Hiring Professionals

You've gathered and organized your kitchen preferences and personal information--now it's time to share it with the professionals in order to put your "new kitchen" team together. Do you want to design, buy, and build it yourself or hire professionals who can prepare a design, buy, and build it for you? You may even want to participate in part of the buying (Buy It Yourself, BIY--see our Resource Indexes) and working (Do It Yourself, DIY--see our DIY'er sections) and leave the rest up to the pros. Take the time to adequately evaluate each professional prior to making a selection. Kitchen Designers, Interior Designers, Architects, Contractors, Cabinet-makers, Builders, Showrooms and Home Centers each have their specific areas of expertise--take advantage of their skills. (See Professional Roles in our Research Phase)

No matter what route you choose, please note that even if you are an experienced DIY'er, hiring professionals most often reduces overall costs and increases the value of your home through expert design and construction. The creative design process is very time consuming and Kitchen Designers and Architects have experience in working with three-dimensional space plans and can offer unbiased expert advice on the best layout for your kitchen and lifestyle. Their expertise can save you time and money--now and in the future. Kitchen Designers are most familiar with the latest products and solutions to improve the function of your kitchen. In addition, they may be able to lower your home's energy needs through efficient design and innovative products. For questions that will help you decide, check "DIY or Hire a Professional?" at NAHB or "Planning Your Kitchen with Professional Help"

If you do decide to design your own floor plan (which includes compiling a detailed material list), there are many DIY'er books and computer graphics programs from which to choose (see DIY'er in this Planning Phase). Unless you happen to be a design professional, it is still a good idea to hire a Kitchen Designer to review your work. He or she can see if your plans have any potential problems, offer placement and creative options, and review your facts and figures--well worth the consultation fee.