Whether you are renovating your current home or are searching for a new home, the kitchen is a crucial space to get right. As one of the most expensive rooms to fix, the kitchen can make or break your overall enjoyment of the home.
Adrian Goslett, Regional Director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, encourages homeowners to think carefully about what their dream kitchen would look like long before they purchase a home.
“Property is a great long-term investment strategy. To maximise the profit you stand to make on the home, you want to live in the home for at least five to ten years. This is why it is helpful to have a clear idea on what is important to you before you purchase a home or begin a renovation,” he explains.
When it comes to finding or creating the perfect kitchen, Goslett says that the stakes get much higher because it is one of the rooms that many homeowners spend most of their time in. “Getting the kitchen wrong or buying a home where the kitchen does not function well will have a big impact on everyday life – this is why real estate agents will often say that kitchens sell houses,” he notes.
To help homeowners get the kitchen right, RE/MAX of Southern Africa encourages homeowners to carefully consider the following questions to help them find or create their dream kitchen:
What are your current and future needs?
For example, how much space you’ll need might be affected by whether your family will be growing or shrinking in the next five to ten years.
How often do you cook?
If you are a foodie, then you will need a kitchen with countertop space for prepping and storage space for all your cookware and appliances. If not, then perhaps a small kitchen with space for a microwave will work perfectly well for you.
Do you like to entertain?
This could affect whether you need an open plan kitchen with an island where guests can gather around while you finish preparing the meal. If you prefer going out, then it might not matter if the kitchen is in a separate room to your living and dining areas.
How important is the design?
For example, do you have strong preferences for a neutral kitchen, or do you prefer one with bold colours? If design matters to you, are you willing to renovate or do you want to find a home with move-in-ready kitchen?
“By working out the answers to these questions, you will not only create a clearer picture of what your dream kitchen will look like, but you are also creating a wish list that will help a real estate professional find you the perfect match so much quicker. To ensure that the outcome is a success, it is always advisable to have a clear picture of what you want before undertaking any renovation or starting the hunt for a new home,” says Goslett .
READ: Easy DIY: How to transform your kitchen with paint and wallpaper
In previously published article Eugène Jordaan, Principal at Leapfrog Moreleta Park, advised that a few savvy adjustments, creative considerations and smart planning can make the kitchen the most loved space in the home:
Prep and plan
As with most home renovations, the available budget tends to dictate the scope of the project.
“Start by listing everything you would like to change, determine the cost of the line items on the wish list, and then work backwards from there, dividing the list into the essential must-dos and the nice-to-haves,” recommends Jordaan.
If you’re worried about overcapitalising, speak to a trusted property advisor who will be able to share useful insights with you about what sort of value your improvements will add to your property in the medium to long run.
When planning your new kitchen, bear in mind that practicality is key in a kitchen. Think about how you use the space and how the flow, organisation and aesthetic could make it a more pleasant place to work and play.
“Too often you see kitchens where the coffee things are on the side opposite to where the kettle is. By simply moving it closer you’re enhancing the space in a subtle, but very important way,” says Jordaan.
If your budget is limited and you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck, it would be wise to not make any major structural changes, such as moving the plumbing and breaking walls, but to rather focus on improvements that refresh the look and feel.
Social circle
Gone are the days where the kitchen was a secret compartment that led off from the dining room.
Kitchens today are hubs of social activity, and need to be designed to match both our social and culinary needs.
If this is true of your kitchen (and lifestyle), plan and renovate accordingly. This could mean adding a centre island, if space allows, or lengthening the counter to allow for more people to sit at it. “It may also simply mean moving the appliances that you don’t use every day to make room for more social activities around the counter,” adds Jordaan.
Counter offers
Speaking of counters, if your budget doesn’t allow for a massive aesthetic overhaul but you’re desperate to update the look, consider just replacing the countertops. “The countertops are the first thing that catches our eye in the kitchen and tends to dominate the look and feel of the space,” says Jordaan. If the cupboards and fittings are in good condition, simply replacing the countertops with something more contemporary could make a world of difference, without costing the earth.
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