Kitchen Complete Rehab - Where to Start?

[Mike Ballew]

I am just starting out house flipping and am uncertain where to start on a kitchen complete gut and redo.  Do I go to one of these all-in-one renovation centers where they do the design for free as long as you buy all of the cabinets, countertops, and flooring there?  Seems convenient, but in my experience convenient equals most expensive route.  Do I hire an architect or kitchen designer?  Due to my background in engineering I could produce plan and elevation drawings myself.  Do I start with a contractor that specializes in kitchen and bath remodels?  We've read several books and watched countless hours of flipping shows but have never found an answer to this question.  Please advise if you know where to start and how to proceed in order to build back a new kitchen in the most cost-efficient manner.  Thank you.