An Extensive Guide to Renovating Your Kitchen in 2020
Want to turn your kitchen into a family haven where you do more than just prepare meals?
For some Calgary homeowners, the kitchen is the hub of the home. It’s where the family gets together and discusses their day over dinner or the day ahead over breakfast.
It’s also where neighbours pop in for a coffee or you entertain guests at a dinner party.
So, your kitchen should be designed to be more than simply functional.
To get more from your kitchen, a renovation or at least a makeover might be needed.
The problem is how do you go about it?
How do you keep within budget and cause little disruption around your home while you build the kitchen you always wanted?
It’s a big job and a big expense. To get it right from the start, here are a few tips from our kitchen renovation experts.
Where to start?
The most important steps in planning a kitchen renovation are:
- Giving yourself enough time: rushing things can lead to mistakes – and they will end up costing you more in time and expense.
- Deciding what you want to achieve: you don’t need to choose finishes, appliances, etc. yet (this can be discussed with your designer/renovator) but do get clear on what you want to achieve.
- Hiring the right people: hiring established renovators whose opinion you can trust is the key to a smooth and successful project that delivers what you’re looking for.
An experienced and professional renovator will help you decide on a new layout and structure, as well as advise you on finishes and functionality, in order to meet your overall goals.
Your kitchen renovation contractor will also help you make contingency plans for cooking during times when the renovation work makes the kitchen unusable (highly likely with larger projects).
For instance, setting up a temporary kitchen and place to relax elsewhere in the house (or even in the garage!) can make a huge difference to your family’s convenience during the renovation.
How much should you spend on a kitchen renovation?
Setting a budget is obviously important for any renovation work. However, the key here is to build some flexibility into it.
You don’t want to overspend but you will probably only renovate your kitchen once or twice in your lifetime – so it’s worth doing it properly.
Small unplanned expenses are likely to accrue during the work, as you notice additional items or appliances that you want to include.
Besides, cutting corners may lead to problems down the track. To allow for this, try to add an extra 10-20 percent on top of your “ideal” budget figure.
Most kitchen renovations we do are for relatively upmarket properties.
A basic kitchen renovation comes in at around $30-50,000 but adding custom cabinetry and top-end finishes and appliances can easily stretch the budget to well over $60,000 and higher.
In what order should I redo my kitchen?
Most successful renovations revolve around improving (or adding) space.
Homeowners often want more room to entertain, cook, eat, host, etc. This may involve removing (or partly removing) walls or incorporating adjacent rooms into the kitchen space.
If this is necessary, it is the obvious place to start.
If demolition and construction work is necessary, you may not need planning permission but you will need to meet local building safety approval requirements.
Whenever we remove walls, enlarge or add windows we must get a building permit and this will typically require a structural engineer’s instruction and approval.
After the construction work is completed, new cabinetry, lighting, floor tiles, and materials for counter surfaces may take priority.
Painting is one of the last elements to work on– but obviously, colours will have been decided well in advance, during the planning and design stages.
Once everything is in place, the new appliances are fitted. These will greatly impact the overall aesthetic of your kitchen space though some homeowners prefer to have them hidden or built into cabinetry.
How long does it take to do a kitchen remodel?
A full kitchen renovation can take up to 14 or 15 weeks. Smaller renovations may be completed in around two months as a guideline.
How do you plan a kitchen makeover?
A kitchen makeover is less extensive than a renovation. Consider it more of an upgrade than a complete remodel of your kitchen.
It generally involves relatively minor or “superficial” changes and a lower budget and it aims for some quick, easy, and cost-effective improvements that breathe new life into your kitchen area.
A few examples include:
- Changing appliances
- Updating the flooring
- Installing new kitchen cupboards
- Fitting new countertops/backsplash/plumbing fixtures
Discuss with your renovator if you are thinking of a kitchen makeover. You may get some ideas that you hadn’t considered.
Get your investment right
Remember, a kitchen renovation will not only bring more value to your home life…it should increase the market value of your home.
Consider it an investment. But make sure you research and plan it properly first so that you get your investment right.
Looking for a renovation contractor in Calgary? Contact our team at Litwiller today to discuss your options.