Renovating your kitchen is such an exciting time—knowing you’re about to transform the heart of your home into a beautiful and social cooking and memory-making space. But we also know how stressful it can be, trying to keep track of all the things you need to get done. That’s why we’ve compiled our ultimate kitchen renovation checklist, to help you stay on track with everything from budgeting to planning, design and installation. If you’re ready to get started, you can download our kitchen renovation checklist here. Otherwise, read on to learn more about what’s involved at each step.
Why follow a checklist?
Undertaking a kitchen renovation is a big job, and without a plan or checklist to follow, it’s easy to forget some of the most important steps. Staying organised throughout the process will help you to stay on track, on timeline and within budget. By following a checklist, you can avoid costly mistakes, delays, and oversights.
Our checklist will also make sure you spend time thinking about all the important design elements that will make your final kitchen aesthetic shine.
1. Set your budget
Setting a budget is an essential first step in any kitchen renovation project. It helps you determine what you can afford and what aspects of the project are most important to you. It also sets the scene for your entire project, and gives you the first part of your plan – what budget you’ll need to stick to. When setting a budget, consider the following factors:
- The size and complexity of the project
- What areas of the project you are willing/unwilling to compromise on
- The cost of labour and installation
- Contingency funds for unexpected expenses
To stick to your budget, consider the following tips:
- Make a list of your must-haves and allocate funds accordingly
- Take time to research costs and compare quotes from multiple suppliers and contractors
- Allow for a contingency fund of 10-20% of your total budget
2. Plan your design
This is the fun part—planning the design of your kitchen is an exciting and creative process. It’s where you can use your imagination, create mood boards, and start to dream your ideal kitchen into reality.
Remember that when it comes to the design of your kitchen, every little element matters. That’s why it’s important to have a checklist of all the things you’ll need to make decisions around to create a cohesive space.
When it comes time to think about the design, consider things such as the layout, style, and functionality of your space.
To start with, consider these major design elements:
- What colour palette would work best for your kitchen? Consider the walls, cabinetry, benchtops, tiling and more.
- What layout do you want your kitchen to be? For inspiration, discover our top 7 functional & aesthetically pleasing kitchen layout ideas.
- What design style would you like your kitchen to embody? For ideas, explore our 5 favourite kitchen designs of all time.
- How much and what type of storage do you need? Cupboards, drawers, overhead cabinets, open shelving etc.
- How much bench space do you need?
- Do you want a kitchen island or breakfast bench?
- How much natural light do you want to flow into your kitchen? You might like to consider adding windows, or a skylight.
3. Choose your materials
Choosing the right materials for your kitchen renovation is crucial for achieving your desired look and feel of the space. Alongside aesthetics, the materials you choose also affect the durability and ease of maintenance of your kitchen.
You’ll need to carefully select what materials you want to use for the following kitchen elements:
- Cabinetry – consider what finish you’d like your cabinets to have. To learn what finish would be best for you, explore our blog on how to choose the best finish for my kitchen cabinets.
- Benchtops – do you want laminate or stone benchtops? If you want stone benchtops in Perth, think about whether you want natural or engineered stone. If you need a hand, explore our guide on how to choose the best stone benchtops for your kitchen.
- Backsplash – the material your backsplash is made of considerably changes the impact of this kitchen feature. There are plenty of options to choose from, including ceramic tiles, glass, natural or engineered stone, metal, laminate and more.
- Flooring—what type of flooring will suit your kitchen style, as well as the rest of your home? You can choose between things like concrete, tile, wood, laminate, vinyl and more.
4. Consider your appliances
Once you have chosen the materials for your kitchen, it’s time to consider the appliances. Appliances are a key element of any kitchen, and it’s important to choose the right ones for your space. When selecting your appliances, consider how much room they will take up within your new design, the style of the appliances, and their energy efficiency.
Make sure you think about the following appliances, and double-check that your design ideas accommodate your appliance requirements, and allow for easy access to your regularly used appliances:
- Do you want a dishwasher? If so, do you want it to be concealed within your cabinetry, or exposed? If exposed, do you want it to be stainless steel?
- What style of fridge do you want? How big do you want it, and where is it going to fit into your overall kitchen design and layout?
- Do you want a deep freezer? If so, where will it be located?
- Do you want a beer/wine fridge?
- What style of microwave do you want? Where will it fit into your kitchen?
- Will you have a built-in wall oven and separate stove top, or an all-in-one oven and stove? Where should these go?
- Will you include a ventilation fan? Consider the best position for this to be installed.
5. Select your fittings, hardware & fixtures
Fittings and hardware are the finishing touches that can make or break the look and functionality of your kitchen. When selecting your fittings, consider the overall style of your kitchen, durability maintenance and ease of keeping clean. You’ll need to consider the design style of your fittings, as well as the materials they’re made of.
Make sure you consider the following fittings:
- What type of sink do you want? Do you want a double sink?
- Tapware—consider what style and finish of taps you want. Do you want a pillar tap, or a mixer tap? What material do you want your taps to be made of?
- Do you want to add a water filter?
- How many power points do you need, and where do you want them to be located? Make sure you consider all the appliances you use regularly, and where you want them to be kept.
- What type of light fixtures do you want? Light fixtures can range from stunning statement pieces in your kitchen, to simple and sleek downlights, depending on your desired style.
- What type of window coverings do you want? Consider if you want curtains or blinds, and if so what type and colour.
6. Hire your team
Hiring the right team for your kitchen renovation is crucial for ensuring a successful, cohesive and stress-free project. Depending on the scope of your project and your list of requirements, you may need to hire the following tradespeople:
- Electrician
- Plumber
- Carpenter
- Tiler
- Painter
- Interior designer
- Renovator
Managing all of these tradespeople can be a huge job, and ensuring that their work remains cohesive with your overarching plan and ideas for your kitchen can be challenging. If managing the entire kitchen renovation project yourself, including managing the team you’d need to hire, sounds overwhelming, our professional kitchen renovation team at Casvino Kitchen would love to help.
As specialists in collaborating with you to create your dream kitchen, we can handle every aspect of your kitchen renovations Perth project, from ideation and inspiration to design and installation. We pride ourselves on understanding your vision for your kitchen, and bringing it to life with a combination of your direction, and our teams’ technical industry knowledge and skill. To find out more about how we can get to working together, give our team a call today.
Whether you take on the project yourself or reach out to a professional for a hand, by following our step-by-step kitchen renovation checklist you’ll be on the right track for a successful and cohesive new kitchen you’ll love! Don’t forget to check out our downloadable kitchen renovation checklist to get started.
