How to plan a kitchen renovation - Trades & Materials

In this third article on 'How to plan a kitchen renovation' we look at organising the tradespeople needed to carry out the specialist tasks and touch on ordering materials needed for the project.

Even if you are fairly handy and are planning to do some of the renovating yourself there will be certain jobs that need a skilled licensed tradesperson to carry out. These include the plumbing, electrical, and gas fitting at a minimum. This is to ensure all work is carried out safely and to the relevant industry standards. Make sure you allow for these specialist services in your kitchen renovation budget.

If you decide to use a professional kitchen renovation company like Haddon Kitchens & Cabinets we will organise all trades and order the relevant materials for the project.

Plumbing and electrical considerations for your kitchen renovation

Plumbing

If you are changing the whole layout of the kitchen, in particular moving the sink or dishwasher, you’ll need to speak to a licenced plumber for advice on what work is needed to move the mains water and wastewater pipes to the new location. Make sure you get a detailed quote on the complete job. Depending on the construction of your home and the location of the kitchen this could involve cutting the concrete slab. It’s important to note that moving plumbing can add significantly to the reno budget.

Electrical

Making smart decisions about where to place power points during the planning process can make or break your kitchen design and ultimate functionality (in our opinion). Ensure there are power points for all appliances including:

• Microwave
• Fridge
• Cooktop - gas cooktops often have electric ignition systems
• Oven - if you are adding a larger oven or stove check if it requires a dedicated electrical circuit or 3-phase power.
• Regularly used small appliances such as the kettle, toaster, sandwich press etc
• Coffee machine
• Rangehood

Make sure you also allow several power points on or under the main food prep benchtop area as well as any other small appliance use areas.

On top of that keep in mind that kitchens can become the charging station for all the tech devices we now have in our homes (phones, tablets, laptops, etc) and allow extra electrical sockets for these too.

Organising trade quotes

Designing and managing your own kitchen renovation means you’ll need to get individual quotes from all the tradespeople needed to complete your project as well as manage the scheduling of their work. These can include:

• Cabinet maker or carpenter
• Plumber
• Electrician
• Tiler - splashback or flooring
• Stonemason - stone benchtops and/or splashback
• Glazier - glass splashback
• Painter

Before the renovation starts you’ll also need to work out how you will get rid of the old kitchen. You may choose to do this yourself or pay someone else to remove and dispose of the old cabinetry.

Carefully scheduling and managing tradespeople is required to ensure that there are no delays at every stage of the project.

Ordering kitchen materials

Once you have decided on a kitchen design you’ll need to work with suppliers to source and order the materials needed for the renovation. Sometimes tradespeople will help with this for basic requirements but often it’s up to you.

Your cabinet maker will probably take care of the main cabinet construction however you may need to buy things like hinges, handles, and drawer systems. Make sure you know which products are your responsibility and which the individual tradespeople will organise.

Materials needed can include:

• Tiles
• Benchtop product
• Light fittings
• Ceiling fan
• Appliances - oven, cooktop, rangehood, dishwasher
• Splashback - glass, tiles, stone
• Cabinet hardware - handles, hinges, drawer tracks etc
• Tapware
• Sink
• Paint

If, at any stage throughout the planning of your renovation, you stop and think maybe the DIY approach is not for you enlisting the services of a professional kitchen renovation company like Haddon Kitchens can take a huge amount of pressure off. The renovation professionals know the ins and out's of renovating, have a team of experienced tradespeople on hand, and can source all the materials needed from reliable suppliers.

More information on planning your kitchen renovation:

• How to plan a kitchen renovation - Budget & Layout
• How to plan a kitchen renovation - Cabinets & Lighting