tearing down any walls or relocating appliances. There are several different types, you must be able to locate these pipes, decide where they go and what function they possess. These different pipes include drain lines, water supply lines, PVC piping (used for drain lines), CPVC piping (used for supply lines), copper piping (water supply lines), and braided supply lines (used for water supply near the faucets). Once you have identified where they are, you can better plan the overall layout of your kitchen. Moving or replacing water lines can be an expensive process. If you’re changing the layout of your kitchen, it is essential that these water lines be identified and understood.

Next, is the electrical lines and basically where they go and what do they do. This is similar to the water lines, meaning you must identify these lines as well, but instead you’re figuring out what they power and how they are connected. Again, if the renovation is small and you’re not relocating parts of the kitchen, then the electric might not be a big issue. Otherwise, make sure the electric is understood, if not, call in a professional.

Once all of the water and electric have been identified, it is time to move on to demolition. By doing some or all of the demolition yourself, you can easily save thousands on your renovation project. Safety is always very important, so remember to wear the proper equipment including gloves, ear/eye protection and dusk masks if necessary. Before you start a demolition make sure that the details are planned out: this means map everything out and make sure that all areas of the demolition are inspected. This step connects directly with the previous two steps – meaning after you have located the electric and water, you then will be able to have a through demo plan in place.

Finally you want to keep you work environment clean and orderly. A safe work area starts with a clean work space. If you’re taking out walls, countertops, or old cabinets, clean as you go. Instead of piling debris up in a corner or scattering it while you tear things out, you should try taking these items beyond the work space as soon as possible. Remember -- using large contractor garbage bags helps with an easy clean up and makes for a receptacle to put the smaller rubbish as well. It may sound petty, but cleaning as you go will save time and make you more productive. This also means at the end of the day you will have less to clean. Again all of these things might sound simple, but following these steps will start you in the right direction and should lead to a successful renovation.