Whether you’re looking to renovate your home, or just simply give it a spruce up, upgrading your kitchen space can make a huge difference. Since lockdown, we’ve all gone a little DIY mad it is fair to say, with many of us also reconsidering our living space. If you’re adding value to your home, a kitchen could be the way to go!
Think back to when you were first shopping around for the perfect home. If you’re a major foodie (or simply love cooking!), kitchen space is a big deal. But there is more to it than fancy cupboards. If you’re now looking to sell your home or add value for further down the line, a new kitchen can breathe life into your home. According to the NAEA, if your budget isn’t huge, renovating should focus on your kitchen space. But why?
The kitchen is the heart of a home
Your kitchen truly is the heart of the home. No matter its size, it is often the hub of the household. It’s the beginning of family dinners, dinner parties and trying to cook the Christmas turkey. It’s the starting point of all coffee conversations, discussions over wine and fun with the kids. And if you’re lucky enough to have a big open plan kitchen (maybe with some bar stools!), you’ll know exactly what we mean when it comes to a good old kitchen discussion.
What to consider before renovating your kitchen
It’s important to take note of your new kitchen budget according to the price bracket of your home. This will help you to add as much value to your property as possible with your brand new kitchen. Let’s look at it this way. If you’re looking at spending £20k on a stunning new kitchen, but your property value is around the £200k mark, you won’t make that money back.
Also Read: How To Maximise Your Home’s Space
In order to add as much possible value to your home, you need to consider the following:
The DIY approach
While lockdown turned us all into DIY and home improvement superstars, it is most definitely a more cost-effective approach for adding a new kitchen. Before you begin, be sure to map out exactly what you need, how much you can do yourself and what, if anything, you will need a professional for. If you can complete the job yourself, even better!
If you’re looking to just paint a few kitchen cupboard doors or add new handles, you may not be gaining that added value you first dreamed of, however.
Before you get ready to get stuck in, consider the style and age of your property to ensure your new kitchen remains in keeping with your home.
- Check out this great guide to kitchen colour schemes
- Choosing the correct kitchen style for your home
Designing a kitchen with a professional designer
If your budget stretches this far, using a professional designer can help you achieve the ultimate kitchen. A designer will help you to design a kitchen that’ll add value to your home, be in keeping with its style and character and also serve its purpose.
Also Read: What Projects Can You Do Without Planning Permission?
How to get the best out of your kitchen
The kitchen triangle can make or break a kitchen space! If you’re unsure what we’re talking about, the ‘kitchen triangle’ is the easy access space between the sink, fridge and cooker. After all, you need to be able to grab those goodies from the fridge and carry on cooking! All of these elements can help increase the value of your home.
Making your new kitchen budget-friendly
The cost of a new kitchen can quickly rack up. We’re talking cupboards, new worktops, handles and so on. However, the cost of your kitchen really depends on the space. Are you knocking down walls to create an open-plan layout? Or simply replacing and refreshing your existing kitchen space?
Before you rip out your kitchen and throw it in the skip, think about what you save. You can still add value to your home with a new kitchen while using some of the old parts. This is one way to keep the costs of your new kitchen down a little.
Be selective with expensive fittings. The carcasses of your units don’t have to break the bank. If you’re looking to make an island your centrepiece, you could consider a more expensive worktop here and cheaper elsewhere.
Rethink your existing kitchen space. Remodelling and reusing your existing space can help you to meet your needs. Think about the problem areas (if any) with your current kitchen and the ways in which you can maximise space, design and convenience.
Look out for end of line kitchens. Your ‘new’ kitchen doesn’t have to necessarily be the latest in-store. Look out for ex-display and end of line kitchens to help save those pennies.
Avoid moving the essentials. Where possible, avoid radically altering the orientation of your kitchen. We’re talking: The sink, dishwasher and cooker. Minimise the amount of additional electrical, gas and plumbing work to save costs.
Don’t go with the first option you see. It might be tempting to walk into a showroom and fall in love with a kitchen right away! Instead, shop around and spend some time researching prices.
Also Read: What To Expect When Working With An Architect.
Fit the kitchen yourself. Or… See who you know that’ll fit it for you! This goes back to our previous point of lockdown home improvements and DIY.
How much value can a kitchen bring?
It’s estimated that improving your kitchen can improve the value of your property by at least 6%. This added value can benefit you further down the line when you may be looking to sell. But in the meantime, upgrading your kitchen can bring a lot more enjoyment to your home space.
Although we already mentioned DIY fitting your kitchen… Don’t go ahead unless you feel confident! A botched kitchen job can damage the value of your home, so be sure to hire somehow who knows how.
Are you considering updating your kitchen space? Psst, while you’re here, check out the latest from our blog, including ‘how to build a home on a budget‘ and ‘why hire an estimator for your next building project‘.
