A crucial part of the planning process is working out your budget and sticking to it. Factor in the cost of the kitchen design, units and materials, labour (installation, plumbing and electrics), appliances, wall and floor treatments, and try to include an extra 20 per cent as a contingency amount. It's amazing how often the unexpected happens! A renovated kitchen should increase the market value of your property by about eight per cent so, before you start, find out the value of your house to work out exactly how much you’ll need to spend.
Clearly, buying an off-the-peg kitchen will work out cheaper than going for a made-to-measure one. The differential in price is reflected in what you end up with -the latter will have cabinetry built from solid wood in situ, whereas standard kitchens are prefabricated offsite and assembled.
Choose your tradesman carefully - you can't hope to get the kitchen of your dreams if you employ an untested odd-job man to do it for you. Several kitchen companies provide their own installers, so you should be able to trust them for a good end result. If you have to source your own tradesman, speak to his previous clients to see if he came in on budget, if his attitude was good and if the work was up to scratch.
Before spending thousands on new units and appliances, ask yourself the following questions:
Do you want a mixture of wall and floor cupboards?
Do you want freestanding or fitted units? What is your budget - off-the-peg or a bespoke design?
Do you want a stand-alone cooker (such as a range) or a separate hob and oven?
Do you want to keep the washing machine and tumble dryer in the kitchen, or can you put them in a dedicated laundry room?
Do you want to put the dishwasher in the utility room? Will this involve a lot of carrying back and forth with heavy crockery?
Is there space for a breakfast area to streamline the morning rush? Remember to include enough storage for mugs, tea and coffee tins and power points for the toaster and kettle.
Will an extractor hood above the hob be sufficient, or do you need a separate system to air the room? Open-plan kitchens often need plenty of air extraction to keep adjoining spaces pleasant. Westin offers tailored solutions.
Is there adequate storage for all your kitchen equipment on your plan? Are there enough worktops for food preparation?
Where are you going to plug in and use permanent items, such as the kettle and toaster, and temporary ones, such as the food processor or juicer?
Will you need a radiator, especially if you have included a seating area? Can you create a feature from it by using an unusual design?
Do you want to dedicate an area at the kitchen table to doing or storing paperwork, such as bills? A kitchen designer can incorporate a small workstation to free up space elsewhere in the house.
Do you want display storage for certain items - for example bottles and recipe books - or do you prefer to keep them hidden in a cupboard?
Find a trusted kitchen fitter in your area using MyBuilder.
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