just bought a house with a small outdated kitchen/baths

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

has electric cooktop in a small island. want to replace with gas and a downdraft which is nonexistent at present. want to add more storage in these blah cabinets and possibly add a peninsula at the end of the counter that houses the sink.

has equally dated master bath and guest bath. cultured marble sinks I would like to replace along with dated ceramic tile flooring. strict budget

Featured Answer

Jennifer Hogan

6 years ago

When I bought my home I made a ton of plans on how I would renovate once I moved in. While I was in escrow I was hospitalized, had major surgery and was diagnosed with cancer. I was released from the hospital on a Friday, closed on the house on Monday and moved in that weekend. I couldn't do anything and had to live in the house as is. I don't wish illness on anyone, but the result was that I figured out that some of the things that I wanted to change I learned worked well for me and didn't need changed and some other things really bothered me that I hadn't noticed. My renovation plans changed a lot after living in the house for 6 months.

My budget also changed as my health issues continued over the next couple of years, so I had to make some compromises, shop for sales and group the work I was having done. The plumber and electrician both helped me group work into full days so I got charged less in the long run than if I had them work on one room at a time and make multiple trips.

Move in, enjoy your new home and keep notes on what you love, what you like, what you may want to change and things that simply don't work and you can't live with. It will help you prioritize the importance of each job and help you make good decisions on where and how to spend your money.

I played with the idea of an induction cook top until I found out that they are not safe if you have a pacemaker. Since I have already had one heart attack and my older sister has a pacemaker I am not going to spend money on a cook top that I may need to replace if something else happens.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

PRO
HALLETT & Co.
6 years ago
Do you have a question? If you are looking for design advice please post pictures and a drawing with dimensions.
partim
6 years ago
Add some pictures of kitchens that you like to your ideabooks too.
Related Professionals
Bartlesville Interior Designers & Decorators · Woodward Interior Designers & Decorators · Magnolia Architects & Building Designers · St. Louis Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Hilo Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · New Haven Bathroom Remodelers · Leamington Bathroom Remodelers · York Bathroom Remodelers · Syracuse Tile and Stone Contractors · Middletown Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Mason City Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Cody Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Chicago Kitchen Remodelers · Cowansville Kitchen Remodelers · Chillicothe Custom Countertops
decoenthusiaste
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
With electric already installed in the island, I encourage you to check out an induction cooktop. Folks here at Houzz are pretty taken with them. See what they're saying about them here:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/query/induction-cooktop
cpartist
6 years ago
New pacemakers are fine with induction. The problem is with older one and I'm talking older than 30 years ago. In fact with the newest ones, you can even get an MRI.

I would seriously look into induction. I've used gas, electric and now have induction. Of course I hate with a passion electric, but now having had induction for 2 years, I will never willingly go back to gas. Induction is more precise, clean and easier to clean up.
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
6 years ago
Op seems to be gone...
Jennifer Hogan
6 years ago
cpartist - I had heard that and I actually purchased an individual induction burner. I was confused when my dog yelped while I was cooking dinner and then yelped again. She was a good 4 feet from the induction burner, but got shocked by her invisible fence collar when she got closer to the induction burner. I took off her collar and could hear the beep as I moved it around the induction burner.

I have read the studies and will agree that the risk is minimal, but it has not been eliminated.

The fact that it could set off my dogs collar at 4 feet distance makes me wary that the potential for interference is still there.

My luck seems to lean toward unlikely - I have had 4 instances in my life where a stranger attempted to or successfully broke into my home while I was home. I am not a drug dealer or user and lead a pretty conservative middle income lifestyle. No added risk, but statistically I have about a one in 6000 chance of being victim of a home invasion crime in my lifetime - I can't find a statistic for home invasion where the victim was in the home, but it is highly reduced. With this record should I tempt fate?
clt3
6 years ago
We have an induction and 2 dogs with invisible fence collars and never had a problem.
Jennifer Hogan
6 years ago
I will repeat- My luck seems to lean toward unlikely. If it can go wrong it will go wrong.
User
6 years ago
Cheap chinese portables are very very far from built in cooktops.