Well...timeline...not a very straight line I'm afraid. More of a meander with a few double backs and turnarounds. So far it's been 14 months but that includes doing the front of the house. We're DIYing and we change our minds a lot so right now we're figuring finished in about 3 more months...maybe...because in 4 months I'm going to hire a contractor if it's not finished.

Heartily major (involved jackhammer). I started seriously researching appliances in Fall of 2007, found GW, started making floorplans, etc. Took some time off from Spring to the next Fall. Started making compromises and got serious about getting it done in Fall of 2008. Started talking to the cabinet maker. By December I was interviewing contractors and chose one. Bought some appliances. Planned for a March start but got bogged down in a lot of details that needed to be locked down but were elusive (the floor tile, for instance). Demolition started last third of April. The rough was done by the first week of May. A few weeks delay for the floor. Another few weeks delay because the floor pushed the cabinets. Cabinets will be installed beginning of July, then appliances. If the countertop tiles are ready they'll be installed mid-July. After a short break the doors, u/c lighting and plugmold will go in and the touch ups done. With better tile luck than the floor, we'll be done by mid-August.

Here's what we did. Complete kitchen remodel including taking a beam out between kitchen and family room so we had to put in a new beam in the ceiling (which involved jack hammering the kitchen floor). Restructured roof on back of house and put on a new roof entire house. Added an office for my husband and put a porch across front of house and installed new hardwood floors. Last but not least we re stuccoed the whole house. We started the project at the end of September and finished it the end of January (Actually had kitchen done end of December) My husband acted as the GC. We were living in the house so we could hardly wait to get it done. I think things went pretty fast considering we had to have the project inspected as we went along. So my answer is 4 months

We started this planning this past January, demo started in early May, and we are now in the process of getting the cabinets installed. Start to finish, 6 or so months.

I wish I had taken a bit more time and known exactly what I wanted before we signed on with our KD (he's been a bit problematic, so that's another one of my regrets and probably what fuels my wish that I had taken more time).

I"ve been planning now for 3 years and hope to begin demo by mid July. I've been buying appliances and storing them. It's taken me FOREVER to come up with a layout for my small odd space and with the generous help of GW (and their collective extraordinary patience) arrived at one that I'm so excited about. We are going to build our own cabinets. So... I'm gonna say 4 years for me by the time all is said and done.

I spent 6 plus years working in the old kitchen and designing in my mind the new kitchen while saving money with a few bumps in the road (like the house needed a new roof) and drain on my renovation savings account. My major dilemma was whether or not to take out the wall between the kitchen and dining room (wall is gone).

Here is a detailed timeline of our renovation:

January 2009: Met with our contractor (I have one who has worked in my house for the last seven years that I really like and trust) and discussed my plans. He sent me off to identify cabinets, granite, and new range and vent hood. Kept old sink, refrigerator, and dishwasher. Settled on that stuff and the price of the remodel late January.

February 2009: Contractor measured for cabinets but did not place order because he wanted to remeasure after the wall came down and he identified where the studs were in the walls. I spent the month clearing everything out of the kitchen and making a lot of food to go into the freezer for meals during the renovation (this turned out to be a money and life saver).

First week, March 2009: the old kitchen was demolished and ceilings and wall between kitchen and dining room removed. Our contractor decided to remove walls in the area where he had to put electric and cabinets to try and square the space as much as possible as well as insulate (we have a 90 yo house).

Second and third week, March 2009: electric added and existing brought up to code ad insulation and drywall work done.

Last week of March and first week April: plumbing is updated to code and pipes are installed to upstairs bedroom for future master bathroom. Cabinets arrive and are installed.

Second week of April: granite templated and installed.

April 15 to 24: waiting for floor to get refinished. Original subcontractor went out of business so we (contractor and me) had to find a new subcontractor. My contractor temporarily installed the dishwasher and sink so I could work in the kitchen while we waited.

Last week in April: wood floors repaired and refinished.

May 1: Kitchen is back together but there is one missing cabinet.

First week of May: skins put on sides of cabinets, led recessed lights installed, pantry closet inners installed.

Last week of May: last cabinet installed.

Middle of June: finally got the rest of the house back to normal (we had some painting done in the living room as part of the contract and that was just completed a week ago).

Still to be done: LED under counter lights to be installed (on back order) and two pieces of stainless to be installed on upper cabinets that surround the stove.

All in all it went well but as time dragged on I became more antsy to get my life back to normal.

I'd been redrawing my kitchen since we bought the house 8yrs ago. Planning did not start in earnest until we had to excersize some stock options, last spring. Major DIY remodel, down to the studs.

3 months looking at cabinets, fell in love with a door and ordered cabs.

3 hours to replace sliders with outswing french doors in advance of demo.

Last weekend in June to demo cabs, counters, backsplash, ceiling.

A few more days to pull up every last layer of floor. Discovered hidden slow leak. Fixed that.

A couple of weeks for drywall, subfloor, electrical, and HVAC.

A couple of weeks to install cabs and floors. Installed butcher block on sink run. It was just over a month without a kitchen sink, but it felt like forever. Started working in the kitchen again, because appliances and sink are in.

Months of plywood countertops while hemming and hawing over soapstone slabs. Finally pick slabs middle of November. M. Tex crates and ships them for Delivery Dec. 1st. Good friend is accts exec. for ABF so I know exactly where they are at all times. We get hit with a huge ice storm. The slabs are in town, but the truck is not going to be able to make it to the house(very steep hill.) We reschedule for Thursday. Blizzard dumps a foot of snow. We reschedule for next week, more snow. Finally gets delivered following Friday. I have pies and cookies and yule logs to bake. I don't have time to install my counters. Crated soapstone slabs sit in my driveway until after the new year.

A few hours to fabricate and install first piece of soapstone with the help of 6 friends. A couple of days later, a few hours to fab and install second piece with the help of 1 friend. Next weekend a few hours to fab and install last piece just DH and I.

I start the endless backsplash search.

Weeks go by with no progress.

An afternoon to install end panels.

Fall in love with some glass tile. $59 per 2"x10" tile! I decide to find a new dream and continue the search.

Months go by with no progress.

The end of May, I open my birthday card and there's a receipt for my dream tile. It hasn't come in yet, but backsplash will be installed sometime after the order is in.

Currently stalled out at 88% done. It'll be a year from demo next weekend.

It depends what all you are doing, and what kind of house you have to start with. A really old house might be full of 'surprises ' that will hold things up more. Moving other downstairs rooms around to really expand a kitchen could take months? Buying ready made, or having cabinets built?

A standard house, just replacing the existing kitchen in my case, about 7 months (sort of). Two months to interview and settle on a contractor, 2 months going back and forth over door styles and plans and changing things before they could even start making cabinets, a couple months to make the cabinets (finish takes a couple weeks just to cure) and fit us into the schedule, about 1 month MOST of the demo and install done.

The kitchen was totally gutted. Electricians and plumbers had to do work. A window had to be replaced. New walls/ceilings had to be built. Cabinets hung. Appliances installed. It was quasi-useful again in 2 weeks, except the sink. Well, there were boards as counters and I couldn't put all the stuff back yet. Then they template the countertop and that takes 2 weeks to come. Countertop, sink and faucets are put in at the same time.

But even after it's in you might not have hardware (easier to pick after the cabinets are up) or a backsplash (ditto). You might have can lights but not have picked hanging lights, let alone wall paint or window treatments or stools for your counter.

I am SO impressed with people who post kitchens and say they did the whole thing in 3 months or less. I couldn't get people to work that fast! YMMV

Wow, thanks for your stories! I am glad that some of you included how long you were "without" a kitchen. That is very useful information. I think this really puts a reality check for those of us starting our remodels.

Our project was a gut remodel, with one exterior door converted to a window, another window replaced, hot water heater removed and replaced with an on-demand heater mounted outside, and the wall between kitchen and dining taken to half height. We also did major rewiring and some replumbing.

The actual construction  from demo to using the kitchen again  of our project took just at 8 weeks. We were out another week a month or so later for the floors to be refinished.

But we started coming up with a plan  along with our contractor, who we'd worked with on a previous addition  and researching appliance and material options about 5 months before demo started. After some searching and budget compromises we decided to use IKEA cabinets, which meant there wasn't much of a lead time (just a couple of weeks from ordering the doors, which weren't an item our store kept in stock, until delivery).

We didn't hit any major snags or crises and they were done within a few days of when they said they'd be done (and for what they said it would cost!). After months of reading GW, I think that may be more the exception than the rule.

Good luck.

major (complete redesign) - taking down 2 walls, 1 load bearing, modifying patio slider to 1 patio french, replacing casement window, new floors and refinish LR and DR and stairs, colonnade in entryway, new cabinets and ss ct, new fridge. House is 40 years old.
Approx dimensions 10.5x ~10 (~12' on one side, Planning/designing ~3 years - I started prepping DH 3 years ago, it took him that long to get used to the idea. I got my first plan back from a Friend's Lumber kitchen design in 8/08. It took me another attempt (at HD this time) and 5 months to come up with a design that I could live with. I already had a good idea of the cabinet style, color, and wood and CT, floors, etc. - that was the easy part! It was the floor plan that was the hard part of the design. I wasn't replacing any appliance except fridge, and I knew I wanted CD, FD (but that was hard to decide on which one).

Ok, we are in the middle of it right now, so I don't have the times for the rest, but I can tell you what has been done and the plan for the rest - we'll see how close we are. You said from when you spent your first $500 or more:

5/15/09 - gave deposit on cabinets, I believe order was placed on 5/18. Several days later, received cabinet due date of 6/24.
6/11/09 - Demo begins - kitchen gutted (left sink, dw, fridge, and range for the weekend), and one wall removed - started anchor for load-bearing wall.(first check to GC)
6/12/09 - removed the rest of load bearing wall and finished supports.
6/15/09 - advance plumbing to remove sink cab, removed floor and got ready for electrical. I now only have a sink and a fridge.
6/16/09 - remove walls for colonnade, rough electrical
6/17/09 - rough electrical
6/18/09 - blue board ceilings
6/19/09 - complete blue boarding ceilings and walls (2nd check)

Plans for the next few weeks:
6/22/09 - plasterers
6/23/09 - drying
6/24/09 - floor
6/25/09 - 6/29/09 - install cabinets (no weekend)
6/30/09 - templating for CT
7/1/09 - install bb CT
7/2/09 - finish electrical
7/6/09 - finish electrical
7/7 -9/09 - floors
7/10/09 - install countertops
(note: I am on vacation from 6/27 - 7/11, so I am not as concerned that we still do not have a kitchen)
7/13/09 - install fridge, dw, disp., heat, gas, etc.
7/14/09 - hardware
7/15 - 17/09 - miscellaneous

There's some other tasks that haven't been accouted for that I assume will be done in between other tasks or as they are waiting on something else, like:
-switching my mud room door to swing to the right instead of left.
-installing patio door and casement window - door is not due in until 6/30 at earliest, and window is a week later.
-finishing colonnades
-priming

You might notice that we aren't having a backsplash.

I am hoping for 7/17, but I wouldn't be surprised at 7/24 at all, but that's 6 weeks (from demo) with a holiday in there, so that's pretty good.

Lynne

Here's how ours went: All DIY by DH

June 26th, 2007 : DH and his brothers demolished 1950's kitchen

3 1/2 months with no working kitchen and a 3 and 1 year old.
Divorce word thrown around often

October 8th 2007 : Cabinets, countertops, appliances, and plumbing complete
kitchen funtional

June 19, 2009 : Finishing touches still not done

Maybe by the end of 2009 ?? Hoping :)