Kitchen renovation checklist: how to plan your project

Whether you want to make your home more liveable or your investment property more appealing to tenants and future buyers, a kitchen renovation could make a big difference. It’s important to plan ahead and keep your kitchen reno organised and on-track if you want to reap the rewards while minimising the risk of overcapitalising.

The kitchen is one of the main rooms that a serious buyer looks at when inspecting a property. As well as being a place to prepare and serve food, it can also serve as a hub for entertaining guests. This means kitchens also experience a lot of wear and tear, and can quickly start showing their age if not well cared for.

Renovating a kitchen can be a lot of effort and expense. But organising a renovation today could make your property more appealing to a buyer in the future, as they won’t need to organise one for themselves. This could also potentially help to increase the property’s value beyond the cost of the renovation.  

It’s also easy to spend up big on a kitchen renovation. This can lead to overcapitalisation, where you spend more on your reno project than how much it may increase the property’s value, effectively leaving you out of pocket.

Make a plan

Have a goal in mind

It helps to have an overall vision that you’re working towards. There are plenty of sources of inspiration for your kitchen’s design, layout, look and feel.

For example, one of the most basic kitchen design principles is the Golden Triangle – position the kitchen’s three main work areas (cooktop, sink, fridge/pantry) in a triangle layout to help make cooking more efficient as you move between these areas. This may not work in every kitchen layout, but it can be an effective starting point for many households.  

You may not always need to get an architect or interior designer involved, though it may be worth the cost if you’re going for an extensive kitchen remodel, especially if you plan on making structural changes like adding or removing walls.

Measure twice, renovate once

Knowing the sizes of your cabinets, appliances, benches, drawers, cupboards, handles and more, as well as the spaces they’ll need to fit into, can also help to minimise the risk of roadblocks and other issues arising during your project.

Know your limits

Are there load-bearing walls in your kitchen space? Plumbing that can’t be easily moved? While it may be possible to build around some of these, it may be simpler and less expensive to work around these stumbling blocks, rather than trying to bulldoze through them (sometimes literally).

Storage

Consider where everything is going to live in your kitchen. A kitchen can quickly become cluttered and overcrowded if storage solutions aren’t available, especially if you don’t have a lot of bench space to work with. Consider that you’ll need to find storage for plates, bowls, cups, mugs, cutlery, utensils, dry food and baking ingredients, small appliances and more.

Appliances

One simple way to consider giving your kitchen a unified look and feel is to match your appliances, such as your oven, cooktop, dishwasher, microwave and fridge. You don’t necessarily need to splurge on high-end models all from the same brands, but at least using similar finishes can help your kitchen from looking mismatched. Though you could also consider having one “feature” appliance (such as a colourful fridge) to catch the eye.

Getting organised

Get permits

They say it’s better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission. Unfortunately, most local councils and strata committees may not agree with you. Find out if there are any forms, applications, or other red tape to manage at the early stages, before you start risking penalties. You’ll also want to check that your builders and tradies are licensed and insured.

Demo to reno

What needs to be broken down and removed before the project can be worked on? Make sure that any electrics or plumbing will be safely disconnected before the sledgehammers come out.

How much can you DIY?

Some basic kitchen fixes may be handled by an everyday Australian homeowner, provided they have some tools available and know the basics of how to use them. However, some major kitchen reno works may be best left to the experts, such as plumbing, electricity and gas connections, as well as major structural changes.

Assemble your team

If you need professional help to build your kitchen, you could hire individual experts to look after each area of expertise (e.g. builders, electricians, plumbers, carpenters etc.). You could also consider hiring one project manager who will subcontract the rest of the work, saving you time and effort by looking after the reno on your behalf.

Paying for everything

Compare prices and get quotes

You can estimate the cost of many of your kitchen’s features, but you won’t know the final price until you consult with your suppliers and tradespeople. Keep in mind that some materials can greatly affect your project’s price, especially when supplies are limited.

And of course, you’ll need to pay the experts who are doing the work. Compare quotes and consider the price versus the potential quality to get a better idea of the best tradespeople for you to hire.

Setting a budget

Once you’ve planned your reno and have gotten quotes for materials and labour, you can work out how exactly you’ll be paying for all this.

When setting your kitchen reno budget, you may want to include a buffer of 10 to 20% to help account for any surprise expenses that will inevitably spring up along the way.

Finding finance

Some of your options for budgeting your kitchen reno include refinancing your home loan to access your equity (possibly as a line of credit) or taking out a personal loan for home improvement.

If you’re only giving your kitchen a modest facelift, you may be able to manage the costs using a credit card, though you could end up paying more interest if you’re unlucky or careless.

Doing the work

The exact process of renovating a kitchen is going to vary depending on what kind of kitchen you have, what kind of kitchen you want, and how much work will be required to go from one to the other.

According to hipages, a rough guide to the steps that may be required goes something like this: 

1. Strip out the existing kitchen, including cabinetry
2. Disconnect appliances and plumbing
3. Commence structural work, including framing
4. Install new plumbing and electrical, including new power points
5. Pour concrete floor
6. Install cabinetry
7. Measure, cut and install benchtops
8. Plumbing fit off (kitchen sink, dishwasher)
9. Install splashback
10. Install flooring
11. Paint walls
12. Test and handover

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