Kitchen renovation advice needed

Hi guys,

We are planning to renovate our kitchen in the coming months, but just wanted to get an idea of what it would cost so we can plan ahead accordingly (as there are other jobs we would like to do around the house too).

As you can see by the attached pictures, its quite a small kitchen and we pretty much have to keep the current layout.

We got someone in today to provide us with a quote, so it will be interesting to see what its comes back as.

I also don’t wanted to over capitalise on a kitchen.

As I have found with my ensuite reno, there are many ways you can cuts costs, by doing things like:

1: Managing the reno yourself i.e arranging your own tradesman
2: Purchasing your own products online
3: Doing the demolition and disposal yourself
4: Getting a number of quotes (I got 5)

A perfect example was quotes for my ensuite coming in at around $14-16k, which I have managed to get down to $8k, so I’m hoping to do the same with my kitchen.


Look forward to hearing your thoughts.


Cheers,

Robbie

 

I got a 2 pac kitchen L shape with an island bench, granite tops, for $3000. That was just a stock standard kitchen, no customized elements.

Add $1000 for appliances.

Putting it all in myself.

Not too sure how much you would pay someone to do it all for you and to customize everything.

Looking at that floor plan it would be cool to make it more open plan, is it possible to knock down a wall or two?

 

Yup i looked into making it more open plan, but then we would loose quite a bit of cupboard space as well as try re-locate the fridge, which we dont have many options with.

 

Just got my first quote back, which came back as follows:

$6,790 : Custom made kitchen (with laminate kitchen tops)
$1,150 : Installation

I would supply my own appliances (gas top, oven, sink, rangehood) as well as sort out the little bit of tiling and electrical work etc.

I recon the total cost would be around $10,000, which seems reasonable (for my first quote)

I have attached some pictures of the design.

 

Thanks, i was meant to remove the address from the plan, all done now

 

For cheaper end kitchens have you looked at Bunnings/Masters/Ikea kitchens. Ikea have just updated their range. I think you can do them all on line and they will tell you the costs.

If you change your layout will your flooring be an issue? I notice that the slate is in the other room and if it isn't under your current cabinets will you need to replace or do you have spare slate?

I know this property had a similar kitchen layout to yours before it was recently updated. Might be some food for thought by changing the breakfast bar to the island bench?
http://www.thekitchendesigncentre.com.au/project/eltham-north/

 

Thanks for the idea, but my current kitchen is probably too narrow for an island bench.

With regards to the slate, Im actually removing it completely, putting down tiles, the putting a new kitchen on top of it.

I will have a look at Bunnings/Masters/Ikea, but the idea behind a custom made kitchen would be to utilize every spare centimeter with the limited space i have.

Do Bunnings/Masters/Ikea have installers?

 

I haven't got my pencil out to draw over your plans but quickly check out @Brian84 thread
https://propertychat.com.au/community/threads/resurfacing-kitchen-cabinets.1392/
Very similar kitchen to you.

I'd look at something like what Brian is doing and remove the fridge wall to go open plan but involves beams, engineer drawings etc etc plus a few $bananas more. you would also lose storage... But, something i look at doing was to do the island deeper by using 600 and 400 deep cabinets back to back allowing heaps of storage.

Other idea is to sacrifice the dining room and go for a galley kitchen, may out may not need to fill in back door, i haven't had a good look.

Depends how you use the areas as it is and what you could re jig to get what you want. Do you want more kitchen and lose or reduce the meals and dining rooms.

I think the first option could be better. I'd looking at keeping the wall directly behind the fridge or similar as a wall for a more "formal entry"

Haven't got time for sketchs at the moment but there's a start

 

At the moment the dinning and meals areas are really wasted space (see attached pics). I would love to open things up but not sure who i would get in to give advice.. i also want to keep this reno around $10k.

 

Call a few local builders and carpenters and tell them you want to knock out a wall or two and move the kitchen to open the place. The right guy that's interested will come around.
I think you need to turn the 3 rooms into 2

 

and the majority will ignore you as a waste of time

 

Having reno'd two kitchens to date (license to comment ) the 3d drawings look great. I'm guessing this is your PPR, as such your probably willing spend a bit more on it. As suggested before open plan always looks and feels better. From your plans though, I'm guessing the kitchen walls are load bearing. $$$$ to move/remove. If you sick with the current configuration, I would recommend moving the oven and microwave into the wall of cupboards. IMO there is nothing worse in a kitchen then having to bend to use these appliances. Also not very kid friendly being down so low.
In terms on appliances, you can get cheap packages oven, cooktop, range hood for 1k. I would always get extra warranty to 5 years saves having to argue later. Also, with your cooktop, get one either at least 700 wide looks and feels more luxurious, plus make sure the knobs at the front as you get more 'realestate' for pans.
Make sure that the fridge space is big enough for a large fridge should you ever want to you grade. Locate the PowerPoint (make it a double, can't have enough) in the cupboard above so that the plug wont be in the way.

 

@Arms wtf? That is usually how the exchange of goods and/or services commences. I wish you luck in negativetown

 

@Raydar I agree with all except warranty.hasn't that be proven a scam now, not worth the extra plus the life of items ends after 5 years now

 

Agreed that warranty is a scam. Just went through replacing out cooktop under extended warranty. Just made it so much easier. On the other hand, just went through weeks of arguing about a smart phone to get fixed outside manufacturers warrant.
Failing extra warranty, Ariston has 5yrs manufacturers across their range. Obviously a little more expensive than your 1k package.

 

Thanks for the advice guys, much appreciated.

I have local builder who is coming to have a look at my kitchen setup and he is happy to come over to give me some ideas of what is possible.

As things stand, I have a certain budget… so I can put it all into one room or spread it across the whole house, the later is what I’m planning to do, which is why I have a limited budget of $10-12k for the kitchen.

If I keep the kitchen design as is (but maximise the space I have by getting a custom made kitchen), based on the 1st quote I got back, I am fairly confident in keeping it just below $10k.

 

Hehe, that's what this forum is missing

Is it difficult to put together these Bunnings/Ikea kitchens yourself?

 

Still.. the problem i have with making things more "open" is where would i put my fridge?

 

Get your builder to see if opening up is even an option for your budget. It is an awkward space with the two areas on your floor plan meeting the kitchen, meals and dinning. IMO it would be best do a complete rework and move the kitchen to maybe the meals area. There is plumbing given the laundry on the other side. You could have an island bench as well and this opens to the deck. Great for entertaining. This gives you a very generous dining room and new sitting room. It also gives you more wall space for more cupboards and possibly even a wall of storage in the new dinning room and sitting area giving you the "open plan" look. It also leaves the structural wall in place.

BUT without redesigning your kitchen, I think the fridge is in the best possible position. Too give you more options you could look at removing the nib wall on the right of the fridge. This will give you the bigger fridge option in that the fridge can grow beyond the cabinetry. This is was we did in our house. Looks fine you may need to extend the wall behind to accommodate. Also don't forget plumbing to the fridge seeing most modern fridges have ice and water.