Getting started – designing a new kitchen

Updating your kitchen can add value to your home, significantly improve your household’s quality of living, and attract buyers if you are selling, or tenants if you own an investment property.

The amount you spend will depend on your renovation goals, budget and whether you are upgrading your home for sale, rent or for your family’s long-term enjoyment.

And while you may read varying advice suggesting budgets ranging from anywhere between 5 per cent and 20 per cent of a home’s value, we suggest that you be guided by your personal finances.

Renovation goals:

Sale or rent 

If you are renovating for sale, or to improve an investment property’s ‘rentability’, it’s worth talking to your real estate agent, or a number of real estate agents, to find out how much capital investment is required to maximise your return. The last thing you want to do is over-capitalise and waste money on work that won’t help you sell or rent your property.

Your local agent will understand the market, current rental and sale prices, and the attributes renters and homebuyers expect or most value.

The aim of your renovation will be to ensure the kitchen –its design, style and function –meets your target audience’s needs.

Lifestyle

Renovating your own kitchen is a very different process. You will tailor the design, style and function to your family’s needs and tastes. Also, you can allocate your budget according to what your family wants, rather than thinking about the return on investment.

Some questions to ask include:

• What doesn’t work in your existing kitchen –is it the style, space, storage or function?
• Do you use your kitchen primarily for cooking or also for casual dining and/or entertaining?
• Will you change the layout?
• Do you need to relocate or add utilities like electricity, gas and water outlets?
• Do you need to make structural changes such as adding windows or knocking down or putting up walls?

Kitchen Budget

1. Finances: Before you get carried away with your renovation plans, it is worth considering how much you can afford to spend on your upgrade. Do you have savings? Will you be taking out a personal loan or using a credit card? It is always worth talking to your current home lender about refinancing. Options include redraw facilities, increasing your existing home loan or switching your home loan.
2. Trade and professional help: Obtaining estimates or written quotes (if you have detailed renovation plans) will allow you to set a realistic budget. The more detail you can give your suppliers, the more accurate the quote will be. Always shop around. Consider the different trade professionals you will need to engage and whether you will undertake any of the work or project management yourself.
3. Design and appliances: Establishing your kitchen design, including layout, style, appliances and desired finishes, will help you to determine how much trade and professional help you will need and how much it should cost. Naturally if your plan is going to cost more than you can afford, you will need to modify it.

Alex Milne, Executive Director of the Kitchen and Bathroom Designers Institute (KBDi), advises renovators to first find their creative inspiration.

“Research using the internet, magazines such as Kitchens & Bathrooms Quarterly, and home shows, noting styles, finishes and textures that appeal. Take note of splashbacks, door handles, sinks and taps and other accessories. Review the type of cooking most often undertaken in the kitchen and who is going to be most involved in food prep/cooking. Check out appliances. Think about floor materials, wall finishes and most importantly lighting. Remember the kitchen is the whole design space, not just the cabinets, other fixtures and appliances,”says Milne.

For help establishing your kitchen renovation budget use the Australian Institute of Architects’ Ask An Architect renovation budget calculator.

Continue reading the Complete Kitchen Renovation Guide with: A kitchen renovation timeline