The Kitchen is the soul and the centre of every home. It’s the first thing many homebuyers consider before purchasing their next home. A good kitchen renovation can increase the value of your property, and be the selling point of your house.
Whether you want to prepare your house for selling or you want to create a small cooking island for you and your family, there are some important thing you need to consider first.
Handling a kitchen renovation on your own is a tough task, as it requires quite a bit of planning and preparation.
А lot of renovation projects are getting cancelled because the end price is higher than the one most people expected, or surprise repairs are showing up and they’re not happy with the amount of time the renovation can take. The secret of perfectly implemented renovation projects lies on the basis of precise planning.
Create a Renovation Plan
The first thing you need to do is to sit and decide what exactly do you want. Grab a list and a pen and write down everything you want to replace, repair or renovate in the kitchen. This will help you pick priorities and narrow a budget.
Decide if you need to create more space for storage or dining, upgrade the appliances, or the colour of the walls.
Identify the main issues in your kitchen at the moment. What needs urgent fixing and do you need to change the whole layout of the room? It’s important that you understand and prioritise the fixes.
Kitchen makeovers may require more work than you expect. It’s an excellent idea to consult with professionals. Paying for remodelling contractor always pays off in the future, as the work is done professionally and any hidden problems can be fixed.
But even if you decide to do the things on your own, it’s still a good idea to have a professional inspect the room. Don’t leave anything to chance, explore various options and consult with your contractor before work begins to get a clear vision of your budget and any potential costs.
Consider the Functionality of the Kitchen
The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in your home. Its main purpose is to be practical and useful. Unfortunately, many people forget that when scrolling Pinterest trying to find the best look for their kitchen. As pretty as it looks, a new trend in the design is not worth giving up countertop or storage space. Always think with functionality in mind.
Set a Renovation Budget
Create a detailed budget and make sure to cover every potential cost – hiring and paying contractors, materials, appliances, accessories, shelves, ceiling, flooring and walls. To make sure you won’t run out of money add 10-15% on top of the final budget. Some types of damages are not obvious from the surface. You need to repair everything before proceeding with the kitchen renovation, so costs can add up fast.
If you’re going to buy new appliances or furniture think about the long-term investment. Don’t get trapped under the enchantment of cheap cabinets, which may break a month later from the weight of the utensils. Invest in more expensive, but quality kitchen furniture. If you need to buy new appliances, advance in energy-efficient ones. They may be costly at the time of purchase, but in the long-term, they will pay off.
Surprise Repairs = Hidden Unavoidable Costs
As mentioned earlier, there are some hidden costs which many people don’t take into consideration when planning a remodelling project. Here are some of the most common hidden costs you can have. Make sure to include them in the budget.
Surprise Structural Changes
If the project includes structural changes, not everything will work as planned. Your home may look great on the outside but if contractors dig deep in the walls, they may find that the house is not built properly or discover that wall can’t be removed and the whole plan must be changed.
Don’t leave anything to chance, explore various options and consult with a contractor before work begins to get a clear vision of your budget and any potential additional costs. To make sure everything in your plan can be done, provide the architectural plans of the house.
Higher Bills
Utility bills are often ignored and not counted as a renovation cost. Have in mind that if you have contractors working and operating machines daily on your property the electrical bill will certainly rise up.
Surprising Repairs
Some types of damages are not obvious from the surface. When flooring or walls get removed, you may find water damages caused by leaking pipes or damages from termites and other types of pests. You need to repair these before proceeding with the renovation project, which are always costly.
Take Measurements and Consider Layout
Before continuing with the work process, take measurements. Check the height and width of the room, location of piping and plugs. Make sure everything is planned such as the location of the refrigerator, the shelves or the sink, so they fit properly when installation begins.
After taking measures and defining the key points, you need to decide what will be the layout of the kitchen. It can be U-shaped, L-shaped or straight-lined. Don’t rush making decisions. Functionality, space and proportion are important factors which will help you make up your mind.
Choose the Right Colour Scheme
When choosing a colour scheme, examine the space and the lighting in the kitchen. It’s not only about wall colours. You need to think about cabinets, countertops, backsplash and flooring when choosing a colour scheme for the kitchen. For small spaces, it’s best to use neutral or pastel colours.
Dark colours will close up the space and make it look smaller than it is. If you’re planning to leave your existing cabinets and countertops, you should take their colours into consideration.
Countertops, Cabinets and Accessories
If you’re planning to replace countertops, cabinets or other smaller accessories, always keep in mind the functionality of the room. If you need more storage space consider placing overhead shelves and cabinets. Install cutlery drawers close to the sink and overhead range hood above the oven. Think about the purpose of the place and strive to make the room practical and easy to use.
Kitchen Appliances
Choose the perfect appliance for you by considering things like, how big is your family and how much or how often do you cook. What you’re normally cooking for them and how much utensils you own. After thinking about that, purchase appliances that will be the best fit for you and your budget. If you have a big family, invest in a big refrigerator and qualitative oven. If you love baking, invest in a big countertop. If you cook often invest in range hood to keep the kitchen odour and smoke-free.
Renovation Process
Now, when you have everything planned and ready to be used, it’s time for the renovation! If you plan a big project and you will hire contractors to do the job, make sure you follow everything happening at every stage of the project. First, you need to detach all existing cabinets, shelves and appliances and remove everything from the room. Start with the ceiling, the walls and then the floor.
After that, build the layout of countertops and cabinets and proceed with the appliances and with minor modifications such as the splashback, lighting, drawers and doors. If you’re assembling furniture on your own make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instruction.
Electricity and Plumbing
When dealing with electrical, gas or plumbing jobs, your personal safety must be your number one priority. Better leave electricity and plumbing jobs to the professionals. If you’re renovating on your own at least consult with an electrician to guide the tasks for you. Consider where the oven will be and install smoke and fire alarms and lighting. After that install the other appliances logically of how they will be used.
Plumbing should also be left to the professionals. If you’re doing the plumbing job on your own, prepare before starting by gathering all the needed tools – buckets, towels and tools for leaking water. You need to make sure you take care of low water pressure, clogged pipes and install sink and faucets properly.
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