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One problem that 1950s ranch style homeowners complain about is the size of the kitchen. Most of the 50s kitchens are small when compared to today’s appliances. That can cause problems when you’re drooling over a new 48” range or industrial size refrigerator.

Before you begin making any plans for renovating your 50s kitchen, establish a budget for new items, cost of materials, and labor. Don’t scrimp on utilities. Be sure to hire a licensed professional to handle your electrical and plumbing needs.

Create a scale drawing of your house particularly your kitchen and the yard on the other side of the kitchen’s exterior wall. Can you safely knock out the exterior wall to enlarge the kitchen? Is the yard large enough for the extension without taking up too much space? What other rooms are on the exterior wall that may be affected by changes you’d like to make?

Write down everything you’d like to do to renovate your 50s kitchen. Do you want new flooring, cabinets, or appliances? Will you need a new sink, trash disposal, or lighting? What about the cost of a new roof as well as wiring, insulation, and siding? Whatever you can think of needs to be replaced, write it down everything.

Prioritize your list. Is a ceiling over the addition more important than a butcher block island? Can you be happy with a lower end set of cabinets and hardware if it means you get the stove you want? Make the decision which aspects of the renovations are “must haves” and which ones are “wishful thinking.”

Look online to find a remodeling cost estimator so you won’t go into price shock when you start talking to a contractor or architect about the renovations you’d like to make. You can find cost estimators at Remodeling My Space, Consumer Reports, or other websites on the internet.

Make the hard choices about how in-depth the renovations will be. Most remodeling cost estimators will have you fill out information and then give you a couple of options to choose from. If you know what is absolutely necessary you’ll be able to make those hard choices when it comes to letting something go so you stay within your budget.

Be sure to get a minimum of three bids for work unless you live in an area that allows homeowners to do that type of work on your own. Any work that you can do will save you money on labor costs.

Don’t feel like you have to choose something just because it is popular. Remember that the kitchen is yours and ultimately it is you and your family that have to be happy with the results.

Comparison shopping can save you a good amount of money. If you have your heart set on a particular range don’t go to the first store that offers them. They may not have the best price. Check with local stores and online to see if you can find the same item for less somewhere else.

It is possible to create your dream 50s kitchen without blowing your budget. Take the time to plan, make hard decisions about everything, and put as much sweat equity into the renovation you can. You may find that your 50s kitchen is everything you dreamed of and you still have money left over for dinner when the work is done.

Kitchen Makeovers (Do It Yourself)

photo credit: mrbill

Ranch style homes built in the mid-1950s are notorious for having small kitchens.  That’s why so many home owners are looking for ranch style home kitchen remodel ideas.  Perhaps these ideas for remodeling your kitchen will be what you’re looking for or at least give you a place to start.

If you need to enlarge your kitchen you basically have a couple of options:  move an existing internal wall, remove an existing internal wall (as long as it’s not load bearing), or knock out the exiting external wall to put on an addition.  Which option you choose will be determined by the amount of money you have to spend.

Moving a non-load bearing wall may be an easy choice.  You take out the wall by demolishing it and then construct a new wall to replace it, but set that wall in a new location.  Completing this type of remodel will most likely cause you to replace the flooring as well as cabinetry.

You can remodel your kitchen by removing a load bearing wall, but you have to be sure to leave columns so the weight of the roof is supported.  If you’d like an open floor plan, this would be a good option.  Again, you’ll need new flooring if you choose this option as you’ll need to cover the area where the wall was.  You’ll also want to have a logical transition from the flooring in the adjoining room.

Realize that if you knock out an external wall during your ranch style home kitchen remodel, begin work when you know the weather is going to be most likely to cooperate.  Major construction where the house is exposed to the elements is best started in the late spring or summer.

Decide on a style for your new kitchen.  Do you want something traditional and keeping with the original design of the house or do you want an ultra modern kitchen?  If you’re not sure, it might be time to go visit home improvement stores and see what is out on the market.  These may give you some ideas for your ranch style home kitchen remodel.  You can also watch home improvement television shows or read magazines that showcase the ranch style house.

You may be able to do a good bit of this type of ranch style home kitchen remodel yourself.  Remember to use qualified professionals to handle any plumbing or electrical work unless you are licensed.  Check around and find someone who can work within your schedule and budget.  Take your time, do things right, and when the work is complete, you’re sure to love your new kitchen.

photo credit: David Boyle

When first-time homeowners buy their home, they may have some ideas in mind for making the house their own.  It’s common for new homeowners to paint or remodel.  They often want ideas for remodeling 50s ranch bathrooms thinking they’ll be easy because of their size.

Don’t let the size of the room lull you into a false sense of security.  Any renovation is daunting, and that includes making major changes to a bathroom.

Quite often 1950s ranch bathrooms are painted in an effort to tone down some of the outdated tiled walls and floors.  A homeowner may decide to wallpaper instead of paint, but they may decide that these superficial changes just aren’t enough.  They want to gut the bathroom and start new.

Before tearing everything out, look for other options to update the look without all the hard work.  For instance, you can get kits that will allow you to paint the tiles – both on the floor and the walls.  Follow the directions carefully.  The finish will last a long time and will be much cheaper and quicker than removing the tiles and replacing them.

You can remove the tiles and find more up-to-date tiles instead.  With all of the tile options available today, surely you can find something that you’ll like.  You can choose from varying sized tiles in glass, stone, ceramic, and metal with several options in each medium.

Other ideas for remodeling 50s ranch bathrooms include changing out fixtures and adding accessories. Be prepared for sticker shock when you go to look at new fixtures for your bathroom.  You can find some that aren’t terribly expensive, but the better quality and more stylish fixtures can cost a good deal.

Get the best quality fixtures your budget can afford.  Not only do they offer the best styles, they offer the most variety in finish to match your décor.  Some of the more expensive fixtures also have better warrantees on them.

Accessories can make a large change in the way a small bathroom looks. Change out the shower curtain to match your décor.  Add a large mirror to give the illusion of the room being larger.  Use a great throw rug to cover the floor, help keep your feet warm when you get out of the shower, and give the room some softness.  Don’t forget about the possibility of new towels and curtains to match.

These ideas for remodeling 50s ranch bathrooms barely scratch the surface on the different ways you can update your bathroom without breaking your budget.  Start with the easier and cheaper ideas first, and you’ll see how different your 50s ranch bathroom can look!

Bathroom Ideas that Work

photo credit: rightsaiddead photo credit: mrbill