Our Top 10 Kitchen Remodelling Tips
Every home will need a bit of remodelling every now and then. If you recently decided to overhaul or expand your kitchen, here are 10 kitchen remodelling tips everyone should be aware of.
1. Keep Your Budget in Mind
Setting a budget for yourself is probably the most important step before beginning any kitchen remodel. That way, you can make sure you don’t end up overspending on nonessential items. You’ll want to consider whether or not a low-, medium- or high-end kitchen remodel is what you want and makes the most sense for your current kitchen. Figure out which features of your kitchen are the most important to you and make sure you allocate your funds appropriately.
Quick Tip:
One of our quick kitchen remodelling tips for setting your budget is to know your neighbourhood. If you are remodelling your kitchen to increase your home’s property value, you’ll want to know you’re making the right level of investment. If you are currently living in a tiny starter home, it wouldn’t make sense to invest $50,000 when you wouldn’t receive the best return.
2. Avoid An Identity Crisis
This can be a homeowner’s biggest mistake when it comes to remodelling their kitchen. All homes are built in a specific architectural style. Whether you live in an old Tudor home or a modern build, you’ll want to work with your home’s style, not against it. A complete overhaul of a kitchen can leave you having spent too much money on a space that looks like it should be in someone else’s home. But just because your style options have certain limits, that doesn’t mean your kitchen remodel won’t turn out to be beautiful!
3. Utilize Existing Cabinets
This next kitchen remodelling tip can save you a lot of money, maybe even thousands. Cabinet frames tend to be one of the most expensive components of any remodel. If your cabinets are high-quality wood and still in great condition, you should definitely consider leaving them where they are.
You can give your cabinets a brand new look to match the rest of your upgrade by re-laminating the sides and fronts, adding new doors and drawer fronts or giving them a fresh coat of spray paint. Yes, we said spray paint. Painting or rolling cabinets yourself can leave them looking streaked or uneven. A professionally done spray job can make your old, ugly cabinets look factory-new.
4. Invest in Your Backsplash
If there’s one aspect of your kitchen remodel that you shouldn’t neglect, it’s your backsplash. A backsplash can either make or break a kitchen remodel in Hamilton, as it one of the main focal points of the room. This is your chance to play with colour, pattern and shapes. Use varying shades of the same tone or make a statement with a dramatic backsplash to draw the eye with ease.
Quick Tip:
Our second quick kitchen remodelling tip is to take the backsplash tile all the way to the ceiling. This is an especially good idea if your ceilings are only eight feet. The tile will create visual height and give your new kitchen a particularly polished, sophisticated look since there won’t be a break where the tile meets the drywall.
5. Don’t Mismatch Appliances
If you’re planning on purchasing a new fridge, dishwasher and range, it’s generally a good idea to stick to the same brand. Mixing your appliance brands can quickly make your kitchen look not as put together as it could since all your appliances don’t want. Fortunately for you, the majority of appliance manufacturers now create great looking lines that include matching sets just for this reason! Spend a little time doing some research to find affordable appliances that you love.
6. Upgrade Your Fixtures & Appliances
If you’re already planning to upgrade your appliances, you might also want to consider upgrading your fixtures. It’s pretty common for kitchen remodels to include additional fixtures that were not originally there. For example, new dishwasher models can save you money on your water bill and a garbage disposal in your sink can reduce the amount of waste you need to compost.
These considerations will likely require the help of a professional plumber in Hamilton. Make sure you give them a call to ensure that all the necessary plumbing for these upgraded features is put in place so you can have the kitchen of your dreams.
7. Consider Functionality
If you’re completely gutting your kitchen, our next remodelling tip will urge you to watch out for the wrong floor plan. Before you even start your renovation, you will need to make sure that you have a strong idea of how your new kitchen will meet all your needs. Having a plan will ensure that not only beautifully designed, but also easy to navigate. Whether you consider yourself to be a culinary chef or you only know how to use the microwave, keep in mind what the busiest areas of your kitchen are.
Quick Tip:
Expert interior designers recommend that the distance between your sink, stove and refrigerator should form an equilateral triangle for optimal functionality. Also, keep your dishwasher next to your sink to avoid dripping water everywhere each time you use it. Investing in a Hamilton plumber to help reconfigure your pipes to so will save you a ton of headaches in the future.
8. Think About Moving Your Pipes
Likewise, reconfiguring your kitchen’s functionality may require you to redesign how your kitchen’s space is used. You’ll need to hire a professional plumber in Hamilton to help you move any necessary pipes or gas lines. You can finally move the sink to the other side of the room, or get that open-concept kitchen or island counter you’ve always wanted. With a little consultation and help, a plumber in Hamilton can definitely do this for you.
9. Check Your Pipes
And while you have a Hamilton plumber over for a consultation, it’s the perfect opportunity to get them to assess the condition of your pipes. If the scale of your kitchen remodel is going to require moving or exposing pipes, you might as well make sure they are in the best shape possible. Now’s the time to have any repairs made or maintenance done.
10. Upgrade to Modern Plumbing
If your home has older style iron pipes, you should definitely upgrade them to a more modern plumbing option. Our kitchen remodelling tip to upgrade to modern plumbing will help increase your home’s resale value. By upgrading, you’ll be able to maintain your plumbing more easily as well as easier to reroute any plumbing if you want to relocate your appliances and fixtures.
For any of your kitchen remodelling needs, PlumbWize is here to help! To speak with our expert plumbers in Hamilton, contact us today.