If you are planning a kitchen renovation, you are likely working closely with your contractor to make sure that everything is perfectly aligned with your vision. Over the last 15 years of being in business, we have updated many kitchens that were missing a few of the key ingredients that go into a well planned out and well budgeted renovation. That’s why we decided to put together this handy list of things you must consider when planning your kitchen renovation. These kitchen renovation tips will help you properly plan out your kitchen in order to get the job done right the first time around. Knowing the answers to these questions beforehand can greatly impact your kitchen renovation budget and timeline.
Plan Your Kitchen Renovation by Considering These 7 Questions
1. Is the electrical wiring in your kitchen up to code?
New electrical code requirements will have a direct impact on the cost of your project. Here are the main electrical items that we have to upgrade on almost all kitchen renovations we take on:
- If the new kitchen design impacts the electrical plug layout, you’ll need to upgrade your receptacles from the old 15 amp to 20 amp
- Islands will require at least one GFCI receptacle
- New code requires microwaves to be on a dedicated circuit
Most of these changes are simple if the electrical panel is nearby and easily accessible, but if your panel is on the other end of the home and the basement ceilings are finished with drywall, we now have a lot of drywall demo and repair to do in order to run new circuits. Another thing to consider when planning your renovation budget is whether your existing electrical panel has space to add new circuits. If not, you might require some reconfiguration of your existing breakers or perhaps even a need to add a sub panel.
2. Is your HVAC system equipped for the big, fancy range hood you’ve been dreaming about?
Many clients love the idea of a new, high-powered range hood in their kitchen. However, most people don’t understand that a range hood fan that is higher than 350 CFM may require an interlock between the fan and the furnace, or perhaps maybe even a make-up air unit. This is because the high CFM fans suck so much air out of the home that it creates negative air pressure. This air has to be replaced somehow, and in the end, it sucks in “dirty” air, which can be dangerous, especially if it pulls air in from your chimney or water heater exhaust flues. This can add hundreds or thousands of dollars in costs, so choose your range hood wisely.
3. How will your kitchen renovation impact the layout of your lighting?
If you are planning a new kitchen layout, then you should plan to address your lighting. Often people feel they can leave their lighting layout as existing, not realizing it can cast shadows that result in dark spots in working areas of your kitchen. Lighting in general has really evolved over the last few years. A variety of task, ambient, and decorative lighting options are now available and should be incorporated into your new kitchen design. There are few things worse than having a brand new kitchen that leaves you with underwhelmed lighting.
According to Neil King, Owner of Apex Electrical Services, “lighting is a very important part of any renovation. Having the proper layout and style of lighting really helps showcase the main features and efficient use of your new space. There have been recent upgrade’s from the old halogen lights to new LED or RGB lighting which run more efficiently and produce a brighter light. These lights also provide different colour options varying from 3000K to 5000K to fit any area of your home.”
4. How high maintenance is the backsplash you’ve chosen?
Planning a fancy new backsplash? You should consider the tile format and how that impacts the functionality of the cooking area. For example, maybe you love to cook pasta sauce. If you choose a smaller format tile, which requires more grout, keep in mind that grout will absorb and stain more easily than the tile surface. As a result, if your yummy pasta sauce splashes onto your white subway tile backsplash, it could stain the grout.
5. How can you make your kitchen more functional?
Easy cleaning. There’s a few bonus items that really help to make a kitchen super functional. One example is the toe-kick sweep for your central vac. This lets you sweep your floor to one location, which gets sucked away by the central vac system, without ever having to pull out your hose.
6. How do you plan to have your sink and range hood installed in your island?
Although this can really be a smart use of space in some kitchens, you’ll need to consider the plumbing and HVAC requirements for this layout change. Often, adding drainage and/or venting can result in the need for bulkheads in the ceiling below the kitchen, which can be problematic. Always make sure your designer and contractor think it ALL through before proposing layout changes.
According to Kevin Korte of Butler Plumbing, “relocating or adding a kitchen island sink will require a permit. If done improperly, owners can end up with drainage issues and endless headaches.”
7. Is there other work that needs to be done before your kitchen renovation?
Order in your operations is critical when it comes to managing any renovation. Excited about planning your kitchen reno, but know you have other work that is needed in the home? Think twice about the order of operations before you start on your kitchen. For example, if you know you need new windows, but plan to deal with that “next year” after the kitchen is renovated, you might end up having to tear off some of your new backsplash tile around the window when you replace it. Always plan ahead to make sure you don’t have to undo any of your work at a later date.
Conclusion
There are several factors that go into planning your kitchen renovation budget. It is important to make sure you and your contractor are on the same page with where you want to go with your renovation.
Ask yourself these 7 questions before deciding what to include in your kitchen renovation – trust us, you’ll be happy you did!
If you have any further questions about how to plan your kitchen renovation budget, call us at (780) 455 – 4446 or email us at info@contactrenovations.ca
We’re happy to help you plan your dream renovation!
