How to Plan a Kitchen Renovation

Being stuck at home isn’t all that fun. Still, it does provide a fantastic opportunity to get started on all the home improvement projects and renovations you have been putting off due to time restraints.

One of the most common rooms in a home to renovate is the kitchen. As you may or may not know, kitchens have the potential to sell a home, which is why it’s always a good idea to invest in a kitchen renovation. However, you do need to be smart about it. It’s essential to plan every aspect of your renovation. You must not overcapitalise, and you must set a realistic budget and stick to it. These are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of kitchen renovation rules. There are many more rules, tips, and considerations to aid the planning process, which we look at today in this article.

Ross’s Discount Home Centre is here to serve you, not only in providing high-quality kitchens and kitchen renovation products but also in providing expert help, advice, and support to see you through your kitchen renovation. Whether you’re planning a full kitchen renovation or looking to get the most bang from a small budget, this article will help you stay on track, on budget and accomplish your goals.

So, how do you plan a kitchen renovation? Planning starts with research, followed by design, setting a timeline, organising tradespeople, and demolishing. Only then can any new work can commence.

Research

The first step in planning a kitchen renovation is to put the time in to do a little research. Look online for design inspiration, new product releases, and even tradies. Look into the styles of design you like, product options, and the cost of items. This will help you set a realistic budget.

Budget

With a little research under your belt, you can now turn your attention to setting a budget.  Setting a renovation budget is a vital stage of the planning process which shouldn’t be underestimated.

Base your kitchen renovation budget on what you can afford to invest vs the maximum investment before overcapitalising; this is key. To work out what your maximum investment is, I recommend you use the 3% rule, this being no more than three per cent of your property value. This rule is backed by Australian renovating-for-profit queen Cherie Barber.

So, for example, if your home is valued at $700,000, then you should be looking to invest no more than $21,000 in your kitchen renovation.

This figure is also very much in line with the median kitchen renovation spending in 2019. According to the AU House & Home Renovation Trends Study,  the median kitchen renovation spend over the past year was $20,000, up 16% from the previous year.

As a side note; if you are renovating your entire home, your budget should be 10% of your property’s value.

Cost considerations

There are many cost considerations to factor into a kitchen renovation budget, which are often overlooked, causing budget blowouts.

Your renovation budget needs to include the following products and services:

Kitchen Renovation Services:

• Builder / Cabinet maker
• Plumber
• Electrician
• Tiler

Kitchen Renovation Products:

• Kitchen cabinets
• Benchtops
• Kitchen Sink
• Kitchen Tap
• Splashbacks
• Tiles
• Appliances
• Electrical fittings
• Lights
• Flooring
• Kitchen Accessories

Always remember to allow a 10% bugger for unforeseen expenses. It’s also important to factor in the shipping costs for any products you purchase online. However, this isn’t a problem if you shop online with Ross’s Discount Home Centre, as we offer delivery to Perth Metro.

Cost-savings

If you are renovating on a tight budget, then there are many cost-saving measures to avail. You can forgo the need for a builder or cabinet maker altogether by simply doing your demolition work and by choosing pre-assembled kitchen cabinets.

Removing an old kitchen to make way for a new kitchen is a straightforward task that just requires a few tools and a little muscle. You can save hundreds of dollars by doing this stage of the renovation yourself. Moreover, you can save thousands using our pre-assembled kitchen cabinets rather than having your cabinetry made by a cabinet maker.

There are many other cost-savings to be had in a kitchen renovation, from doing your own painting and installing your tiled splashback to shopping online for discount kitchen products. Ross’s Discount Home Centre has long been providing Perth residents high-quality kitchens at the lowest possible prices. Be sure to compare our prices with our competitors to see how much you can save!

Design

Now it’s time for the fun part of planning a kitchen renovation; the design!

Start by looking at the existing area and determine if any structural changes are required. Do any walls need to be moved? Will the space remain the same size? Once you know the answer to these questions, you can start thinking about the layout, which is the most vital element of designing a kitchen.

Did your previous layout work? Was it functional? If the answer is no, then you will need to consider other layout options that work in your space. You can read a couple of my earlier articles, ‘What Is Your Kitchen Layout Preference?‘ and ‘How To Choose The Right Kitchen Layout Shape‘, for ideas and inspiration.

Once you have an idea of the layout, you can design your own kitchen using our free 3D kitchen planner. Our kitchen planner provides all the tools you need to create your space and fill it with your desired cabinet configuration. You can even choose your benchtop, flooring, etc.

Design Considerations

As mentioned, getting the design right is vital. A kitchen renovation is a significant investment. It will cost you to change the design once the renovation has started, and the final design will be with you for at least ten years,

Consider the following elements when designing your kitchen:

• Layout
• Functionality & the kitchen work triangle – find out more here
• Storage
• Bench space
• Style
• Cabinetry
• Hardware
• Appliances

Each kitchen component must be cohesive to provide a highly functional and aesthetically pleasing space. Never sacrifice functionality for luxury features; always buy the best quality materials you can afford within your budget.

I strongly urge you to read my earlier article, ‘10 Of The Biggest Kitchen Design Mistakes To Avoid‘, to ensure you don’t make any of these rookie mistakes.

Design Savings

For those planning a budget kitchen renovation, know you don’t have to compromise design to stay within budget. There are countless ways to achieve the look of a high-end kitchen on a shoestring budget.

As mentioned earlier, one of the best cost-saving design options is to opt for pre-assembled cabinets over custom cabinets. They are not only cheaper, but they provide easy DIY installation for further cost savings. Other design options for maximum savings include choosing a laminate benchtop over an engineered stone and opting for a tiled splashback over glass or stone. (Read our post, Kitchen Splashback Trends, for the latest kitchen tile trends.)

Project Timeline

A project timeline is essential and should be part of your planning process. A project schedule coordinates the appearance of each tradesperson to ensure the renovation is completed swiftly and without long delays.

A kitchen renovation project timeline should include the following, in this order:

1. Demolition – removing the existing kitchen to make way for the new kitchen. This should take no more than a day.
2. Build work – moving walls, adding windows etc. This usually takes one to two days, depending on the scope of work.
3. Kitchen cabinetry – installing new kitchen cabinets. Allow one to three days for the cabinetry to be installed. (One day if you choose pre-assembled kitchen cabinets)
4. Kitchen benchtop – installing new kitchen benchtop. You should only need one day for the installation, but allow for the manufacturing time, which can be up to 10 days)
5. Plumbing and electrical – connecting the plumbing, appliances, lighting and powerpoints. This should take no more than one day.
6. Splashback – installing the splashback. Allow one day.
7. Flooring – Laying new flooring. Allow one to three days, depending on your flooring choice.

Tradespeople

With the budget and design sorted, you can approach tradespeople for quotes. As mentioned, you will need a licenced plumber and electrician to connect the plumbing and electrical components and a cabinet maker if you opt for a custom kitchen. Other tradies- builders, tilers, painters, etc., are optional and only required if you don’t want to take on any DIY work to reduce costs. And speaking of costs, check out our article, How Much Do Kitchen Renovations Cost, to get a good idea of what you can expect to pay for tradespeople and all other components of a kitchen renovation.

Supply tradies with a detailed kitchen plan and your project timeline when requesting quotes. I recommend you gather three quotes for each trade if you don’t already have someone in mind. If you have no experience with quotes before, I recommend you take a moment to read my earlier article, ‘How To Get A Quote For Your New Home Or Renovation’.

Tradespeople considerations

It’s important not to choose tradespeople based on their quotes alone. Jump online to read customer reviews to know if their service is as attractive as their quote. Facebook and Google My Business are fantastic reference points.

Also, checking their schedule to see if they can work with your project timeline is essential. For instance, you don’t want to have an unfinished kitchen for weeks on end while you wait for your plumber to become available.

Your chosen tradies need to be reliable, affordable, and available!

Demolition

The final step in the planning process is demolition, which is also the first step of the renovation.

There is a right and wrong way to remove an existing kitchen. If you have contracted a builder, they will handle this for you. However, to save money and do this yourself, you must know a little about what you’re doing.

You must arrange a skip bin and have the right tools and personal protective equipment. You will also need to contact your plumber and electrician and have them disconnect the services before any work commences.

Suggested tools to aid the demo include a hammer, drill, crowbar, Stanley knife, flat-head, Phillips and square-bit screwdriver, a wrench and a slip-joint plier.

With all the planning done, you are now well-equipped with everything you need to successfully execute your kitchen renovation.

Conclusion

If you’re taking advantage of the extra time spent at home to renovate your kitchen, you will need to start with planning and lots of it. By taking the time to plan your renovation, you will have a budget that ensures you don’t overcapitalise, know your preferred design style and layout, which is both functional and attractive, have affordable tradespeople on board that will work to your project timeline and understand what is needed to start the demolition to make way for your new kitchen.

Once you plan, you can start sourcing products for your new kitchen. For this, you will find no better partner than Ross’s Discount Home Centre. We have been serving Perth with quality home renovation products for over 35 years and have everything needed to complete your dream kitchen in-store and in stock.

Our vast kitchen range includes our top-quality pre-assembled kitchen cabinet range, which comprises wall cabinets, base cabinets, pantry cabinets, kitchen sinks, kitchen taps, laminate benchtops and engineered stone benchtops, kitchen tapware and kitchen accessories. We are also one of Perth’s biggest tile suppliers and have a massive range of splashback tiles, including mosaic tiles, subway tiles, and feature tiles, along with porcelain and ceramic tiles for flooring.

Plan smart and shop smart with Ross’s Discount Home Centre. Visit our ever-changing showroom in Guildford, Perth or shop online from our online store.