Getting ready to upgrade your home with a new and exciting kitchen renovation? Home improvement projects come with a lot of question marks and uncertainties, which is why it’s so important to plan and prepare before you start knocking down cabinets. Read on for some tips for making sure that your reno goes off as smoothly as possible. 

Consider You Kitchen Windows

One of the first things that people think of when they’re planning a kitchen renovation is the cabinets and the counters. There’s also the thought of new appliances in sleek, modern styles. You can’t forget to think about your windows, however, since good natural lighting and ventilation are so important in a kitchen. Wondering if you should get new custom windows for your home while renovating your kitchen? 

Here’s some food for thought. The kitchen is a room in the home with the highest humidity levels. The only other place in the home where humidity gets as high is in the bathroom. There are lots of high temperatures, steams, and smells that come with a kitchen. To really make the most of the space, you need easy to open windows and you need the right amount of light so you can have full view of what you’re preparing. 

Budget Properly

The kitchen renovation is an investment. Sure, it’s a significant expense, but you will be benefitting from this improvement for years to come. You’ll also improve the overall value of your home, which is why you need to be smart about how you proceed with budgeting. 

Plan out your renovation budget with a contingency fund to avoid getting thrown off track by unexpected expenses. Shop around and compare prices for materials and services before you find what you’re looking for. If you’re planning on doing a major change like going from an electric stove to gas, you’ll need to budget for the extra cost of installation.

Focus on Foot Traffic

How are the people in your home going to be moving through the kitchen? If you have sliding patio doors or a side door, then don’t forget to think about the flow from outdoors to indoors when planning your new kitchen design. You should also think about how things will open and make sure that you’re not designing a dishwasher that can never open all the way or a fridge door that will always get stuck in a doorway. 

Minimize Your Corners

Here’s a design tip: stay away from corners when planning out your new kitchen. As we mentioned, cabinet and appliance doors need to be fully functional, so there needs to be adequate clearance space. Keep your appliances away from corners in general just to avoid this problem and to avoid installing doors that bump into each other if opened at the same time. 

Island or No Island?

Sometimes a kitchen looks great with an island and other times it’s just an inconvenience. As a general rule for kitchen islands, form follows function. If you’ve got the space and want to make the island a place to sit and eat, you just need to allow for more plenty of space so the cooktop and eating area are separate.