A great kitchen easily becomes the ‘heart of the home’. It is the place that the family gathers throughout the day to share food, company and conversation. If this doesn’t describe your kitchen and you are, dreaming of that beautiful new kitchen you have waited years for then it may be time for a remodel.
The biggest issue confronting many of us is the cost of a kitchen remodel as it can escalate out of control quite easily. If you keep the four items in mind that we have listed here, you can control both the cost and the time involved in the renovation. Perfect kitchen:
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Planning for perfection
The first and most critical aspect of a kitchen renovation and of keeping yourself on budget is to have a great plan. Try to take into account all the activities that your kitchen will be home to. Is your kitchen the heart of the home and an open plan to the rest of the living space? How many people use the kitchen at any given time? Does your kitchen need extra space for baking, cooking or party hosting? How is the kitchen used daily or during special times? It is critically important to make sure that your kitchen is planned with everything in mind and that includes all the things you want your new kitchen to handle that your old one doesn’t work for.
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Beauty and Function
The dream to have a beautiful kitchen sometimes trumps the actually need for functionality in the space. You may have seen or experienced gorgeously designed kitchens that just won’t work or don’t work for you family and your needs. Take the time to visit lots of kitchen display showrooms and think about your friends and families kitchens. What do you love about them and what just doesn’t work for you. If you are on a tight budget, you may have to sacrifice custom-made cabinetry but you can still get a beautiful kitchen with everything you need if you shop carefully and plan well.
There are a myriad of less-expensive solutions for the kitchen of your dreams. Want a slate floor? Some of the new environmentally friendly recycled floorings look just like real slate or tile and are much easier to install and maintain. Fancy an expensive granite or quartz counter top? Look for less expensive alternatives or sales on off cuts that are much more affordable. Take your time planning and don’t trade function for beauty you can have both.
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Fast or Right?
Given that, the kitchen is the heart of most homes it can be very trying to have the entire house disrupted by a kitchen renovation. Doing the dishes in the bathtub is not conducive to a happy home. But don’t lose perspective and try to rush the job; the benefits of getting it right will pay off in the long run. If those perfect cabinets are going to take 8 weeks to be delivered, then wait for them. Don’t’ trade of on cabinets that you can ‘live with’ instead of love. Simply adjust the dates of the renovation and plan for this possibility right from the beginning.
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Price and Value
Price is what you pay and value is what you get, what that means is don’t just focus on the bottom line; make sure you are getting value for your money. It’s easy to choose cheap solutions and inexpensive products but this isn’t the way to compromise on your budget. Choose good quality materials so that they will last and if it costs a little more to get value make sure that is included in the budget.
Choose the details that will provide you with a great feeling kitchen, it may cost a little more than you expected but spending that extra money will help you maximize the investment in the long run.
Give us a call and we can help you budget and plan your dream kitchen today!
