With the growing popularity of cooking as a hobby, it’s no surprise kitchen renovations is one of the most-searched home-related topics online, even here in Western Australia. According to the trades professional site hipages.com.au, budgets for kitchen renovations Perth residents need to allocate range from $10,000 for a basic renovation, all the way to $100,000 for a comprehensive luxury remodelling.
Regardless of your budget, you still want to make sure that your money is spent wisely. Unfortunately, many things homeowners do to save money may reduce the value and utility of one of the most important areas of their home. Check out these five mistakes many homeowners make when remodelling their kitchen.
1.) Choose appliances only after the work is done
You should already have at least the stove, refrigerator, and perhaps a freezer in mind when you begin work on your kitchen renovations. The important thing is to make sure that you don’t place your cabinets too close to each other that your appliances are unable to fit neatly in their designated spaces.
2.) Skimp on cabinets
If there’s one thing that’s true about any kitchen, it’s that you can never have too many cabinets. Thankfully Perth cabinet makers specialising in kitchen renovations offer a wide selection of durable off-the-shelf and custom cabinetry products for every style and budget. If you have some room left in your budget, make sure to use it to fit in more cabinets.
3.) Reject help from professionals
Whether you’ve hired professional contractors or have decided to go DIY on your renovations, the final vision for your dream kitchen should be your own. But don’t be so sure about one thing that you’ll give up something better.
If professional designers or contractors offer you any advice, you’d be wise to listen to them. They tend to have more experience with kitchen renovations, so they’re in a good position to offer guidance on which products and techniques might be more cost-effective. You might even learn about things you never realised you needed for your renovation.
4.) Choose cheap appliances
When shopping for kitchen appliances, the general rule is that you should choose the best ones you can afford. This is especially crucial for items that will be used every day, such as refrigerators, stoves, blenders, and coffee makers. If you plan on doing a lot of baking or pastry-making in your kitchen, you should also consider purchasing the best mixer you can get.
One thing all those appliances have in common, with the exception of the stove (though many models have them also) is the presence of motors. Generally speaking, as moving parts, they tend to get some wear and tear with use. Cheaper appliances tend to have less reliable motors that give out sooner compared to intermediate or better-quality appliances.
Other things to pay attention to include overall build quality, warranties, as well as repairability.
5.) Ignore kitchen flow ergonomics
Renovations are the best possible time to make sure everything in your kitchen is a perfect match for your specific needs. If you’re taller or shorter than average, for instance, the regular heights of sinks, counters, and cabinets may not only be inconvenient, they can potentially cause stress injuries from repeated hunching down to reach surfaces that are too low or straining to reach out-of-the-way cabinets. Attention should also be given to the kitchen flow so that the preparation area, refrigerator, sink, and stove are done logically.
If anything, these kinds of improvements should take precedence over cosmetic changes, as these will have a bigger impact on how you use and enjoy your kitchen for years to come.
