Budget Kitchen Renovations
When it comes to renovating a kitchen in Auckland, there is no end to the number of design ideas and features you can include.
The kitchen is the heart of the home, and we spend a lot of time preparing food, cooking, eating, doing homework, entertaining, having drinks. You name it; we do it all in the kitchen. So you want your kitchen to be a part of your home that you love.
A well-designed and built kitchen will also add to the value of your home if you should ever decide to sell. If you’re renovating a kitchen in Auckland, you want to get the best kitchen you can afford.
But you don’t need to break the bank. You can have a beautiful looking kitchen that is super functional without spending a fortune.
At Laser Plumbing Te Atatu, we have seen many kitchens over the years and now offer an exceptional kitchen renovation service.
Start with a plan and a budget
It sounds obvious, doesn’t it? But sometimes, people start just trying to fix one element. They decided to change cupboard handles, and then they want to paint a wall.
And then before you know it, they’re into a full renovation that they’re trying to figure out as they go.
Before you do anything, no matter how small, establish what kind of renovation you want and how much you’re willing and able to spend.
Meet with a kitchen designer
You might think you know what you want. But as the cliché goes, you don’t know what you don’t know. This is especially true if you’ve never renovated a kitchen before.
A professional kitchen designer will give you ideas that you might not think of yourself. They’ve probably seen more kitchen than you have, no matter how many home décor magazines you’ve read.
They’ll know what extra features are worth the money and which ones are just for show.
Establish what you like or don’t like about your existing kitchen
Before coming up with new design ideas, it’s essential to stop and take stock of the things you like or loathe about your current kitchen.
Are you renovating because your kitchen is dated, and you want a more modern look? Or is your kitchen no longer functional for your household and the size of your family?
Talk to your kitchen plumber early on
One of the more complex parts of any renovation project is changing the location of where your appliances are plumbed in.
If you plan this part of the project properly – and sooner rather than later – you will have a better idea of what is possible, what is easier to do, and where you can keep your budget under control.
If you think you might change the location of the sink, dishwasher or laundry (if it’s adjacent to your kitchen).
Talk to our kitchen plumbers about the cost implications of those changes. The same holds if you’re adding an island with a sink, moving the dishwasher to the island, or are adding a butler’s pantry that will have a sink and/or dishwasher.
Talk to your gasfitter early on
You could save money on your kitchen renovation by knowing whether gas or electric appliances are best for your household.
Before you start shopping for appliances, and getting designs built around those new appliances, make sure you talk to us first about the pros and cons of each.
Suppose you’re using gas in your kitchen for any of your appliances. In that case, you should only use a gasfitter who is registered with the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board and who has a current NZ practising licence.
Let the professional’s project manage your renovation
It’s tempting to want to manage your renovation yourself, but please let the professionals handle this very important task.
This could be someone from the building company, a designated kitchen designer who can project manage, or a specialist renovation company. It needs to be someone who is engaged early on and who will be on-site every day. If you work full-time, this isn’t a role for you.
The last thing you want is for tradespeople to be waiting around for decisions to be made.
You also don’t want them waiting around for their turn on the project. A good project manager will schedule all the tradespeople to work in with each other’s schedule and will know who is needed when.
There are many tradies involved in a kitchen renovation. Cabinet maker, builder, plumber, gasfitter, electrician, flooring specialist, plasterer, painter. Don’t try to coordinate them all if you’re not an experienced kitchen renovator.
Look at different benchtops
One of the biggest expenses of a kitchen is the benchtop or countertop. There are more choices than ever now, so you will be able to find a lot of choice in different price brackets.
Options include laminates (Formica, Melteca), stainless steel, engineered stone, quartz composite, polished concrete, bamboo, natural stone, granite and marble.
Talk to your kitchen designer about what will work best in your space and within your budget. Keep in mind that some of these materials are harder to work with if you need specialist cuts to fit around a sink, water filter, pop-up electrical points.
Another way to keep costs under control is to talk to your supplier about what standard sizes are available for each type of material.
Look at different flooring options
Kitchen flooring doesn’t have to be linoleum – there are now lots of options here as well.
We see more and more timber kitchen floors. With the proper protection, this is a great look. But it’s not the cheapest option. Faux wood is a more economical alternative.
If tiles are more your thing, you’ll find that ceramic or porcelain tiles can be quite affordable.
Just skip right over the marble tiles if you’re trying to renovate on a budget. Even better, have a look at vinyl flooring that looks like tiles. It’s less expensive, easy to clean and quite durable.
Hunt out the appliance sales
If you have a lot of whiteware to replace, it’s best to look for the pieces you need on sale. With a proper kitchen plan, you’ll know early on what you need and in what size.
You can then start bargain hunting. If you’re going to be buying a new fridge, dishwasher, oven, hob and range hood, it’s definitely worth waiting for the sales.
We don’t want you holding up your tradespeople by waiting too long. But with a good kitchen plan upfront, you can time your purchases around the long weekend sales we have so often in NZ.
Alternatively, don’t be afraid to ask for a discount if you’re buying multiple pieces from the same retailer.
Figure out what you can DIY
We don’t suggest you do any of the specialist jobs yourself. Let the professionals handle the plumbing, gasfitting, electrical work, tiling, cabinet installation, plastering.
But if you’re handy with a paintbrush, then that’s one area you might be able to save a bit of money. If you’re removing an old kitchen that you’re not going to sell second-hand.
You might be able to save on some of your renovation costs if you do some of the teardown or demolition work on the old kitchen yourself. Just make sure you’re not holding up the project and keeping any of the trades waiting.
If you can only get around to doing your DIY work on the weekend, it’s probably best to sit this one out.
For more information on where the costs of a kitchen renovation lie, have a read of our page How Much Does a Kitchen Renovation Cost?
Before you begin your kitchen renovation project, give us a call.