Do you think it’s time for a kitchen remodel? Are you wondering how to tell if it’s time to remodel your kitchen? The majority of homeowners decide to remodel their kitchens for cosmetic reasons, such as outdated appliances, cracked countertops, and worn out cabinets. While these are all great reasons to remodel your kitchen, there are other things to consider when determining if it’s time for a full kitchen remodel.
Space Issues
One question to ask yourself is if you are happy with the amount of space you have. Do you want more floor space, more counter space, or even extra cabinet space? If you answered yes to any of these, you might want to consider remodeling your current kitchen. In some cases, the layout of your existing kitchen works against you and takes up valuable space. Look at where things are currently positioned, as they could be taking up valuable space. At a minimum, you want to have 158 inches of countertops that are 24 inches deep. At a minimum, you want 15 inches between the counters and the bottom of the cabinet.
Efficiency of Appliances
When it comes to the efficiency of appliances, the older they are, the less efficient they are. When we talk about outdated appliances, we are not talking within the last few years; we are referring to appliances that are at least 10 years old or more. These outdated appliances end up costing more money to use. Investing in newer appliances allows you to take advantage of the latest technology, saving you money, energy, and water.
Traffic Flow
How well traffic flows in your kitchen is important if you have more than one person cooking at a time. However, this can fall under space and design; it’s something worth considering separately too. When determining how easy it is to move around your kitchen, you don’t want to just consider how many people are cooking at the same time. You also want to think about how often you entertain. Consider an open floor plan for your kitchen if you do a lot of entertaining, as it doesn’t close it off from other rooms in the home. For areas where people stand while cooking, known as a work aisle, you want a minimum of 42 inches wide for a single cook and up to 4 feet wide for multiple cooks. Any walkway designed to pass through the kitchen should be at minimum 3 feet wide.
Location and Design
Most kitchens are located towards the back of the house, but not all open up into the backyard. If you have a deck or plan on building one, consider remodeling your kitchen to add a door to the outside. Something else to consider is the amount of sunlight entering your kitchen; do you desire more or less of it. Alter the layout of your kitchen, including adding or taking away windows to control the amount of sunlight. Windows can also be added to improve the view into your backyard. Design is important as you want a kitchen that everybody can safely use, including yourself as you get older. Doing a remodel now and incorporating a universal design for accessibility and safety saves costly upgrades and improvements later on.
Conclusion
If, after considering all of these important factors, you decide it’s time for a full kitchen remodel, take time to make a note of the pros and cons of your current kitchen. Knowing your likes and dislikes about your kitchen’s current layout can help you and your kitchen renovation specialist design the perfect kitchen for your needs.
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Hamed Astaneh
CEO & FOUNDER OF ASTANEH CONSTRUCTION
I’m a veteran renovation professional with a range of whole house renovations under my belt, including kitchen renovation, basement renovation, and bathroom renovation at the highest level in Toronto.
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