A complete kitchen renovation requires a village of professionals. You have two possible ways to organize it.
You can either hire a team leader – a kitchen designer or a kitchen retailer. Or you can be the team leader and take responsibility for outsourcing all of the moving parts – design, electricity, plumbing, carpentry, and flooring. The first choice requires more money but less time (and premature hair loss).
The second may require less money, but all of your remaining time and insight outside of the work day. I didn’t say either of these options would be fun, but both of them will result in a new kitchen.
Jane Ussher / things
Before you begin, you need a realistic understanding of your budget.
A designer is to a kitchen remodel what a good builder is to a construction site. They are the creative minds behind the operation, but they can also be the project management team. We spoke to the people who live and breathe in the kitchen every day to find out how the average person can survive the process.
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* Kitchen renovations: where to spend and where to save
The independent interior designer Simone Van der Plas has received international awards for her Wellington kitchens.
Designers often deliver a whole kitchen package: all sub-trades and also project monitoring.
Van Der Plas only designs because most of their clients are doing a new build or a complete home renovation and have already hired a contractor to do the rest.
An independent designer versus a kitchen company are very different services, she said: “A designer offers more tailoring, more collaboration and flexibility.”
A kitchen company is more convenient because it can manage the whole process.
“But a kitchen company will build the cost of these extra services into the cost of the kitchen, so you can potentially pay more than if you hired a designer, took their drawings, and bought for a carpenter.
“You pay a premium for a one-stop shop because the risk is less than managing the trades yourself.”
ROSA WOODS / things
Simone Van Der Plas shows us one of her award-winning kitchens. Simone introduced herself with her client Emma.
Budget. Budget. Budget.
Kitchen designer Cate Binnie from Comber & Comber in Christchurch has been in the industry for more than 20 years.
The bottom line ultimately depends on how far the money goes, she said.
Keeping the existing layout and replacing the cabinets and benches is considerably cheaper than completely reconfiguring the layout where the kitchen could even be moved into a completely different room.
“I’ve had people spend over $ 100,000 to rip out a kitchen and start over. You have to know how far you want to go, “she said.
“A detailed budget eliminates the problem of overestimating or underestimating something.”
Jane Ussher / things
The end result ultimately depends on how far the money goes.
While Builderscrack.co.nz spokesman Jeremy Gray said he saw small kitchens completely redesigned “at the really cheap end” for $ 10-12,000.
“That would require kitchen professionals to do the design and installation, but the homeowner is handy in terms of managing, demolishing and organizing the removal and disposal of the old kitchen.”
Also, don’t discount shopping at your local hardware store for bargains: “They have some pretty cool stuff that can look great when it’s all pulled apart. Remember, you can spend $ 100 on a faucet or $ 2,500, “Binnie said.
Kitchen Concepts is a Christchurch one stop shop kitchen supplier that does the design, manufacture and installation. Glen Kelman, a plumber, said budget is something people shy away from, but it is critical from day one: “Even if we ignore the cost of the kitchen itself, there are so many other costs: pulling out the old ones Kitchen, renovation of walls, changing plumbing and electrical installations as well as floors. “
Most design firms will do a free initial consultation, he said.
Select designer
Kelman warns that not all designers are created equal. Some have their own contractors who can recommend them to you, others don’t.
“I’ve seen stand-alone designers charge $ 3,000 or up to $ 12,000 for their services. I always see the difference between designers who have manufacturing relationships because they can pull out to see how something is made.
“But the most important thing is to find someone you are related to and comfortable with,” he said.
Jane Ussher / things
Consider the time of year before you get started. In cooler months, for example, it is much easier to grill outside than to do without a kitchen inside.
Timed coordination
It might sound silly, but don’t try any of this in the winter if you want to stay inside the property during the whole process.
The kitchen is the center of the house where everyone gathers at the end of the day.
“- and when it’s a bunch of rubble, especially if you have kids, it’s a lot of stress,” said Binnie.
There will be far less disruption to your daily life if you can cook outside on a grill for a few months after the facilities are torn out.
“People are always surprised that little things don’t take a week, especially with Covid,” she adds. “You could have your faucets removed 6-8 weeks.”
Jane Ussher / things
With a fully equipped kitchen reno, the room is usually stripped to the bone.
Bring sub-trades into the design
With a fully equipped kitchen reno, the room is usually stripped to the bone. If you reconfigure the layout, the original surfaces, sockets, lights and plumbing must be treated before the room is re-clad, plastered and painted.
A qualified electrician must remove hard-wired items such as the oven and exhaust units.
“A Sparky can provide a lot of advice when it comes to design,” said Gray.
“It can be difficult to position an outlet in a specific wall that a closet will fit into. It’s good for them to come in and cover some of the space and provide feedback early on in the design process. “
Putting an electrical outlet in a specific location can mean the difference between half an hour of work and half a day of work. That can add $ 500 to the bill, he said.
“Small things add up very quickly.”
Alana Shinn / Delivered
The couple Jeremy Gray and Alana Shinn from Christchurch transformed their fixer upper from the 1960s from a retro rental shop into a modern home.
During his own renovation, Gray consulted a plumber and an electrician before consulting a designer. He estimates it saved them about $ 2,000.
Flow-on effects are inevitable and very costly.
“Many customers drop by and make small changes. That’s all good, but make sure you have your professionals do this, ”advises Binnie.
“If we enlarge a window to get more views, we may inadvertently take up the space where the refrigerator should be.”
Jane Ussher / things
Be careful with design tweaks. They often have unforeseen effects.
Last but not least
The specialization in carpentry is often overlooked.
“Handy homeowners often set up a shallow kitchen of their own,” said Gray, “but then they find that the walls are not square.”
Kelman recommends using the in-house plumbers of those who provide the kitchen: “Every kitchen company has a different approach. You don’t want it to install improperly because another company has a different method. “
The quality of the finished product ultimately depends on the carpenter, said Van Der Plas, who always recommends her own.
“A designer kitchen and a generic kitchen are two different things. The former requires a carpenter with great attention to detail. “
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