The first and best thing we did was live in the house a while. It helped us articulate what we were looking for, what needed to change and why, and ultimately helped us better prioritize what we needed vs what we wanted. If we hadn’t done that, I agree that the “getting started” would have been overwhelming. But once we knew what we were after, we set an (appropriate) budget, interviewed multiple kitchen designers, got a general contractor to oversee things and dove in. Were there hiccups? Absolutely (hello asbestos!). And scope creep is real. But we had those original priorities to go back to and keep us focused as we needed to flex.

Blueostrich's advice about taking your time is a good one, and I think figuring out what you like is definitely the first step. I think one of the hardest parts of coming up with a design is limitless possibilities. Knowing what you like helps narrow in on where you should go. In addition to living in the space for awhile, I like to do mockups or pre-visualization. Either with drawings, Photoshop, or Sketchup. Sketchup is the most useful to me but the most time consuming. Admittedly it's not for everyone, but it makes it easy to see approximately how things will work, spatially, and makes it easy to swap elements in and out. I find that the design always evolves from the first thought. I either change my mind or refine it over time. So not having the time or money to do something you want immediately I actually think can be a good thing because it gives you an opportunity to sit on it. Renovations can be expensive and it's good to have a very clear picture of what you want and what the final product will look like, in my opinion. I recently renovated a small bathroom, and I'd say I spent about 6 months thinking about it and picking out materials and furnishings, and about 2 months on the actual labor.

For inspiration I use some of the sites you mentioned, as well as furniture magazines which often have their furniture staged in spaces that can be used as inspiration.

I try to DIY everything I can. Not only can it save money, but it feels good to have had a part in bringing the design to life. The only times I've contracted stuff out is if it's simply going to take me way too long (I have a full-time day job and a kid after all), or I'm worried I'll severely screw something up. While I probably could have attempted any of these, I've had plumbing, flooring, and tile work done by professionals because they are experienced and can accomplish it much faster. Sometimes with larger tasks it can be worth the money.

I'll throw in, with any project, but especially if you plan on relying on DIY, it will always, always take longer than you think. And probably cost more, too.

I jumped right in. Living in the house first was not going to happen. We figured out which walls could move...and I came up with a plan....so basically just a lot of graph paper :)

I acted as the project manager and did a lot of the work myself and with family, and called in people when I thought it necessary.

I can now build a wall...raise a floor....install a kitchen...minor electrical....NO plumbing because I hate it. Family and plumbers tackled that. And we left the roof to the pro's.

What I didn't know how to do, I learned. Plus I now know how to do a lot with a very tiny budget.