While there are ways to save money on a kitchen remodel, they’re usually an expensive task. Almost every element of the kitchen — from countertops to cabinets and appliances — requires precise measurements that can easily be inaccurate. Appliance measurements are crucial, and any mess-ups could be the biggest remodel mistake you make. That’s because if those appliances don’t fit seamlessly, and you’ve already installed your pricey cabinets and countertops, it will be a big expense to fix the problem.
Before you even measure your appliances, you have to measure the width of the path from the truck to the kitchen; this ensures you buy appliances that can fit through doorways and hallways when being brought in. Once you have the pathway dimensions, then understand the size of the appliances you want — and know which ones to buy and which appliances to avoid. For example, an average stove is about 30 inches wide, but maybe you want a wider stove with extra burners or need a narrower stove for a smaller space. Once you decide on an appliance size, it’s best to have a professional do the final measurements to ensure accuracy. While it costs more than doing them yourself, it will eliminate extra costs if those measurements aren’t right.
Custom appliances and fixing cabinetry could both cost a fortune
If the appliances don’t fit, and there’s space between the cabinets and the oven or refrigerator, then you have two options: fix the cabinetry, or order custom appliances (this also likely means there is space between the appliance and the countertop, too). Cabinets are easily the costliest part of a kitchen remodel, so you don’t want to adjust those once they’re cut and installed.
Once appliances are opened, they must be returned within 48 hours from big-box stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot, meaning you don’t have much time to realize your mistake before you’re stuck paying for them. Even so, you run the risk of not being able to size up or size down to an appliance that fits in the incorrectly measured space. One potential solution could be cutting wood to match the cabinetry color for the gaps on either side of the stove or fridge that face out; however, you would still have to fill in the gaps between the appliances and the countertops.
The bottom line: Make sure a professional does the measurements, unless you’re extremely experienced. Once everything is measured and cut, it’s nothing but a headache trying to remedy any mistakes.
