kitchen rehab timeline

A Kitchen Renovation Project Plan with Tips and Best Practices

If you prefer to read along while you listen, or you want a quick refresher after the show, this breakdown distills every teaching point from Joe Stephenson’s latest episode on the Kansas City Real Estate Podcast. I like chatting with a kitchen designer about the renovation process.

You’ll learn exactly how Joe structures a successful kitchen remodel, hardware installation, space planning, setting a realistic budget, kitchen installation, and locking in the kitchen remodel timeline, so you can save money, avoid costly mistakes, and deliver a new kitchen that renters and buyers can’t resist.

Episode at a Glance

• Hard-cap budgeting & contingency (track every dollar with our Real Estate Agent Expenses Spreadsheet)

• Non-negotiable scope items & kitchen layout decisions (lock them in with a Scope-of-Work Template)

• Six-bucket cost breakdown (code each cost correctly using this Rental Property Chart of Accounts)

• Day-by-day milestone schedule

• Risk control, quality checks & regular check-ins (create punch lists with a Rental Property Inspection Checklist)

• Take-away checklist you can paste into your own Kitchen Renovation Project Plan

The episode also unpacks the planning process with milestones, sourcing durable hardwood, and sticking to “one thing at a time” straight from seasoned professionals, so you can deliver a kitchen remodel people remember.

1. Begin with a Hard Cap on Dollars & Days

Joe starts every remodeling project by capping:

• Budget: $30 k (plus a built-in 10 % contingency)

• Duration: the exact schedule approved with the general contractor

Pro tip: Tie the GC’s final draw to both the dollar cap and completion date. Use a clear Invoice Template so everyone sees the trigger points in writing.

2. Lock the Scope Before Demo Day

Joe’s non-negotiables for this kitchen renovation include custom cabinetry, granite countertops, and a center island. A posted spec list kills “while-we’re-at-it” add-ons and keeps bids apples-to-apples.

Kick off with a scope summit, walk each trade through the plan line-by-line, then pin the renderings to the permit set. For multifamily investors, pair this with a Due-Diligence Checklist to confirm every unit needs the same upgrades.

3. Break the Budget into Six Bite-Sized Buckets

Construction eats ~80 % of the pie, so value-engineer there first. Run a ten-minute Friday cost huddle comparing actuals to budget. If demolition or appliances are burning hot, adjust in Week 2, not Week 8.

4. Kitchen Remodel Timeline. Six Critical Milestones.

Design approval, demo wrap, installs, clean-up, system tests, and final hand-over. Tie progress draws and bonuses to each milestone, then maintain a three-day look-ahead so no trade is waiting on another.

Want a flawless final reveal? Swipe the Property-Management Cleaning Checklist and schedule it right after “Site Cleaned” on your Gantt.

5. Risk Control & Quality Assurance

Track design tweaks, budget creep, and hidden mechanical surprises in a live risk log, with owners and due dates. Daily emails plus a shared photo log keep everyone honest.

6. Take-Away Checklist

• ☐ Printed scope on-site

• ☐ Six-bucket budget tracked weekly

• ☐ Milestone dates with alerts

• ☐ Active risk log

• ☐ Daily status touchpoints & photo log

• ☐ Temporary kitchen setup (microwave + mini-fridge)

When the remodel’s done, package the deal with an Offering Memorandum Template, prep your marketing using the Listing Checklist, and glide to the finish line with a Closing Checklist.