Those of us blessed with more money than we need simply go out and hire someone whenever we need anything done by way of home improvements. However, the vast majority of us can neither justify nor afford the expense involved in hiring professional help for jobs that we believe (hope) we can do ourselves at a fraction of the cost.
How Much Skill Do You Really Need?
Obviously, different home improvement jobs require different skills; if you needed to completely re-wire the electrics in an old house, then you better have a good working knowledge of electricity and be aware of the dangers of getting the installation wrong. On the other hand; if you – and in particular, your wife – are sick and tired of both the appearance and functionality of your kitchen; then a full remodeling should be within the capabilities of all but the most ham-fisted handyman. You don’t need to be a trained cabinet maker; if you can handle a screwdriver and hammer, something called Rta Cabinets can make you an expert.
Your kitchen requires several distinct requirements in order to be functional. Obviously, it must contain:-
- the basic cooking equipment plus the “extras” like microwave ovens, coffee makers, food processors, etc; changing or upgrading any one of these is simply a matter of making a buying choice
- running water supply in which to clean food ingredients – with a drain off (you might need a plumber here)
- work surfaces on which to prepare and serve food
- dish washing facilities
- storage facilities such as kitchen cabinets – this is the major DIY part
- plus a lot of other items depending upon individual needs
The design skill lies in putting this kitchen package together in the best way for it to efficiently used yet appear attractive to the beholder. If you hire “professionals, a lot of money goes to paying them to sort all this out. However, if you go online, you can easily find websites providing free kitchen design ideas. These sites are usually part of the service provided by online kitchen furniture stores.
Kit Form
In your living room, most furniture is free standing and can be easily repositioned; but, in the kitchen, the cabinets are the major furniture item and they usually need to be in fixed positions; so, making and installing them is the biggest job you will have to tackle in your DIY kitchen.
Your online research will have revealed that most of the cabinet designs and dimensions are available in a kit form under the descriptive name of Rta Cabinets (where Rta means Ready to assemble). Good Rta Cabinets have all the quality features of custom made cabinets but you do not pay the factory to assemble them – you do it yourself at home and save quite a lot of money. All necessary components and fittings come with the kit and buyers of Rta Cabinets are provided with comprehensive details and instructions to successfully complete the assembly.
