Average length of time for project?

13 years ago

I'm curious (and sorry if this has been discussed before) - what is the average length of time for most kitchen renovations? Now I'm sure there's a huge spectrum, depending on many different things - the extent of your job, totally DIY, partial DIY, etc.

I know I've read threads by people who have been working on their kitchen for over a year - some by choice, some not so much.

For my project, I'm considering the "start date" the day we signed our contract and gave our builder that first deposit check. I guess I'll consider it "done" when I make the final payment AND have moved all of my stuff back in. We signed our contract and wrote that first check on March 10. I'm hopeful that we'll be done before Memorial Day (although our contract says it will be done by June 30.) So, our cabinets were ordered almost 3 weeks ago; in order to stay on schedule they should be here in another week or two. We started the real demolition today. We shall see...

Anyone else want to share their start-to-finish time period?

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Comments (8)

breezygirl
13 years ago
Well, it's been about 14 months since we hired the GC for the whole house reno so not just the kitchen. We have since let him go and I'm the GC. We are almost done with rough plumbing. We are probably still 4 months from being done if we don't run into any other unanticpated problems...

It's a sickening amount of time actually. I wish you much better luck!
marcolo
13 years ago
My bathroom reno lasted a month longer than our money did. I think that's the general rule.
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ZacsDaddy
13 years ago
Our project schedule is 8 weeks for a full gut and remodel with everything moving (plumbing, gas, electrical, walls, doors). As of today, we are one week ahead of schedule .. with cabinets being delivered on Monday and installed on Tuesday! Now, we did order our cabinets ahead of time -- they were at the cabinet shop prior to demo (I kinda jumped the gun on ordering the cabinets in order to take advantage of a great year end special!).

We set our payment schedule to the GC to be pretty aggressive in pushing for a fast completion with holding the last 40% for our agreed sign-off. Needless to say, it's keeping him moving!
blfenton
13 years ago
Our job was a total gut down to plywood and studs.
Saving for the whole house reno: >5 years
Planning/research for the whole house reno: 2 years
Looking/interviewing GC's for the reno: 6 months
Working with the KD to finalize (and change direction) plans and choose products: 4 months
Moving out day of demolition and moving back in: 6 months
Still to pay off money borrowed: 24 months (We got carried away)

Having the kitchen of which I have dreamed and a house that flows, looks great and is so functional: "priceless"
boxerpups
13 years ago
The main part of my reno was done in 6 months.
It is the details that are way behind schedule.
My kitchen was not new construction, and I had minor
changes. Walls were kept in place but we did change
around the configurations and make it more workable
for us. The foot print was the same but the locations
of oven, refrig etc... changed for the better.
I think my reno would be called MINI by some of the
amazing transforations via GW.

Right now I am waiting for molding trim along the ceiling,
a new ceiling of beadboard to be put in. I want that
painted a glossy white. And I was going to change
my kitchen wall color but I love what it is now and
have decided to keep it. I have hired someone to finish
the details as DH is so busy with playing soccer, coaching
soccer and watching soccer.

Every so often new things pop into my mind. I am definitely
getting a new faucet. Possibly a new pendant and some
kitchen candy like Dishware, chaning the glass ware. My
floor guys are coming back to finish anothe room. I am
having drapes made for this giant family room window
that is off of the kitchen and needs serious changes but
I consider this all part of my reno. When the molding guy
comes, my DH doesn't know this yet but I am putting in a
Modernaire hood. I have saved so much with everything else
I know he will go along. DH can be a penny pincher but I
have a new promotion (yes hard to believe in this economy)
So I can splurge on my whim. Well, within reason I am not
married to Warren Buffet so I am still careful.
: )

~boxerpups
elba1
13 years ago
You go boxer!!!
We will be gutting the kitchen/adding a small family room behind the dining area/new deck/replacing hardwood flooring on 2 levels. The architect says 2-3 months from the time the actual work begins. I know the process can take a lot longer, but am soo hoping for the best - been waiting 16yrs to do this, and I now have ants in my pants :o)!
sas95
13 years ago
Kitchen and 2 large bathroom gut and remodels took just over 3 months from demo. But it felt much longer.
sochi
13 years ago
We had to have a partial new foundation poured, the rest water-proofed, all floors and interior walls on the ground floor of house ripped out/down, new insulation. a few new beams to ceilings, new floors, moved two load-bearing walls, plus a new powder room, a new kitchen and we moved our laundry upstairs. Started 1 November 2009 (we moved out), major work finished about 4.5 to 5 months later. We moved back in in April 1 2010, the contractor was finished by then. We took about a year off the last few details - I think I needed a break from it all. I'm looking at completing our back splash, kitchen island, a fireplace in the living room and a living "green" wall in our dining room over the next few months.

All in all, we were about 4 weeks behind plan, mostly our fault, but also due to surprises uncovered in doing such a major renovation to a house built in 1877.

Good luck!

Average length of time for project?

Comments (8)

breezygirl

marcolo

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