Remodeling San Antonio Since 1983
Call us Today! (210) 349-6160

If you love cooking, you'll know and value the importance of your kitchen. But even if you struggle boiling water, you should still understand that the kitchen is one of the most important aspects of your home, and can often be a make-or-break part of a sale.

That's why it's important to consider a kitchen remodel if you're looking to freshen up your home, and to help it sell whenever you decide to put your house on the market.

“Kitchen remodeling is a major change for the consumer home,” said Delina Hinojosa, owner of Bella Painting & Remodeling. “The kitchen is the center of activity, a gathering place for family and friends.”

If you're already thinking about remodeling for resale, don't think you have to go boring.

“Most people think that a kitchen has to be designed in a very bland fashion so that it appeals to a larger audience,” said Jennifer Gilmer, owner of Maryland-based Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath and winner of the 2009 “Pinnacle of Design” award from the National Kitchen & Bath Association for the best overall kitchen. “A kitchen that has a lot of character that creates the ‘awe' factor is a much smarter way to ensure resale.”

The most popular items that are being remodeled include kitchen cabinets and countertops, Hinojosa said, and projects are trending toward European and Modern styles.

“Designing in a period style, like English, French, Cottage, Victorian, Arts and Crafts or early American is a sure way to create a timeless look,” Gilmer said.

Popular products include concrete, wood and granite fixtures.

“Lately, I've been working on a lot of warm, clean-lined contemporary kitchens using more exotic wood species,” Gilmer said.

She's using walnut, sycamore and, for a greener product, engineered wood veneers such as rift oak or teak.

Hinojosa said she's using a lot of cherry and maple wood for cabinets and for countertops.

“Rustic-looking wood cabinets are hot,” said Rudy Nino, CEO of SA Building & Remodeling Co.

Those new cabinets might include roll-out trays, pot and pan drawers and refrigerator cabinet storage that actually works.

Natural-looking wood, tile or stone floors also have become popular, Nino said.

Of course, stainless steel appliances are popular, and eye-catching for prospective buyers, but some consumers are moving toward concealing appliances such as the microwave in a cabinet compartment.

“Stainless appliances are here to stay,” Gilmer said. “My clients are also asking for brighter colors for an accent, like a back-painted glass backsplash in bright orange or green.”

Consumers are getting very creative in the remodeling process, such as using eco-friendly materials including recycled glass, Hinojosa said.

Cost, especially in today's economy, is always a big concern.

“Homeowners should anticipate spending 10 to 15 percent of the value of their home on their new kitchen remodel,” Gilmer said.

The price for a kitchen remodel can range anywhere from $8,000 to $35,000, Hinojosa said.

“As with any remodeling, this amount can be lower as well as much higher if appliances are being changed out, or complete redesigning is being done,” she said. “If the consumer is on a limited budget, there are items that can be done, such as painting and/or restaining existing cabinetry, giving the kitchen a whole new look that can be accomplished at lower project numbers.”

Scott Thomas, sales and design manager with Bobo Custom Builders, said the upper end is unlimited, and that they currently are working on a $65,000 remodeling job.

Overall, it's important to make sure that your kitchen is open, versatile and functional, because the kitchen often is the focal point of the home and is a main attraction for prospective home buyers.

Because a lot of time is spent in the kitchen, many remodeling jobs involve removing the walls to open up the kitchen to other parts of the house, Thomas said.

More and more, people are removing lowered ceilings, often called “furr downs” in order to help open up the kitchen as well.

One of the best ways to recoup your value is to hire a contractor who will take the time and effort to do a high-quality job, even if it means heavy remodeling.

“Don't do a half job,” Thomas said. “If the cabinets are not top notch, then don't just put granite on them and call it good. Open the kitchen up and put in cabinets with features and a good design. If you just replace a bad design with new cabinets it is still a bad design.”

And when searching for a remodeler, keep more than the actual materials in mind.

“People believe that they are simply buying cabinets, but, in reality, they are buying not only product, but the expertise and service that it takes for a successful outcome,” Gilmer said.

Those big custom homes with the palatial master suites certainly are impressive.

Impressive enough that San Antonio home remodeling professionals say customers who own homes with small bedrooms are asking for master suites with more bedroom space, expansive bathrooms and walk-in closets.

It's not always a bedroom conversion. Many customers want master suites on the ground floor of houses that don't have a first-floor bedroom, said Scott Thomas, design and sales consultant for Bobo Custom Builders. That means adding a whole new bedroom and bathroom to the house, which can be more costly than just converting an existing bedroom.

Marc Schneider, president of Maverick Remodeling & Construction, said the home additions he's seeing this year are almost exclusively master suites.

In one project on a 1,000-square-foot home in Alamo Heights, Maverick is adding about 200 square feet to a bedroom to make it a master suite. The existing bedroom didn't have its own bathroom, so the company is adding a full bathroom as well.

“They basically doubled the size of their bedroom and added a bathroom,” Schneider said. “Now there is a private bath and a new bedroom large enough to have a walk-in closet. Previously they did not a closet. They would have had to have an armoire.”

The job is costing about $67,000, he said.

“We're seeing the coffee bars and the sitting areas are frequently requested, as well as the luxurious master baths and larger closet spaces,” said Keith Moehle, president of KM Builders.

Other popular room additions are what Thomas referred to as “in-law suites,” an addition for an older family member. In most cases, in-law suites come in the form of a new bedroom and bathroom attached to the house. The additions usually total about 300 square feet, he said.

“You're probably looking at something starting in the low $40,000s and running to $60,000 for that 300 square feet, depending on your amenities,” Thomas said.

Amenities in in-law suites generally include lighting that can be turned on and off from the bed and bathrooms with roll-in showers and assist bars that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, he said. They often have a separately controlled heating and cooling system. Occasionally, Thomas said, the in-law suite will have its own kitchen area.

Remodeling companies also get called on to make similar additions for teenagers.

“We are seeing a lot of mother-in-law suites for greater space,” Moehle said. “A lot of times children from college are coming back and they want the space for an extra set of college-age children that are moving back into the home, or aged parents.”

The addition's proximity to existing plumbing and electrical lines can have a big effect on its cost, Thomas said.

“On additions like that ... typically the biggest stumbling blocks (are) some of the mechanical issues,” he said.

Electrical wiring and air conditioning can be expensive, but surprisingly large expenses can come in the form of plumbing, Thomas warned.

“If I have to run all the way along the outside of the house to run a sewer line and cut into the driveway, it gets pretty pricey for something you don't even see,” he said.

It's important to make sure additions fit with the home they're being built onto and with the neighborhood, said Ed Gray, a San Antonio appraiser and real estate broker.

Additions can increase marketability and resale value, but slapping a new room onto a house won't always do that, Gray said.

To maximize dollar value, an addition needs to be contiguous, meaning it is accessible from the rest of the house. Some additions are only accessible from the exterior — which could be great for your family but could limit the use in the future.

It's not all dollars and cents, though. Gray said there's something called “value in use” that applies to home additions.

“Value in use is a term that's applied to something that's a value to the person who's living there and they enjoy the aesthetics of an extra-large addition,” Gray said. “Even though it doesn't add dollar value to the property, it's comfortable.”

Schneider said in uncertain economic times, many people are making their existing homes more comfortable rather than looking for a new one.

“I guess my interpretation of it is that they fear the economic situation, and they would rather make solid improvements to their homestead, something that they'll get something out of,” he said.