Having a modern kitchen is crucial in resale value, with the addition of new floors, cleaned up or new cabinets, up-to-date appliances and a modern backsplash these are all key components of a valuable kitchen. Not only will you make money by staying up to date with these things, but you’ll also enjoy the opportunity to cook in a gorgeous place.
Home-Dzine shares a few ways on how to renovate, while keeping the costs down as much as possible.
Don’t move drainage and sink
The largest part of your savings will come with smart planning. Things to plan around are your plumbing and drainage. Moving any of these are extremely expensive and you can almost always work around them. It can cost R2, 000 or more just to change the location of a sink. If you’re unhappy with the layout of your kitchen, consider at least keeping the appliances in the same spots and changing how the kitchen flows with a bar or island.
Be creative with your layout so you don’t spend a small fortune on moving pipes and wires. Or simply look at installing a new sink - there are some absolutely stunning designs available.
Save with the backsplash
Countertops are another very expensive part, especially if you’re going with granite, caesarstone or Corian. These are the most popular options and it’s hard to get around them. However, you can opt for less expensive tiles on the backsplash, which can save you up to 35 percent. If you have to utilize Formica LifeSeal countertops - it’s looking better than ever.
Buy your appliances in bulk
Everyone is always on the hunt for top-of-the-line appliances. However, there are so many brands these days that make wonderful stainless steel appliances that can fool almost anyone. Buy all of your appliances from one place. Be willing to purchase floor models. You can purchase an appliance that looks more high-end if you choose not to pick models with frills.
Reface your cabinets with paint or wallpaper
Buying new custom or ready-made cabinets can get pricey. In order to save here, consider replacing or refacing your old wood cabinets. Refacing is a simple process that requires the cabinets to be sanded to the bare wood followed by paint, polyurethane, stain, or even wallpaper. This can completely change the look. If you must swap your cabinets, install DIY carcasses and solid wood fronts.
One of the cheapest ways to update the cabinets in your kitchen is to change the hardware - add new handles.
Do all the electrical work at once
Plan your lighting ahead of time. Upgrade your lighting at the same time you’re doing the electrical. If not, you’ll have to bring the electrician back, costing you a lot more.
Install your own flooring
Ceramic and vinyl floors cost about the same and are equally attractive to buyers. Choose the one you like. You can save money on your floors by installing them yourself. Both tiling and laying vinyl flooring are easy DIY projects.
Make cosmetic changes
Sometimes, the biggest changes you can make to the look of a kitchen are cosmetic. Painting your kitchen cabinets in a new colour, for example, can make a huge difference.
Consider making changes to your window treatments, backsplash, stools, decorations and trim. Also, cut down on the clutter. When you look at high-end kitchens in magazines, you’ll notice that they don’t display their life with magnets on the refrigerator or items all over the countertops.
Look for Green options as you renovate
While it’s true that going green usually costs you money rather than saving you money, but in the long run, you’ll end up making that money back. Green appliances, for example, will save you money on your utility bills every month. Using Green products in your kitchen is also safer for your family.
Bamboo countertops are being installed in high-end homes around the world for good reason. They're not only made from a sustainable product, they are practical and beautiful.
Set your budget ahead of time and stick to it
By far, the best way to renovate your kitchen without spending too much money is to set a realistic budget before you start looking at sample materials. Have a plan when you start the project and remember to account for labour costs if you don’t intend to do the work yourself.
Don’t just have a bottom line number. Instead, come up with both a bottom line and specific prices for everything you intend to change. As you look at options, don’t go over budget in any area. If you’re strict with your budget, you can make the best choices in your price range without having to stop mid-project because you’ve run out of money.
Remember, prepare for problems with your kitchen. No matter what your budget, you should have about 20 percent of your budget set aside for miscellaneous costs. That way, if there are problems, you don’t have to stop the project completely until you save more money.
Buy new light fixtures and retrofit existing spotlights
Light is a very important aspect of any room. A bit of change in place of the light fittings can give a feel of change even if all the things stay as it is. The pressure on the pocket is also not much.
All you have to do is to buy and fit some fancy lights here and there. They add to the décor of the kitchen as well as can light up some spaces where you had to do with the diffused light of the earlier fittings. The adjustable lights can be very effective. You can change them according to your needs and sometimes these lights have the provision of regulating their intensity.
Kitchen lighting can set the mood for the room, a fairly inexpensive project especially if you are making improvements instead of wholesale changes.
You should consider general, task, and mood lighting when making an upgrade. Also, options such as fluorescent under cabinet lighting, LEDs, spotlights and more will give your kitchen a special look.
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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