Renovating your kitchen is one of the most exciting things you can do for your home. And, if you absolutely love cooking up delectable feasts for family and friends, adding your own designer’s flavour in the kitchen is one of the most exhilarating things. There is a lot to plan, demolish, prepare and build in the process of renovating your space, and no one will promise you that it will go off without any hurdles. But this, of course, is why we do it: to undertake the challenge of recreating something drab and dull into something stunning and practical. With this in mind, here is a step-by-step DIY advice guide for all you kitchen out there. From planning details like to DIY renovation tasks like painting and installing elegant antique cabinet handles and finishing the job, here are a tips for each stage of this exciting process:
The fun part: planning your incredible renovation
The renovation’s planning phase is typically the most exciting as it allows you to get your creativity going and design your dream space:
- Set a realistic budget that begins with how much you want to spend and cover your expected costs for materials, tools and any professional help you might need.
- Start to plan your dream design through measuring your space, choosing the materials and creating the perfect design for your gourmet cooking zone.
- Remove any pre-existing items that will get in the renovation’s way (i.e. appliances, cutlery, stoneware etc.) before packing them in an easily-memorable spot like on the garage shelves.
The dull part: demolishing & prepare your space
This is generally the more tedious part of the renovation as it involves removing any old appliances, cabinetry, countertops and the other bulkier elements that won’t complete your lovely new kitchen, but remember: it’s all part of the journey!
Make sure to do the following:
- Begin by turning off any utilities like electricity, gas and water that could be hazardous during your DIY renovation.
- You should then work on protecting your surrounding space from damage i.e. covering floors, walls and nearby entrances with protective covers.
- Now the really dull part: remove old appliances, cabinets, countertops, fixtures and other items that won’t complete the final picture. Yes, it’s a bore, and you might find yourself loading a lot of heavy items on a trailer headed for the tip, but it’s the only really tedious aspect in this exciting process!
- Check for any damage that has incurred over time where these fixtures once resided (because kitchens built back in the 60s can incur all kinds of damage over time!). Remedy these damages before commencing the DIY renovation.
The hard-yet-rewarding part: start DIY renovating
The only thing to do now is start renovating! Yes, the work can be hard, but you will find yourself more invigorated as the awesome outcome starts to take shape:
- Compile all tools and materials you need for your renovation and begin to install them piece by piece. You may even wish to enlist professional help for this element as installing elements like cabinetry and countertops can be difficult.
- If you are to enlist help for the harder parts, be sure to focus on the jobs that you can easily do i.e. appliance installation, lighting, flooring or painting.
- Be sure to double-check your measurements as failing to do so can waste both your time and money. However, if you’re enlisting an expert for the bigger installations, this will be less of a concern for you.
- Work in stages and focus on each area as you go to ensure you get each and every aspect right the first time around.
- Once you have finished it is obviously time to inspect the final project. Check for anything you may have overlooked and any potential structural issues before testing all your new appliances and fixtures – once this is done and any problems rectified you can now enjoy your incredible new kitchen.
Renovating your kitchen involves a bit of hard yakka. But the end results are always worth the effort you put into this dramatic change in your space’s beauty, functionality and value!
