What should you not do in a kitchen remodel?

Renovating your kitchen can often go one of two ways—the first being easy, on-time and within budget. The second being costly, time-consuming and frustrating due to unforeseen circumstances and poor decisions. Being the most commonly renovated area within Australian homes, your kitchen has the ability to add substantial value to your home if the renovation is executed successfully.

Here at BJF Joinery, we pride ourselves on fulfilling our customers kitchen renovation goals bybeing upfront and transparent in all stages of planning and construction. Our impressive design work is always completed in a timely and economical fashion for our valued customers. Here are some of our ground rules that will help you avoid making costly mistakes when completing your upcoming kitchen renovation.

Avoid these 5 mistakes.

1. Aesthetics over functionality.

Understandably, many homeowners are often extremely concerned with the visual aspect of their kitchen renovation. This is a vital component to consider, however, making design plans to the exclusion of factoring in functionality purposes of a space that you utilise every day can prove to be counterproductive and result in a kitchen renovation that looks great but leaves the homeowner unsatisfied. For example, keep your kitchen renovation plans in line with typical kitchen working zones. Don’t put your prep area extremely far away from your refrigerator and keep your sink in an easily accessible and hygienic location such as under a window that welcomes natural light, ideally that is adjacent to your main meal prep area.

2. Avoid DIY.

Despite the popularity explosion of DIY home improvement TV shows such as The Block andHouse Rules—those who are not qualified to complete kitchen renovation tasks should not attempt to do so as this has proven countless times to result in more costly issues that require repairing by certified professionals. Reality TV shows and Youtube channels have a tendency to make all home improvement tasks seem very doable. However, you will not achieve your dream kitchen renovation in one week by utilising $2000 worth of products available from Bunningsdespite what these videos tell you. In order to achieve a proper kitchen renovation that actually adds value to your home and increases functionality within your space, you will require plumbing, electrical and structural work carried out by experienced and qualified professionals.

3. Keeping up with the latest styles.

If you are committing to undertaking a kitchen renovation, it’s important that you don’t get fixated on incorporating peculiar design trends that are bound to disappear as quickly as they emerged. Creating a kitchen design that is classic or contemporary, one which works cohesively with your existing home design will future proof your kitchen and aid in adding substantial value to your home if executed correctly. Designing your kitchen to appeal to visitors or incorporating expensive appliances in order to impress family and friends will not leave you satisfied with your end result. Stay true to yourself and put functionality and efficiency on a pedestal when planning your kitchen renovation.

4. Forgetting about the importance of storage space.

One of the most common mistakes made by those who have recently renovated is the fact that they hadn’t incorporated enough bench space, cabinets and cupboards to successfully cater to their everyday kitchen needs. When planning your upcoming kitchen remodel be sure to make storage and counter space a priority. Certified kitchen renovation professionals have countless tips and tricks when it comes to discreetly adding more storage space to your kitchen for an affordable price. Excess storage is never a problem in a kitchen, however lack thereof has the ability to impact your daily life—and this should be avoided.

5. Budget blowouts.

As a responsible homeowner, you should take all the adequate precautionary measures when determining the right budget for your kitchen renovation project. It’s important you factor in numerous financial considerations such as the current state of your own finances, the value of your home and the prices of homes in your local area in order to determine exactly what is reasonable to spend on your kitchen renovation. Figure out a budget that you are comfortable with and one that is reasonable enough for your contractors to complete your desired work in. This is vital to avoid unexpected disappointments throughout your planning phase. Be sure contingencies are factored into your budget for situations that may be unforeseeable. The smart way to overcome unpleasant surprises is to keep 10% of the total cost of your renovation aside as a financial safety net. When engaging with an experienced company that has a team of certified professionals, renovating your kitchen can be extremely seamless and result in a highly beneficial outcome for yourself and your family that is practical, aesthetically pleasing and financially favourable.