If you’ve been thinking about a kitchen renovation for a while now but have never taken any action, it’s most probably because you’re worried about the money side of things. That’s absolutely normal and we always advise our clients against rushing into a home improvement project, as this often bumps the price of the project up considerably. Experts always advise you to prepare for the unexpected and the truth is it’s actually quite easy to spend more than you originally wanted to on a kitchen renovation. But you can’t let that fear paralyze your forever and if you work with a reputable home improvement specialist, you’ll find that your dream kitchen can be created for a price that you can afford. If you would like to know our top tips for saving on a kitchen renovation without sacrificing quality, keep reading.
Top Tips for Saving on Your Kitchen Renovation in 2014
The truth is that with a kitchen renovation, it’s the little things that can really start to add up, so if you can make small savings in multiple areas, the cost of the entire project can be reduced considerably. Here are a few ways in which this can be achieved:
Think About Making Your Kitchen More Efficient, Not Bigger
When people talk about a kitchen renovation, they often talk about expanding, making their preparation areas bigger or adding loads of extra appliances. That’s the total wrong approach; your focus should be on efficiency, not size. If you can achieve everything you want simply by maximising available space and using space-saving features, why go to the trouble (and expense) of knocking down walls and making serious changes to your home’s structure. In kitchens, one feature that often takes up more space than it really should are the cabinets, so start by replacing those with cabinets that don’t consume as much space but do everything you want them to.
Leave the Sink Where it Is
Try not to move the kitchen sink during a renovation project if you can help it, as this will really drive up the overall price. You will need the help of a plumbing specialist to do this, and even moving the sink just a few metres can add a few noughts onto the price of your kitchen renovation. If you feel like it’s a feature that just has to be moved to accommodate other features in your new look kitchen, seize the opportunity and have new pipes fitted, as in the long term this will save you a considerable amount of money. Incidentally, the same thing goes for power outlets and electrical work; if you can leave them where they are, that’s less work for an electrician and consequently less expense.
Stove Over Built-In Oven
These are two features you will probably want in your new kitchen; but do you actually use your oven? When you sit and think about it you probably don’t use it nearly as much as you think. It’s rated as the least frequently used appliance in the entire kitchen and some people can easily survive without one. Stick with a stove (invest a little more in it if you aren’t getting an oven) and forget the oven; this is an easy way to save several hundred to a few thousand dollars, although it’s obviously not viable for everyone.
Use Existing Appliances
A kitchen renovation doesn’t have to mean that everything has to be changed. If you currently have a range of appliances that are still in good condition, why replace them? Instead, clean them up and incorporate them into the design of your new kitchen where possible.
Help Out Where You Can
Many of the tasks involves in a kitchen renovation require some real skill and expertise, but there are also a number of tasks that you could help out with, such as painting and the removal of waste products. You might not think this would make much difference, but on a large scale job it can save you paying for quite a few hours of labour.
Finally, probably the best tip we can give you is to work with a home improvement specialist that has your best interests at heart and is prepared to work with you and the budget you have available.