Makeover magic
Remodeling Guidance for Kitchens, Baths

If your clients plan to spruce up the kitchen or redo the bathroom, this site can help them on their way.

REVIEWED BY KELLY QUIGLEY

National Kitchen & Bath Association

Kitchens and bathrooms are the two areas that homebuyers most frequently plan to remodel, but the projects can be complicated and expensive. Before embarking on a renovation, take a look at this site, which offers tips on creating a budget, selecting a designer, and crafting the look of your new dream room. Unlike other remodeling Web sites, this one focuses exclusively on kitchens and bathrooms and is geared towards consumers who plan to hire a professional rather than do it themselves. It’s a good resource for buyers who are looking for a fixer-upper or sellers who want to make improvements to boost the value of their home.

• Online Remodeling Guide. Remodeling your kitchen or bath can be intimidating if you don’t know what to expect. Learn more about each step of the process—from determining the scope of the project to choosing a designer—in this online guide. Get tips for Working With a Professional, and download remodeling questionnaires to Remodel Your Kitchen and Remodel Your Bathroom that will help you assess what features you must have vs. those you want to have.
  
• Real Design Projects. Need ideas? Find out how you can turn a ho-hum kitchen or bath into an award-winning room from the winners of The National Kitchen & Bath Association's annual Design Competition. Find funky kitchens in the Kitchen Designs section, and check out powder room transformations on the Bathroom Designs section. The competition awards designs that are functional, personalized, imaginative, and aesthetically pleasing.
  
• Design and Safety Guidelines. When you redo a room as central to your home as the kitchen or bathroom, you want to make sure it will be a safe, efficient place. These guidelines, intended to help consumers work out the specifics of their vision, address issues like traffic flow, ceiling height, shower size, and the placement of appliances.
  
• Frequently Asked Questions. If you or your clients don’t know where to begin, this part of the site gives answers to common remodeling questions. The Design section provides information about planning the look of the new room, such as how to make a kitchen appear larger and what it means to create a “work triangle.” Under the Business/Budget section, you can browse topics that affect the pocketbook. Find out why certain fixtures cost so much, whether there’s an ideal time of year to remodel, and how to determine if a designer or installer is trustworthy.

________________

Suggest a Site For Review
Every week, REALTOR® Magazine Online's Web review editor surfs the Internet to find sites useful to your business and off-hours lives. Have a favorite real estate Web site that you would like to see reviewed? Send your suggestions to mediatech@realtors.org. All decisions on which sites will be reviewed are completely at the discretion of REALTOR® Magazine Online's editorial staff. Please note: this column does not review individual practitioner or brokerage sites.

The columns focus on free sites, as well as sites that charge for goods and services but still offer a free component of practical, sustained value to real estate practitioners, such as a free newsletter or industry news.
________________________
REALTOR® Magazine Online's "Web Review" summarizes the content of Web sites that may be of interest to members. NAR and REALTOR® Magazine Online are not responsible for, and nothing in the Web site profile shall constitute NAR's or REALTOR® Magazine Online's endorsement of, the web site, its content, products and services, or its provider. NAR and REALTOR® Magazine Online believe the information contained in this profile was correct and accurate as of the time it was prepared, but do not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of that information and are not responsible for changes in the Web site. Members should conduct their own independent review of the Web site prior to any use of Web site, its content, products, or services to determine their suitability for the member's intended purpose.

Back to Top