Mistakes to Avoid During a Kitchen Remodel

Ok, so you’ve taken the most important step and decided that you need (or want) a new kitchen. But wait, there are many things to consider before just jumping in, here we have listed some of the most common mistakes people make and how to avoid them.

The Budget

Your budget is one of the first essential considerations in your kitchen renovation, but it is very important for you to chose a realistic amount and stick to it. If you spend too much on the renovation you will risk overcapitalising. A general rule of thumb for a kitchen renovation is not to allow more than seven percent of what you have paid for your house. Flexibility is the key when it comes to renovating your kitchen, if you are flexible on your ideas you are more likely to stick to your allocated budget rather than having your heart set on something you simply can’t afford.

Measure Twice

This is an extremely important point, make sure the kitchen space is measured correctly and accurately. A mistake made at this point of your kitchen renovation would be a disaster and would be quite costly when it comes time to install your new kitchen. Mistakes with measurements would also affect your benchtops and may mean that your appliances don’t fit.

Succumbing to Trends

Ok, so you’ve seen the latest trends coming out of Europe and you just HAVE to have it……BUT……are you sure you are going to love it in a year, 5 years or 10 years. A good quality kitchen can last you up to 25 years, so you really need to think about what will look great in years to come. It’s a good idea to keep your design modern and edgy but also in keeping with the style of the home, something you won’t out grow. A great idea is to use up to the minute trend items as wall features or similar, things that can be easily changed if you tire of them.
The Right Kitchen Team
Ensure that you trust and are happy with the kitchen company that you are going to use. Getting a written quote where possible will help you avoid going over your allocated budget for your kitchen renovation.

The Finer Details

Too often, people are so caught up in the overall kitchen design and colours that the finer details are forgotten. These include items such as power points, handle designs and positioning, under cabinet lighting etc. These items should be planned at the design stage. Another important factor is your appliances, select appliances based on their functions as well as their looks. It can be very annoying to find later on that the smart looking oven doesn’t even have a timer on it.

Storage

Your getting a new kitchen, so why not increase your storage, you really can never have enough storage space in a kitchen, with all of those new cooking gadgets on the shelves these days. Be sure to design in plenty of storage space allowing for future needs also.

Frequently Used Appliances

Which appliances do you use on a daily basis? Most people will answer the oven, the stove, the fridge, the dishwasher and the microwave. A good idea is to have these items within a comfortable distance from one another but also close to the areas where you will prepare food.

Kitchen Design with the Users in Mind

A smart idea would be to design your new kitchen based on who will be using it the most. Prior to starting your new kitchen design, consider who will be the main people using your new kitchen or if any of those people have special requirements – consider elderly people, children, entertainers, someone with a disability and so on. The main goal is to achieve not only a trendy new kitchen, but one that is functional and practical for everybody using it.

What is the biggest disaster you’ve had during a kitchen renovation?