Thinking of a kitchen renovation? Think about these first.

So, you have started thinking about giving your kitchen a little make-over.

As you walk into other people’s homes, you find yourself inspecting the type of benchtops they have and evaluating their shelving and storage.

For some reason, The Block and My Home Rules is a bit more interesting than you have ever found.

The ideas are springing through your head for your new dream kitchen, but before you start calling people to knock down walls.

With Harrison Kitchens and Cabinets extensive experience in kitchen renovations Adelaide, we have collated a list of all the must-knows.

Let’s get started.

Why are you renovating the kitchen?

You have to ask yourself this question to best guide the design and budget allocated for the renovation.

If you are planning on selling your property soon, then kitchens are one of the greatest spaces you can renovate to increase the value of your house and receive the financial return. However, it doesn’t necessarily make economic sense to invest tens of thousands of dollars in renovating a kitchen that will be used by someone else. It may be worthwhile simply ‘touching-up’ the kitchen, rather than investing in a complete renovation, such as replacing bench tops or redesigning the cabinets.

On the other hand, if the kitchen is the heart and soul of your home – where people cook together, eat together, and spend time together – then it would be wise to give it the same value in the renovation.

Likewise, for budding chefs, a focus may be placed on having top-quality appliances, rather than spending money on making it look aesthetically pleasing.

Think of the budget.

The budget is such a hard line to balance because we strongly advocate avoiding doing things cheaply just for the sake of it. Shop around the best quote, by all means, but don’t choose the cheap option at the expense of quality.

Battling this is the reality that money doesn’t grow on trees. Unfortunately.

To work around this, as we mentioned earlier, receiving some quotes should be your first step. If you can talk to as many people in the industry for the services and products they can offer, then it allows you to consider what you will and will not compromise upon.

Also, if you have family or friends that have recently renovated then also talk to them about their experiences.

We have already discussed doing minor updates rather than complete renovations, so if something urgently needs to be replaced then, that may be your preferred course. Over time you can continue to save for a complete renovation.

What we also recommend is to talk to your contractor about the budget you are working on. At Harrison Kitchens, we can guide your decisions based on what is affordable to ensure you are delivered with a cost-effective and quality kitchen.

Choosing your kitchen contractor.

Everyone has heard the renovation horror story. Maybe one where the tradesperson just stops turning up during the period, holes are punched where they are not meant to be, or the dream kitchen you envisioned just isn’t so…dreamy.

Of course, we may seem bias towards the company you should trust to redo your kitchen. But, there are some signs you should look for when receiving quotes and talking about your ideas.

Firstly, if something is extraordinarily expensive or cheap, and it can’t be justified, then it is probably best to seek a second opinion.

If you know people who have had positive experiences with the company, then that is always a great sign. It doesn’t hurt to look up reviews or posts on their social media.

During the designing process, be mindful of the advice they are providing you. Technically, they are the experts in the industry so they should be providing constructive feedback on your initial plans. It is a possibility some will comply will all your ideas, even if they aren’t practical or feasible in the long term.

Think for the future.

Over the past few years, we have seen a couple of trends influence people’s renovations that have quickly become outdated.

Completely black kitchens dominated 2015, in the 1980s and 1990s people loved having appliance garages even though it took up so much countertop space, and wallpaper or splashbacks have made a recent re-emergence.

While it may seem stylish and innovative at the time, they can quickly go out of fashion and have you regretting it in a few years.

We’re not saying to design something that is merely practical – of course; you want something aesthetically pleasing! But, renovating a kitchen simply to mirror what is in the latest magazines or blogs may be dangerous for the long-term.

These are just a few of our ideas if you are on the road to kitchen renovation in Adelaide, but please get in touch with more questions!