Average Cost for Kitchen Renovation Projects

by | Mar 9, 2020 | Kitchen Renovations

We all know that the kitchen is considered to be the heart of the house. This is where everyone gathers and spends their time sharing stories over a warm home-cooked meal or just a simple breakfast of toast and coffee. This is the reason why homeowners always take time and a large part of their budget for the kitchen. Since this area is always busy with lots of foot traffic and appliances being used, it is unavoidable that the kitchen would need some updating every now and then. May it be just a small piece of cabinet handles or as big a project as the kitchen floors.

How Often Do You Need to Renovate Your Kitchen?

How often do we need to renovate our kitchens? Some would take as long as 15 to 20 years before finally deciding that their kitchen needs an upgrade but some would just take just a few years depending on how often your kitchen is used. There are several signs that let you know that it’s time to remodel your kitchen, these are:

• Your kitchen is out of date – your cabinetry and your fixtures may have seen the years and is beginning to look old and outdated, this might tell you that it is time for some changes in your kitchen. This is where all the family gather together and it would be a welcome change to bring on fresh changes to this special place.
• You have the budget or the financial means – you may not need to spend a fortune when trying to renovate your kitchen. You can start by changing the small things such as kitchen appliances but if you have the means, you can give your kitchen a full face-lift.
• Your needs for your kitchen may have changed – when you built your house, it may just be for you and your spouse but through the years, your family may have grown so you would need more spaces for storage or a space where everybody can just sit around and talk. You may need additional space to entertain friends or do your projects. As the years go, a family’s needs will also grow therefore this tells you it is time for your kitchen to grow together with you as well.
• Damage to the Kitchen – being a very busy space in the house, it can’t be avoided that there are areas that are broken or may be damaged. Kitchen appliances may not function like they did before or you may have issues in closing your drawers. . Dents, scratches and stains may have also contributed to the whole look and feel of your kitchen. Time can indeed affect how your kitchen look and function so it is only advisable that after some time, this area will badly need some upgrades and renovations.
• Increase value – if you are planning on selling your house, an updated and modern kitchen can definitely increase its resale value. New homeowners are not looking forward to having to make the changes themselves therefore fixing and updating your kitchen which is a vital part of your home is a definite must.

How Much Does an Average Kitchen Renovation Cost?

Building a kitchen involves a lot of things; you have to consider your needs, your financial capability and what your priorities are. All these factors correlate with each other. If you need a bigger counter top so as to have a bigger workspace and a big stove to accommodate all your cooking needs, which would you find more important if your budget have its limitations? Here is average cost when renovating a kitchen based on size

Size (Square Feet)Average Cost (NZD)Small (<70)$5,000-$20,000Medium (100-150)$15,000-$40,000Large (200+)$30,000-$60,000

The cost of remodelling a kitchen also depends on the scale of how much you want to change. Average costs depending on the scale are:

Remodel TypeAverage Cost (NZD)Minor Remodel$10,000-$15,000Midrange Remodel$15,000-$30,000Major Remodel$30,000+

When you are planning on building a kitchen, you should also take into consideration where most of your budget will go. According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association, the bulk of the budget goes to the cabinetry and hardware taking in around 29% of your budget followed by the cost of the installation and then the appliances and ventilation. The design fees, door and windows and faucets and plumbing offer the least part of your budget.

A minor renovation can include upgrading a faucet or your sink. It could be replacing your counter tops with inexpensive materials such as laminate, vinyl or tile. It could also involve just replacing your appliances. Minor renovations means you may have to do some of the work yourself and leave the specialized jobs to the professionals.

Whereas, a mid range renovation may involve replacing a counter top with high-quality material such as stone, wood or metal. If you are planning to put an island in your kitchen, this will bring you to the mid-range scale of the renovation cost. Replacing the floor or upgrading into high-end appliances could also cost you in the mid-range department.

Having more budget gives you more freedom to do any renovations that you might like. This could include granite countertops, having custom cabinets or even putting in hardwood flooring. You can do lots of things if you’re planning to dig in your pockets and do an upscale remodeling plan.

How to Protect Yourself in Cases of Poor Service and Incomplete Work

If you are planning to take on a kitchen renovation specialist, you must make sure that they are offering you quality service. To make sure you have this, there are four guarantees that protect you under the Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA) against poor service and incomplete work:

• be provided with reasonable care and skill – this means that a job should be done with care and competence. The worker should have at least the average technical skills to get the job done and must express care in the work that they are doing.
• Service will be fit for purpose – the renovation specialist has to make sure that they are fit for the job. They should have the necessary skills needed to complete the work required. However, as a client, you should also be clear at expressing what you like otherwise the specialist will not be hold accountable if the work did not meet your expectations.
• The timeframe should be reasonable if no definite deadlines are set – reasonable time should be time that a competent person is able to finish a job.
• If no price is being agreed, the service should be at a reasonable price – to have basis on what a reasonable price should be, you can check with other service providers in your area. This is applied whether a contract has been signed or not.

If a renovation job is not completed, there are two sets of legal rights to depend on. The first is that you can use the guarantees listed beforehand under the Consumer Guarantees Act and the second would be a remedy for a breach of contract under the Contract and Commercial Law Act (CCLA). If you and your service provided has agreed to a target date and price and this has not been met, you can consider this as a breach of contract.

There are also things that happen that is beyond our control. Such events considered as major natural disasters are floods or earthquakes. Another thing to consider is accidents as well. When such things happen, the service provider will not be hold accountable for this. What should be done instead is talk with the provider and discuss what’s in the contract. The provider can either continue to do the job in areas not affected by the event, plan on what to do to overcome it and then restart work as soon as possible.

https://www.consumerprotection.govt.nz/general-help/common-consumer-issues/poor-quality-or-incomplete-work/#search:a2l0Y2hlbiByZW5vdmF0aW9ucw

Since kitchen renovations are the most popular and costly renovations being done in a house, it is important that you only go to a trusted renovation specialist. You must make sure that they have the skill set, confidence and the transparency to be able to provide you with quality service needed to get the job done.