Plan Carefully Before Cabinet Refacing

by Allison Millar
Face Your Kitchen Columnist

Planning is an important part of any kitchen remodeling project. As you look ahead to your cabinet refacing, ask yourself these key planning questions.

1. Have you selected the cabinet door and drawer styles? These decisions will set the tone for your kitchen design, so it's important to feel comfortable with your selections. Consider how the cabinet styles will blend with your paint, tile, countertop and other kitchen design features. Are you choosing wood tones or laminate, for example?
2. Have you considered cabinet accessories that will make your cabinets more functional? Among the popular options to add while refacing your cabinets are pullout drawers, Lazy Susan's and rollout garbage bins. His gives you an improved kitchen design, as well as a more functional kitchen.
3. Do you want to replace other parts of your kitchen at the same time? Many cabinet refacing companies also install floors, countertops and other products. In some cases it can be more cost efficient to do a few kitchen design projects at once. Also consider how your older fixtures and materials will look with newly refaced cabinets.
4. Have you carefully reviewed the refacing company's estimate? This should tell you the cost, types of materials to be used, the timeline and payment schedule.
5. Have you planned your family's schedule around the cabinet refacing? This means having a backup location for dinner and snacks for a few days, as needed. This will allow the cabinet refacing workers to get in and do their job without interruption.

Proper planning is an important step to take before starting any home improvement project. By reviewing these questions, you will be on your way to getting all the cabinet refacing details in order.

About the Author
Allison E. Beatty is a syndicated real estate writer. She has been a writer of home improvement columns for 15 years. Her articles have appeared in numerous national newspapers and magazines, and on home improvement web sites.