This might not be the first time that you’ve renovated your kitchen, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a daunting process. Renovating your kitchen can throw up all sorts of unexpected challenges, it’s the only renovation project which mixes gas, water, ducting and storage – it’s not just an empty room which you fill with furniture. It’s important that you go into this project with your eyes open. Here are 11 important considerations to think about before you jump into this project, ensuring that you get the designer kitchen you really want.
1. Talk To The Experts
Being a kitchen company we would say this wouldn’t we? Think about it though; we work on kitchen projects every day and will be able to spot potential issues before they arise. We offer a free design service on all kitchens and can create the perfect design to suit your cooking needs and budget. We first look at the limitations of the space you have available and work backwards to ensure you get a kitchen with the least amount of hassle possible.
2. Take Cost Into Consideration
There is a lot to think about when thinking about a new kitchen – should you move that wall? Should you add an extra window? Should you change that flooring? Before you do anything, decide how much you want to spend on this project. We don’t just mean the actual kitchen units, you need to think about the whole project – the preparation work can be more costly than you think.
If you’re removing walls, you need to ensure that you have a specialist contractor in place to take care of this, it is important that everything is done within the building regulations.
Have a think about how you would like to live in the house over the next 10-15 years, your kitchen should last this long so you need to make sure you’re planning for the future. Will you be happy with the layout? Will you be happy with the flooring and lighting? It’s better to take the time to think about this now so that you don’t have to change big parts of it in just a few years.
Once you know exactly what you’d like to do to your kitchen, you can then work backwards and find out how much it will cost.
3. Kitchen Projects Cause Disruption
Think about how much you use your kitchen; breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, making cups of tea and much more. For most British families, the kitchen is the heart of the home, the disruption this can cause when this space is not available can be huge!
A full kitchen restoration can take 3-4 weeks, but it does very much depend on how much work you’re having done. You need to think about how you’re going to cook food over that time – getting take away pizza every night can get old very quickly! Either you need to setup a temporary kitchen somewhere in your house, or you need to look at moving out whilst the work is being done. If you are staying in the house, you could ask your builder to put up a plastic partition to keep the dust and mess from the rest of your home. Also, don’t forget about the noise, there will undoubtably be banging and clanging throughout the project.
4. Get The Right Look And Feel
It’s important to define the look that you want to achieve with your kitchen, finding the right style to suit your personality and house can be the difference between a kitchen you love and a kitchen you put up with. We suggest that you spend some time looking through Pinterest, Houzz and kitchen design websites to find the right style for you, this will give us a direction to take your kitchen design. However, make sure it’s achievable and practical. For example, you simply can’t have a kitchen island if your kitchen is only 5m x 5m. Talk to our designers about what you’d like to achieve, it’s our job to design the perfect kitchen for you!
5. We Are Not Magicians
We can only work with the budget you’ve given us and size of your kitchen. If you’re looking for a kitchen with all of the mod-cons, but you only have a small kitchen, there may have to be some sacrifices. However, it is our job to make the most of the space you have available and get as close as possible to the perfect kitchen. We suggest that you make a wish list with the essential items that you must have in your new kitchen (such as oven and dishwasher), and the non-essential items (such as wine cooler). The more information you can give us on what you need and want, the better kitchen we can produce.
6. Think About Gadgets
These day’s there is a gadget for everything in the kitchen, from slicing fruit to cracking eggs, no matter what the task you can be sure there is a gadget for it. However, the type of gadgets we’re talking about are things like coffee machines and hot water taps. Find some time to do some research on what gadgets are on the market, where they will go in your kitchen and whether they need installing professionally.
7. Choosing The Right Kitchen Company
Choosing a kitchen company can be a very personal decision, it’s important to go with a company you feel comfortable with and understands what you’re looking to achieve from your kitchen. There are a lot of good kitchen companies out there to choose from, but there are two things which generally separate them all; cost and design experience.
Cost – A kitchen can cost anywhere from a few thousand up to £50,000 and beyond, the quality of the kitchen at each end of the scale varies hugely. Budget kitchens will not last more than a few years and will quickly show signs of wear and tear, where as a more premium designer kitchen will last for many more years. It is this quality difference in materials and appliances that makes the biggest difference in cost. It may be worth speaking to a few kitchen companies to get an idea of cost, you can then decide which budget you’re more comfortable with.
Design Experience – How many years has the kitchen company been running? What are some recent kitchen projects they’ve worked on? These are questions that you should be asking when you initially talk to your kitchen company. Companies new to the market may be cheaper, but will they give you the design experience that your kitchen project needs?
It does of course come down to how much you can afford, but there is more to think about than simply the final figure.
8. Check Your Design
Throughout your kitchen project there will be a lot of conversations, a lot of changes being made and a lot of designs being passed back and forth; it is possible that some things will be missed or overlooked. Be sure to spend time going through your design and quotation in detail before the project starts, the earlier mistakes which are spotted, the more likely it is that we can sort them out.
9. Choosing The Right Worktop
Engineered stone or natural granite? If you have the budget to spend on a solid worktop then this is a question that you will come up against. 10-15 years ago the decision would have been simple, you would have chosen granite, the engineered stone was not as good as the natural stone. However, the technology has come a long way and in almost every way the engineered stone is the superior worktop. Materials such as Dekton have come onto the market in recent years, an almost indestructible material that is available in an wide range of colours. To find out more information on Dekton, read our in-depth blog post here, or read our ultimate guide to worktops here.
10. Type Of Kitchen Doors
The biggest visual element of your kitchen will be the doors of the units, these will be the first thing that everyone notices when they come into your kitchen. There are a huge number of options available such as high gloss, wooden, wood effect, matt effect, shaker and many more. Speak to your designer and they will take you through the options most suitable for your kitchen design.
One type of kitchen unit to think carefully about is Handleless. This type of kitchen unit may look the same across all of the different manufacturers, but there are big differences when you look closely. To find out more information you can read our guide on handleless kitchens here.
Kitchen projects are scary and daunting, but they can be enjoyable. As long as you plan everything carefully and consider all of the options thoroughly. The end result will be worth it and your hard work will be rewarded with the kitchen of your dreams.
If you’re thinking of designing or building a new kitchen then give us a call. Our design service at Designer Kitchens for Less couldn’t be simpler. Either email a rough sketch with room dimensions or an existing plan to info@designerkitchensforless.co.uk or call us on 01279 504230 for a chat about your requirements. Our designers will work with you to refine your plan and provide you with a very competitive quote.