Whether your daily residential address or your weekend holiday home, the kitchen is always the central hub where your family and friends meet for meals, gatherings and entertainment.
Homeowners often get excited when fantasizing about a new kitchen but cringe at the thought of a hefty builders fee. However, the truth is that you do not have to empty the vault when it comes to creating something unique for your household.
Although kitchen rebuilds can be costly, you may be surprised how much you can achieve with your budget if your kitchen renovation is well designed and planned.
Read on to discover some expert tips for kitchen renovations, and learn why B&S Nelson is a trusted choice when looking for home builders, Forster, builders Tuncurry and surrounding New South Wales communities.
Tips from Expert Home Builders
Kitchen renovation traps
Before we look at some tips for home kitchen renovations, it is best to look at some common traps that can derail your good ideas and hard work.
By avoiding these common mistakes, you have a what not to do filter to pass your ideas through, ensuring a smooth project with less stress, realistic expectations, and excellent results.
Poor design
When people start to think about their ideal kitchen renovation, it’s easy to get caught up in aesthetics and missing key functionality and workflow optimisation; a mistake that often becomes all too clear when the project is already underway, or worse yet, finished.
The fantasy stage also builds expectations of what can be achieved on your budget, leaving yourself wide open for disappointment as the dollars start to add up during the quoting phase.
Sometimes it’s best to be clear with what is possible on your budget by getting a kitchen professional, like one of the trade team members here at B&S Nelson home builder, Forster.
An expert kitchen builder can assess your current space, get an idea of what you want to achieve, both functionally and aesthetically, and provide you with realistic expectations before you get started.
Making changes after the work begins
Making changes post-start date can be a common issue during kitchen renovations and is a sure-fire way of decimating your initial budget.
The best way to avoid costly changes is to speak to a professional kitchen consultant who can help you envision your final results and reassure you of the design you have agreed upon with your kitchen builder.
Inexperienced DIY attempts
So, you’ve had a look under the sinks, checked out the power points and water pipes, watched some videos online; it doesn’t seem like anything you can’t handle; until it is!
DIY overwhelming is a real thing, and what initially seems like an exciting home project soon disrupts your entire household for months on end.
Although DIY kitchen renovations may seem like a simple job, there are usually countless pitfalls that the untrained eye just won’t notice, and what seems like a way to save some money can often knock your budget out of the ballpark.
By hiring kitchen renovation experts, like the crew here at B&S Nelson home builders, Forster, you not only ensure your budget remains predictable, you can also get your home’s central hub back to normal function sooner rather than later.
Home Builders Expert Tips for Kitchen Renovations
An experienced kitchen renovation expert has often seen everything there is to see and can offer some great advice on what to consider when designing and renovating your home kitchen.
Functionality vs style
It is essential to think about how you use your kitchen when getting your ideas together. For example, are you an avid home chef? Or do you get several takeaway meals a week?
What do you use the most? How heavy are overhead objects? Do you use your microwave often, or just for occasional convenience? Once you start asking some of these questions, you often find yourself rethinking your initial design.
Some common things for consideration, according to the kitchen renovations experts here at B&S Nelson home builders, Forster/Tuncurry are as follows:
- Have your pantry close to your preparation area.
- Keep heavy items like pots and pans suspended within grasp or in low cupboards or drawers.
- Have your dishwasher and the wet area close together
- Keep wraps and storage containers in one convenient spot near your work surfaces.
- Have your plates and cups stored near your dishwasher for easy unloading.
- Is there a secure place for cleaning and dishwashing chemicals?
Even though everyone wants a unique kitchen that defines the surrounding decor, a kitchen is primarily a functional space that cops a lot of use.
You must ensure this space is optimised for its intended function before deciding how you want it styled.
Freedom of movement
Many people who decide to renovate their kitchen complain that their current space is too small or hard to move around.
Kitchen space can be deceptive, and if trying to work with two people in your kitchen is a struggle, then this is a telltale sign your space needs to be opened up.
Wide walkways are the best way to provide your kitchen with more room to work. Opening up your walkways also provides a safer kitchen by removing trip hazards and reducing the chance of bumping into someone while carrying hot food or beverages.
Consider the counterargument
This goes back to the question, how much do you cook? If you are someone who can burn pasta, then you may not need as much workspace as your neighbour who is applying for the next season of Masterchef.
Consider the intended usage of your countertops, and be sure you have as much or as little space as your lifestyle requires.
Other culinary considerations
When it comes to kitchen rebuilds, getting all your bases covered is the best thing you can do for a successful renovation.
Other hot tips for consideration include:
- Speaking to your builder about optimising your corner storage
- Picking the optimal height for your microwave
- Ensuring your kitchen has good traffic flow
- Being clear on the function of your island
- Having landing spaces near your appliances
- Ensuring you have enough sink depth for filling pots
- Having enough room for green waste, rubbish, recycling
- Ensuring your daily items and utensils are always handy
- Make sure you have enough power outlets
- Consider ease of cleaning
Sitting down with your home’s occupants and jumping online with a coffee to get some ideas is a great way to ensure your kitchen build runs smoothly and you get the kitchen you need as opposed to the kitchen you want.
If you are looking for home builders, Forster, Tuncurry and surrounding NSW communities, for your dream kitchen rebuild, then contact one of the kitchen renovation experts here at B&S Nelson today to arrange a consultation.