Kitchen renovations, where to start?

The best place to start when planning a kitchen renovation is to do your research- find a company that you’re comfortable with; whose work you like; and who you feel has the experience necessary to plan and execute your renovation most effectively. Renovating can be chaotic and daunting. Finding a company who can ease some, or all of this burden for you is a great way to start- then everything else should just fall into place! This is the reason, at KitchenHaus we offer clients a full project management style approach, where we can arrange everything from design, removal, plumbing, electrical, flooring, appliances, installation and finishing details like plastering and patching, ensuring that all associated trades are in according to the most efficient and tailored schedule for the project.

How to budget for kitchen renovations?

When planning and choosing your budget for a renovation, you first need to be comfortable that what you’re spending will add the value that you want from your project. Value can either be the obvious return on investment, adding value to the price of your property, or it can be adding value in the way that you enjoy and use your kitchen.

If you’re planning the renovation to add value to an investment property, for example, you might want to be more conservative with the amount of money you spend, to ensure a return on your investment, and in this case, the average amount would be to spend closer to 3% of the value of the property (e.g. if your property is worth $500,000, you would look to spend approximately $15,000 on your kitchen renovation).

If the value in your renovation is more personal or intrinsic (i.e. for your enjoyment as much as adding value to your property), you might look to spending a little more on your renovation, and add more features and designer touches, to get that dream kitchen.

The standard rule of thumb, however, is to consider spending between 3-6% of the value of the property, to ensure you don’t over capitalise on your investment.

When we begin working with a client, we like to get an understanding of  their budget and what they’re comfortable spending, as well as what they hope to achieve, both aesthetically, with a general design idea in mind (for example, a modern kitchen, or a ‘Hamptons style’ kitchen), and from the project (e.g. to add value to their home; to increase their kitchen’s functionality; to improve the look of their kitchen) so that we can work with our client to plan their budget and design around these parameters. Obviously, money will be spent on the renovation project, but it is about spending your budget ‘smart’, to ensure that your priorities are achieved.

How much do kitchen renovations cost?

It will depend on the type of finishes that you want – stone worktops can add to your kitchen project somewhat, but they certainly do add value, that ‘wow’ factor and an added level of functionality in your kitchen.

The average kitchen renovation, excluding any major structural (wall removal) work, etc. is between $18,000 to $26,000 when you factor in the removal of the old cabinetry, plumbing and electrical works required, cabinetry and installation of the cabinets, and new appliances.

The cost will invariably depend and vary based on the size and scope of the project though. If a client is looking at including major structural work, this can add another $3,000-$10,000 to a project, depending on structural requirements. Also making major modifications to a kitchen’s existing ‘footprint’ (where the kitchen is currently) can add to the overall cost associated with a renovation, as it may require changing/patching flooring and possibly moving services such as plumbing and/or electrical.

Working out how much you’re comfortable/able to spend on your renovation is the first step. It’s then our job to best advise you on how to plan and execute your project.

How long do kitchen renovations take?

It depends on what you’re factoring in to the ‘time take’ – we have had clients spend months on planning their dream kitchen (we do encourage our clients to meet with our designers as many times as it takes for them to be comfortable that their design is exactly what they’re after – even if it means measuring every last drawer height, to ensure your plates and pots will fit perfectly!).

But when considering the actual ‘messy’ part – from rip-out to having your beautiful and functional new kitchen useable, it is between 1-4 weeks depending on the selections you make for your project (for example, laminate tops vs stone; tiled splashback vs. glass).

A general project schedule might looks like this:

Day 1 (AM) : Removal of your existing kitchen will take half a day.

Day 1 (PM):The plumber and electrician will then come in to do their ‘pre-work’ for the other half of that first day, prepping the space for your new kitchen to be installed.

Day 2-3: Your new cabinets will then be fitted. This will take between 1-2 days. If you’re having laminate tops, these will be fitted the same days as the cabinetry.

Day 3: If you’re having stone tops, these will be templated to fit exactly with your cabinetry and your walls.

Day 4-14: Manufacture of the stone will then take approximately 10 days before it is fitted.

Day 14 (or day 5 with laminate tops): Once the tops are fitted, your cooktop and sink can be connected (so your kitchen will be mostly functional at this point, with only finishing touches like splashbacks to be completed.