Kitchen Remodelers in Orlando, FL

Orlando Kitchen Remodels

Perhaps best known for its famous resident mouse, Orlando, Florida is a resort community that features some of the nation's most popular vacation destinations. It hosted some 62 million visitors in 2014 alone. However, the city of Orlando is also home to around 238,000 permanent residents, and more than 2 million people reside in the surrounding suburbs.

With many homes here used as vacation and rental properties, the Orlando real estate market is unique and constantly moving. New builds and older-style homes blend with resorts, timeshares, and hotels in a mashup of people and places that is unique to this "Theme Park Capital of the World." To the Orlando homeowner, choosing to remodel a kitchen is an excellent way to increase the attractiveness and function of the home, increasing its real and perceived value — which appeals to buyers and renters alike.

Average Costs for Common Kitchen Remodel Tasks 

Across the country, the average homeowner pays $19,968 for a kitchen remodeling project, with the majority costing between $11,263 and $28,697. In Orlando, expect to pay something similar, with average costs at $15,959 and most homeowners paying between $11,850 and 21,439. With such a large range of average costs (almost $10,000), there is room for options. Here is how much Orlando homeowners pay for these common tasks and how that matches up to costs around the United States:

Licensing and Other Requirements 

In the state of Florida, contractors must register with the state before bidding on any project or applying for a permit at the local level. In certain counties, including Orange County where Orlando is located, contractors are further required to obtain a certified license from the state in order to "construct, repair, alter, remodel, add to demolish, subtract from, or improve any building or structure."

In addition, the City of Orlando requires contractors to be registered before they apply for a permit to work. In order to obtain that registration, a contractor must apply with the city and show proof of a state certification or registration along with worker's compensation insurance and a surety bond of $5,000.

Other Projects to Consider 

While a kitchen remodel project is quite extensive and costly, getting the most for your money is about making the best improvements possible. Here are some of the most popular complementary projects you may want to include in your kitchen remodel plans:

Green Updates

One way to improve the function of a kitchen and save money over time is through green updates, which focus on energy efficiency. Simple swaps such as adding LED lighting can save money each month on your electric bill. Energy-efficient appliances and double-paned windows also help to reduce electricity usage. In the City of Orlando, installing water-conserving faucets is another way to save.

Hiring an Interior Decorator or Designer

Most Orlando homes are part of planned developments and follow fixed model styles. Space is defined, and sometimes your ability to add onto your home is limited by HOA restrictions. Optimizing the space within your home is the best way to expand the usefulness and style of an area, and hiring an interior designer is one way to make sure you do so in the best way possible. In the Orlando area, the average homeowner paid $6,240 for interior design services, with most paying between $3,785 and $9,104.

Custom Cabinets

Cabinets are an important part of a functional space and can be as simple or complex as you desire. While a cost-effective strategy is to opt for stock cabinets or refinish those you already have, hiring a custom cabinetmaker to design and install cabinetry that fits your needs truly personalizes the kitchen space.

The Orlando housing market is diverse with homes for permanent residents, long-term renters, and vacation renters. Remodeling a kitchen adds value to your home and enhances your own life while you live there. With a large population, great weather, and an active real estate market, finding qualified contractors and designers to help you with that remodel is easy and helps to make your home personal and more valuable.

Popular Orlando Neighborhoods

Orlando’s housing market took a downturn after 2008, but has steadily recovered due to a growing population and a robust economy. In general, this city has seen steady growth in its real estate market value. Orlando is a unique city with a large number of investment properties and second homes often sharing neighborhoods with primary residences and/or long-term rentals for employees of the area's various parks. Many Orlando-area HOAs allow for short- and long-term rentals, a fact which impacts the tenor of a neighborhood significantly.

The neighborhoods closest to area theme parks are ripe for vacation rentals and investment owners, whereas those in the outlying areas are likely to belong to permanent residents and long-term renters. Of course, there are always exceptions and many key neighborhoods and suburbs to keep track of in this regard:

• Winter Park
  An upper-class neighborhood north of the city proper, Winter Park is an established area home to affluent residents and long-time snow birds. There are very few short-term rentals. With cobbled streets and larger lots, Winter Park homes are some of the finest in the area.
• Baldwin Park
  One of the older areas of Orlando, Baldwin Park was home to the Orlando Naval Training Center from 1940 to 1968. It has since been renovated and updated, with thousands of residents living in older-style homes.
• East Orlando
  Home to the University of Central Florida, this is the "college town" of this area, with many young residents renting homes and apartments. There is a large volume of owner-occupied homes in this area. Many houses here are owned by members of Orlando’s immigrant community, imparting rich diversity to this neighborhood.
• Celebration
  An enclave of tourists and a short-term rental hotspot, Celebration is an up-and-coming area with new homes and condos designed to attract middle and upper-middle class resident families. It has a strong community spirit and is a quaint, walkable area with a defined town square in close proximity to the area's theme parks.
• Lake Nona
  South of Orlando, the golfing community of Lake Nona is another up-and-coming area with homes that range from smaller townhouses to upper-class luxury builds. Taking up 7,000 acres, Lake Nona has a strong medical and tech lean that is still developing.