5 Steps to a Successful Kitchen Renovation

Change is necessary. It is often said that we must change ourselves with time if we want to live the best life. So why not make changes in our house with time? The kitchen, to me, is like a sacred space of the house. It is an important place from where we get all our healthy, nourished and home-cooked meals. If we are making a change in the kitchen, this means we are changing our eating habits and if we are changing our eating habits, we are moving towards a better life. I have seen many people for whom, the kitchen is the place where most family interactions take place. Children study together, have meals together and the whole house comes to life. Therefore, personalising your kitchen is a great idea. In this article, I am sharing the best tips for successful kitchen renovation. These 5 steps are your roadmap for a personalised, beautiful kitchen. 

1 Find some inspiration 

This is the planning phase of your kitchen renovation. Start with creating your Wishlist of how you want your kitchen to look like. It might be some appliances that you want to add to your kitchen or if you want to change the wall colour or add some tiles. You might want to expand your kitchen so that you can keep a dining table. Whatever comes to your mind, start jotting down your ideas. Do not think about the costs at all. This is the time when you can let the imagination flow, we will edit things later. 

If you do not have much inspiration about your dream kitchen then pick up some magazines or browse the internet. Find the latest ideas, trends, designs and colour schemes for your kitchen. You may even create an idea board on Pinterest. Create checklists, divide categories. But make sure to not get overwhelmed with the various designs and options available. This task should not take more than two-three days. 

Now we will enter the second phase of planning where we need to be as specific as we can. Go through your Wishlist now and strike off the things that no more appeal to you. Believe me, it will happen. Once all the editing is done, create a final list. Here are some of the categories you can create in your kitchen renovation Wishlist:

• Things that are working well
• Things that need improvement
• Things that need to be changed (priority)
• Things that need to be changed (can be done later)
• New items to be bought 
• Items that can be reused 

2 Create a budget 

Once you have decided what should be done and what needs to be done with your kitchen, the next step is creating a budget. Start by examining your finances and decide how much you can spend on your kitchen. In this case, as well, magazines and online browsing would be a great help. You can get the latest prices of appliances you need to buy. If you want to change the flooring of the kitchen, you can check with the supplier regarding the costs. Moreover, you must take care of the labour costs that will be involved. 

Check your Wishlist and based on your budget decide the items that you would buy. For instance, consider these categories: 

You may list all the things in your list like this, under specific headings and write the costs associated with them alongside. Then you will be able to find out how much your kitchen renovation would cost you. 

3 Create a layout 

Here comes another important step. Before you begin the renovation, you must have a clear layout of how your kitchen should look like. Sit down with your contractor or designer and decide the layout. Make sure you decide the colours in advance so that everything looks perfect and there is no mismatch. Your designer might show you some of the latest designs and colour schemes popular in kitchens. They might also help you select the right cabinets, plants, chairs, countertops and lights for your kitchen. 

This step would prove to be right for you only if you have found a reliable contractor and/or a designer for your kitchen. You might think that you can decide the layout but trust me, you need an experienced person here who knows what might go wrong during the implementation. Before you finalise your contractor and/or designer make sure you have checked their website and their portfolio. Pick one that is affordable and has some great customer reviews. After all, hiring a contractor is also a part of your budget. 

4 All about appliances 

One of the major purposes of kitchen renovation could be making space for new appliances. Technology is changing fast and making our work much easier. You should make sure that the appliances that you have or you are about to buy match with each other and with your kitchen layout. For instance, if your kitchen colour scheme is grey and whites but you buy a red refrigerator, it would look a little out of place and the impact of your kitchen renovation would not be like you wanted. 

Also, you must read the reviews before buying any appliance. Check the measurements so that you can allocate space in your kitchen accordingly. Also, make sure to note the return policies and warranties for any appliances that you buy. 

5 Functionality should be a priority 

While renovating your kitchen you should try to make it more functional for you. Here are some ways to do that. While installing a kitchen cabinet make sure to keep storage for large items on the bottom and put a counter on the top for more space. Utilise the unused space in your kitchen by including a small laundry pantry or a small home office. 

You may also utilise a wall for the storage of regular items like cups, pans, spatulas and spoons. You do not need to build a cabinet here. Just a few open shelves and hooks would do the magic. Similarly, make sure not to keep things you need mostly too far apart as it will create chaos. Try to make your kitchen compact instead of spreading out unnecessarily if you want it to be more functional. 

A few more tips for you…

• Make sure to include enough lighting in the kitchen as a well-lit kitchen means more hygiene, better functionality and a perfect look. 
• Do not get overwhelmed with the number of hardware choices you have got for your cabinets and doorknobs. Choose the ones that will go on for a long time. 
• Always think about the kitchen plumbing and electricity supply before setting up your layout. 
• If you have kids in the house, make sure your counter area is not in their pathway as they might spill something. 
• Always choose your appliances first before even starting the remodelling so that you can place them accordingly without any mismatch or lack of space at the end.  
• If you want to avoid extra costs make sure not to change your plan once everything begins. 

Wrapping up

These 5 steps are just highlighting what is important for your kitchen renovation. You might add more things into them and make a completely different model of your own. Do not start with remodelling or renovation without conducting proper research about the latest trends and ideas. Make sure you have searched enough so that you can create a perfect, personalised, sacred kitchen for yourself. 

 Author’s bio – Emma Jackson is specialist in content writing, blogging and exploring new topics. Emma is also a part contributor of GoAssignmentHelp that provides proofreading services. She loves to write topics like marketing, education and assignment services.