How long does it take to renovate a kitchen?

Approximately four to nine weeks from the initial kitchen renovation planning and design to handover. Sometimes more, sometimes less. The duration of your renovation will depend on a number of factors including the design you choose and the materials required.

Planning and kitchen design

Most of the reno decisions need to be made at this stage with everything from cabinet handle style to the rangehood which will fit perfectly with your kitchen style and cabinetry design to be selected. The overall kitchen layout needs to be chosen, ie island, L shape, galley, U shape design, etc. Storage requirements need to be considered so cabinets can be designed to ensure all your kitchen equipment will fit easily.

Spending a bit more time at this stage will pay off at the completion of the project. A well-considered, thoughtfully designed kitchen is a pleasure to work in, has space for everything, and still looks fantastic in 10 years' time.

If you decide to manage the project yourself ensure you have chosen trusted local tradespeople who are fully licenced and insured for the task they need to carry out.

The style you choose for your kitchen can affect the project duration, with detailed French Provincial style kitchens which feature intricate cabinet doors, mantles, and decorative corbels taking longer to manufacture and install than a minimalist, sleek, white modern kitchen.

Benefits of using a professional kitchen renovation company

• Reduced project duration - kitchen professionals carry out renovations just like yours every week of the year. They have the experience to foresee and promptly manage hiccups and streamline processes to minimise delays in the project.
• Experienced team of tradespeople - kitchen renovation companies invest a lot of time and energy in putting together a team of knowledgeable tradespeople who strive for a high standard of workmanship and work seamlessly with each other. Managing a project as involved as a kitchen renovation can be challenging if you've never had to coordinate tradespeople, materials, and equipment to be on-site at the right time before.
• Practical solutions - a competent kitchen designer will be able to provide you with practical, cost-effective solutions for everything from what to do with that awkward corner cabinet to how to maximise the use of natural light in your kitchen, and so much more.

Removing the old kitchen

Taking out the old kitchen involves removing all the old appliances, carefully storing any items which will be reused in the new kitchen, demolishing the old cabinetry and arranging removal. Any major building restructuring such as removing walls will be carried out at this stage. A cleared space is created ready for the new kitchen installation. The next steps include:

• The cabinet framing is installed in the new layout.
• The plumber and electrician both needed to rough in at this stage (to get the plumbing, gas, and electrical systems prepared for the reno).
• Any plastering required to tidy up areas, tiles removed or other damage has occurred, is carried out.
• The custom cabinetry is installed to the kitchen design.
• If you have granite, marble, or engineered stone benchtops they will need to be measured and ordered to ensure an exact fit once the cabinets are installed. These will be installed by your stonemason when they arrive.
• If you are using laminate benchtops they can be installed by your cabinetmaker.
• Flooring is installed if required.
• Splashback installation (glass or stone) or tiling carried out.
• Plumbing and electrical fit-off and appliance installation.
• Painting and finishing touches.
• Clean up of the renovation area.

Things that can delay your kitchen reno project

Staying to plan as much as possible ensures a smooth and efficient renovation, however, there are many events which can, and often do, derail the reno causing delays.

• Taking too long in the design phase - while it is important to consider your options during the design and planning stage nothing can get underway until you actually make some essential decisions.
• Changing your mind constantly - once you make a decision stick to it, changes, even very small ones, can delay the project by weeks at a time.
• Getting in the way - we understand that having your kitchen removed and renovated can be very disruptive to your home life. However, it is important to make other cooking and food prep arrangements for the duration of the kitchen reno to avoid getting in the way of the tradespeople.
• Being inflexible with product selections - hard-to-source items or materials can take longer to order and deliver.
• Bad communication - communicating effectively with your tradespeople and renovation company is essential for an efficient renovation.
• Not scheduling tradespeople and materials delivery well in advance - there are many stages throughout the remodelling process that have to be done one after the other so if for instance, the tiler can’t be on-site to install the splashback the plumber can’t fit the taps, and the electrician can’t install lighting and power points, and so on.

Need more information on the kitchen renovation process? Speak to our experienced team today.