Are you thinking of renovating your kitchen? You’re not alone. You’ll likely be surprised to find out that nearly three-quarters of homeowners change the layout of their kitchen (source: Insight DIY). The most popular location in the UK for kitchen renovation was the South East.
While you can make minor upgrades to update and refresh your kitchen and keep costs down, sometimes your kitchen isn’t fit for purpose. Furthermore, it may no longer meet the needs of your growing family. Being able to renovate the space allows you to create a purpose-built kitchen that meets your needs. Adding to this, it will also add value to your property as well as your life.
While minor upgrades yield the best returns, massive kitchen projects can also fetch some great returns on your investment. Reports suggest you can increase the value of your property by 5 to 10%. Magnet Kitchens suggests a 5-6% increase, while Checkatrade states it can be as much as 10 to 12%.
But before you head off to your local kitchen showroom and fall in love with some high-end kitchens, there are just a few things you need to consider. Let’s take a look.
Talk To Experts
It’s one thing to have fantastic plans and ideas, but designing a functional kitchen involves more than just adding features. An expert kitchen designer and manufacturer can guide you on what’s feasible. Furthermore, they can help you configure it and explain what you need to bring your dream kitchen to life. They can take precise measurements and discuss various materials, kitchen styles, and other options. This will empower you to confidently design the kitchen of your dreams.
Timelines
Before any work starts, you need to fully understand and plan the work that will be undertaken. Kitchen renovations aren’t always quick and easy, If you’re having an extension built to extend the kitchen, knocking walls down, moving it to a different part of the house, etc., it will take even longer. You need to be confident that you can cope with the work and live amongst the mess until it’s complete.
You also need to be aware that deadlines aren’t always that. They are, in many cases, guidelines and an estimation of when the contractor expects to be finished. This doesn’t account for unforeseen issues such as staff shortages, mistakes, scarcity of materials, etc. All these factors and more, including weather, can push back the completion date. This can all lead to an extension in time and how long it takes to reach completion.
Budget
If you’ve seen any type of home renovation show in recent years, you’ll likely be aware of the topic of budgets. More so, how quickly things can spiral out of control. The TV show Grand Designs is one such example of how quickly budgets can spiral out of control. There’s no way to avoid things going wrong. If they’re going to go wrong, they will. This is where being meticulous with your budget comes in handy. Be mindful of accommodating all the features you need and be conservative about finishes until you are sure you can afford to splash out on them. Moreover, it is also best practice to have a contingency fund. This fund should be a percentage of your total budget, typically around 10-20%. It’s there to cover any unexpected costs that may arise during the renovation process.
When allocating your budget, try not to splurge on high-end finishes. Stick to more modest fittings so you are not caught out if something does go wrong. Be careful about what really needs to be the main focus of your renovation budget, and divide the money you have available accordingly. If you have money left over at the end to upgrade the final finishing touches, go for it.
Longevity
As tempting as it might seem to go for an on-trend modern design, a kitchen renovation is an investment. Therefore, you need to treat it this way. You want a kitchen that will last from year to year and won’t be outdated as soon as trends change. By all means, incorporate some trends you can easily change in the decor or soft furnishings. However, for the main aspects of your kitchen, for example, cabinets, you need to think far into the future. Will it still look good in 5/10 years’ time? Consider if it will still be functional or will you potentially hate it in a couple of years’ time? Additionally, what does it offer you in terms of sustainability and practicality?
Just because something looks good or others have it doesn’t mean it’s a good investment. So avoid buying things because they’re in fashion right now. Make smarter choices that will serve you well over the years.
Measurements and Requirements
The above point touched upon measuring the kitchen. However, when you’re at the planning stage, even before hiring a kitchen designer, it’s a good idea to get some ideas of what is possible. This requires you to measure up the kitchen accurately. Take into account current work surfaces and cabinets, the distance between doors and how the doors open. The more thorough you are when measuring your kitchen, the more exact your plans can be. Consequently, this will make it easier to accommodate everything you need.
When you have measurements, you can focus on the requirements of a functional kitchen and your needs as a family, too. You need to appreciate what you can realistically do in the kitchen. You need to be mindful to not overcrowd or remove any of the functionality. Furthermore, you need to be able to move freely around, so do not block certain areas. You may want to try and be creative with any awkward spaces or dead areas you might have in your kitchen. So, while talking to an expert kitchen designer can be massively beneficial, understanding your requirements and the size of the space you have is vital.
Quotes will Vary
When you talk to contractors and kitchen designers, you need to get more than one quote. This gives you a higher average price range so you can see what you’re getting for your money. Different companies will offer varying prices, some will be overpriced or some will undercut other businesses. The cheapest isn’t always the worst, nor is the most expensive the best. However, considering quotes that are similar in terms of services offered and quotes given can help you get a more accurate representation and avoid choosing the wrong contractor.
Always add something to those quotes yourself for a contingency plan so you can understand if you can afford it. Additionally, always ensure you know exactly what is included in the price and what you need to pay for on top of this, too.
Living Arrangements
Large scale renovations on any part of the house can be massively disruptive. However, you rely on your kitchen a lot more than you think you might. You need to think carefully about the living arrangements you will need to have in place prior to work starting. This is to ensure you are completely comfortable with what is going to be your reality for the next few weeks or months, or however long it takes to complete the work.
Can you realistically move all of your kitchen items into other rooms and create a sort of makeshift kitchen until your new space is ready to sell? Can you bear to live within the property and around the disruption for the duration of the work? Do you need to think about alternative living arrangements for part or all of the time your kitchen renovation is taking shape?
Wants, Needs and Non-Negotiable
It’s all fun and games picking out your new kitchen and designing it exactly to your spec. However, you need to make sure you have your list separated into these 3 categories. This will ensure you get everything you need for your kitchen as well as what you want.
Your non-negotiables are those things that absolutely, under no circumstances, cannot be compromised in the design. For example, you might need lowered countertops in sections of your kitchen, easy-access cabinets, wider door frames, and movement areas for wheelchair access. This is absolutely non-negotiable.
Your needs are those things that make your life easier. You need to have a sink, cabinets and appliances; these are standard. But what ones you actually choose can end up being wants. For example, that amazing Wi-Fi-connected smart washing machine or fridge freezer might seem an amazing investment, but are they more essential than other aspects of your kitchen? It may mean that you have to compromise on other areas?
Your wants, while nice, shouldn’t take precedence over your needs. it can end up diverting your budget from the more important aspects of the kitchen and the design.
As tempting as it is to rush into your kitchen renovation, it’s important to take your time and put effort and due diligence into the planning stage even before you make definite plans with contractors. This will ensure you are on the right path and you do not make any significant mistakes that can cost you more or ruin your vision, leaving you without a functional kitchen or even what you wanted.
