Planning A Kitchen Renovation

Whether you’re selling your house or simply want cooking to be easier, kitchen renovations can be money well spent. In fact, the kitchen is the most popular room to renovate, and also one of the most important when it comes to adding value to your home, as any realtor will attest.

One of the first things is to determine your budget, based on what you feel you need, and what you would like if the budget allows it. Try to initially buy only basics and essentials that you actually need, regardless of how tempting it is to buy all sorts of fancy gadgets and appliances. Factor in extra costs for any delivery or shipping charges, or warranty costs. Kitchen renovations can range from installing new fixtures, lighting and a fresh coat of paint, to tearing everything out and replacing all the cabinets and appliances so its important to decide what your goal is. Do your research; look at kitchen design and renovation suggestions online and spend some time in your local home improvement store.

If you’re planning major kitchen renovations, you’ll need a good contractor, and a large project may mean installing new plumbing or electrics. Relying on recommendations from friends or family is an effective way to find someone to get the job done. Online review sites are also a good source for finding candid comments and ratings from customers. Be sure to look at samples of previous work, and get a comprehensive and detailed estimate of costs and the projected timeframe. And you may need a kitchen designer too, someone who can advise on the look, layout, style and materials.

A practical and functional layout is probably more important in the kitchen than in any other room. Think about what doesn’t currently work in your kitchen and how that can be improved. The sink, stove and fridge are probably the three items most used in your kitchen, and any kitchen redesign should focus on an easy flow between these three key areas. Another consideration is the number of people typically in your kitchen at the same time; an island can make a big difference if space allows.

Maximizing storage space is important with most kitchen renovations, along with as much counter space as possible. If your kitchen just isn’t as large as you would like, you may have to get creative with storage solutions. A wall mounted pegboard, under the counter bins, free standing shelves and using the space on top of your fridge and cabinets can all provide more valuable space.

The average cost of a kitchen renovation is around $22,000 although you can spend much more than that. It’s important that your finished kitchen is exactly what you need and will work for you.