Julie-Ann
28-01-2010, 03:54 PM
If you are planning or dreaming about doing a kitchen renovation here are a few tips that might help.
1.Start with knowing your budget.
Kitchens can cost thousands of dollars or up to tens of thousands of dollars. At some point in the future you will sell your home. So it is also important to know what type of finish is expected by buyers for your type of home in your area. Do they expect stone benchtops? Do they expect European appliances? Meeting these expectations could increase the value of your home significantly.
2. Can you use the frames of the existing kitchen?
Consider first if the layout of the existing kitchen works well for you. Then have a look at the condition of the frames and shelves. Also look at what colour the frames are. If they something hideous, like salmon pink, I would suggest you rip out the frames and start from scratch.
3. The new layout.
If you have gutted the old kitchen and have the luxury to start from scratch think carefully about the layout of your new kitchen. First try to create a triangle between the sink, hotplate & oven and the fridge. Make sure you don’t have to walk too far between these points either. Some other suggestions are to keep the bin near the sink and dishwasher. Put the dishwasher near the sink and the glasses cupboard. Do you want an underbench or wall oven? Also look at your flooring if you change the footprint of your kitchen you will need to alter the flooring.
4 Appliances.
There are so many choices these days ranging from very affordable to incredibly expensive. Consider what you mostly cook in your kitchen and for how many people. Do you entertain a lot and do you need to consider that as well? If you cook a lot of stir fries not only might you want to consider a hotplate with a good wok burner but I would recommend you invest in a good rangehood as well. If you bake or cook a lot of roasts you might spend more money on your oven. Also think again about what the buyers in your area expect when buying houses – do they expect European brand appliances?
5. Surfaces.
Once again there are so many choices for benchtops, door fronts and splashbacks. Consider the style of kitchen you want such as traditional or more modern. Think about the wear and tear your kitchen will receive. This does not only mean the number of people in the family but some people are just a little more rough and ready with their furnishings than others. So if that is your family choose tougher wearing surfaces. And once again keep in mind what buyers expect, especially in relation to benchtops. Stone benchtops are becoming increasingly more popular.
So plan your kitchen renovation carefully – it can be the most expensive room in the house to renovate. But a well functioning and stylish kitchen will be add value to your home (well that’s how I sold our renovation to my DH;))
1.Start with knowing your budget.
Kitchens can cost thousands of dollars or up to tens of thousands of dollars. At some point in the future you will sell your home. So it is also important to know what type of finish is expected by buyers for your type of home in your area. Do they expect stone benchtops? Do they expect European appliances? Meeting these expectations could increase the value of your home significantly.
2. Can you use the frames of the existing kitchen?
Consider first if the layout of the existing kitchen works well for you. Then have a look at the condition of the frames and shelves. Also look at what colour the frames are. If they something hideous, like salmon pink, I would suggest you rip out the frames and start from scratch.
3. The new layout.
If you have gutted the old kitchen and have the luxury to start from scratch think carefully about the layout of your new kitchen. First try to create a triangle between the sink, hotplate & oven and the fridge. Make sure you don’t have to walk too far between these points either. Some other suggestions are to keep the bin near the sink and dishwasher. Put the dishwasher near the sink and the glasses cupboard. Do you want an underbench or wall oven? Also look at your flooring if you change the footprint of your kitchen you will need to alter the flooring.
4 Appliances.
There are so many choices these days ranging from very affordable to incredibly expensive. Consider what you mostly cook in your kitchen and for how many people. Do you entertain a lot and do you need to consider that as well? If you cook a lot of stir fries not only might you want to consider a hotplate with a good wok burner but I would recommend you invest in a good rangehood as well. If you bake or cook a lot of roasts you might spend more money on your oven. Also think again about what the buyers in your area expect when buying houses – do they expect European brand appliances?
5. Surfaces.
Once again there are so many choices for benchtops, door fronts and splashbacks. Consider the style of kitchen you want such as traditional or more modern. Think about the wear and tear your kitchen will receive. This does not only mean the number of people in the family but some people are just a little more rough and ready with their furnishings than others. So if that is your family choose tougher wearing surfaces. And once again keep in mind what buyers expect, especially in relation to benchtops. Stone benchtops are becoming increasingly more popular.
So plan your kitchen renovation carefully – it can be the most expensive room in the house to renovate. But a well functioning and stylish kitchen will be add value to your home (well that’s how I sold our renovation to my DH;))