Getting the Most out of a Home and Garden

How to Stick to a Kitchen Renovation Budget

When you are done with a kitchen renovation, the results can and should be spectacular – something that really improves your quality of life inside your home. But getting to that point of being happy with your kitchen renovation is easier said than done, and sticking to a budget is even harder. A budget, however, is a reality for most people. You will need to budget for everything from appliances to paintwork and labour to gadgets – so how can you actually make sure that your epic kitchen redesign sticks to budget?

Hire a kitchen a designer. Hiring a kitchen designer may seem like the more expensive choice. But it's the kind of valuable investment that could actually help you out with your budget in the long run. This is because kitchen designers are hired specifically to stick within a certain budget, so you can feel absolutely sure that you won't spend more than you can afford. And because kitchen designers have relationships with wholesalers and know how to cut corners without compromising on quality, you could actually achieve better results by spending less money.

Set a contingency fund. If you are planning to budget all of your kitchen renovation yourself, one way of staying out of trouble is to create a contingency fund. This should be around 20% of your overall budget that you set aside for anything and everything. During any kind of renovation, unexpected issues occur. You might have more complex plumbing requirements than you realised, or you might need to rethink countertop options when the value option you wanted stopped being offered at a sale price. These kinds of things are inevitable. Don't cross your fingers and pray they don't occur. Plan for them so you don't get financially burned.

Factor in your living costs. Many people fail to recognise that during a kitchen renovation, the kitchen can be out of use for weeks at a time. So what are you going to do about this and how is it going to affect your budget? If you want access to a full kitchen, you may have to rent somewhere else temporarily, which is a huge cost. If you are going to eat out all the time, this could be even more money, especially if you have a large family. Alternatively, you could set up a makeshift kitchen space in your home with the basics like a microwave, a kettle, and a toaster, so that you can at least grab some tea and toast before you rush out of the door in the morning. Whatever you choose, set it down within your renovation budget. 

These tips should help you keep to your budget, and your designer or renovation team may be able to offer even more ideas. 


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