Whether you are a managing a raft of homes in your own property portfolio, or just climbing onto the ladder of home ownership, renovations can be a challenging and nervy experience. When you are spending significant money on your property, you need to know two main things: Firstly, will the renovation match your grand vision, and secondly – and perhaps most importantly – does it represent value for money?
The answer? Well, it depends. Many would-be property moguls often take expensive and unnecessary steps to add extensions, or perhaps convert extra bathrooms – which can be very costly and are often fraught with the risk of hidden costs. So, where is best to invest?
According to the National Association of Estate Agents, your best hope of adding value to your home is to redevelop your kitchen.
When you think about it, it makes sense. Whether you own a luxury property, or a starter home, the kitchen is often the heart of your homestead. An attractive, efficient and aesthetically pleasing kitchen can make for a vastly improved living experience, as well as increase value and selling appeal by up to 6%.
Here at Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, we believe it’s time to put those plans for another en suite on hold, and instead focus on improving the unsung hero of your own personal kingdom – the kitchen. Here’s what you need to consider before you get started.
Stay true to your home’s style
Remodeling your kitchen is an exciting prospect, and there are a wealth of options available to you. However, just because you can opt for some fascinating and left-field design choices, does not mean that you should. It is important to consider the reality of the home you own, and remodel accordingly. If you live in a listed farmhouse, for example, it would be a jarring experience to match a modern and minimalist all-black kitchen with the traditional aesthetic of the rest of your home.
As a good starting point, consider checking out the range of bespoke and fitted kitchens by Schmidt, to help get you inspired.
A kitchen for now, or a kitchen forever?
If you are known for constantly tweaking the look of your home, you might want to consider this when deciding which fit-out to go for. There are a range of styles available for your new kitchen, but it is important that you consider the purpose. If it is your forever home, sure, take the plunge on something which is exclusively tailored around your personal tastes. If you are letting out, or planning on a move further down the line, though, you run the risk of your unique style choice putting viewers off, or the design becoming dated.
If you want to avoid that risk, perhaps you are better served by taking a look at something along the lines of Schmidt’s modern kitchens.
The all-important triangle
Design specialists have coined the term ‘kitchen triangle’ to reflect the importance of the relationship between the sink, stove and refrigerator. From a meal preparation perspective, these are the three key appliances and should take precedence when deciding the layout of your brand-new fit-out.
In many ways, it does not matter how the kitchen looks, if the relationship between these appliances is not appropriate. Of course, this is often complicated by the location of your water pipes – but it is certainly worth the outlay to hire a qualified and registered plumber to relocate your plumbing, if necessary.
Consider, though, that often more than one person will be involved in the joyous occasion of cooking – so you don’t want your appliances to be too close together, either. It is about finding the right balance, so that you and your sous chef are not tripping over each other, while not having to don your hiking boots just to prepare the vegetables.
Lighting is king
It can often be overlooked when browsing showroom floors for kitchens that the lighting will be very different in the home that you own. Even if you have a good idea of what the kitchen will look like when fitted on a summer’s day, you need to ensure that, once the days draw in and the nights get bleak, your kitchen still has a pleasant ambience.
This will vary, of course, from home to home, but there are many steps you can take to ensure that your kitchen has a pleasant atmosphere no matter the season. Consider adding spotlighting in key areas – for example, above preparation counters and sinks, as well as accent lighting above areas like the dining table, and islands, if you choose to have them.
