Renovating your kitchen is no small feat. Though the scale may be smaller than a full house renovation, there are still so many aspects to consider – especially if you’re a first timer! It takes a lot of time, experience and research before you can become a true kitchen renovation connoisseur, but if you’re short on time and looking for a concise crash course, we’ve got 5 kitchen design pro-tips for first time renovator’s right here!
1. Evenly categorize your budget
Interior Design, Home Renovation Image Source: Free Space Intent
 You need to carefully and strategically categorize your kitchen renovation budget or you may end up overspending. Here’s a handy percentage recommendation that can help you get started. Out of the total budget, 30% is dedicated to the cabinets, 14% on the appliances, 10% on the countertops, 4% on the overall plumbing, 5% on the lighting design and the rest on miscellaneous tasks like paint, flooring, labor, dismantling and more.
 2. Skin deep for the movers
Interior Design, Home Renovation Image Source: Free Space Intent
If you’re simply renovating your kitchen to upsize the resale value of your home, then it’s better that you don’t immerse yourself knee-deep in the entire renovation process. Staying skin deep and close to the surface will cut your costs and improve the aesthetic without busting your budget. Maybe repaint the cabinet doors, go for a new backsplash or a new floor material to drastically change the outlook.
 3. Be realistic with your wish list
Interior Design, Home Renovation Image Source: Cozy Ideas
 At the end of the day, you need to cut your coat according to your cloth. This basically means that you need to have realistic expectations and a wish list. You’re working with a limited budget so if you start splurging on designer fixtures, brand new customized cabinets and up to the minute appliances, you’ll quickly deplete yourself. Pick one of these things and compromise on the rest.
 4. Picking the right expert
Interior Design, Home Renovation Image Source: The Interior Lab
Here’s the thing – there are tons of contractors in Singapore who’re awesome at what they do. But you need to dig deep and search for one that specializes in your particular trade. There are contractors out there who specialize in kitchen renovations. Search for them, look at their portfolios and pick one who you think is going to be the most compatible with you!
 5. Prioritize your needs
Interior Design, Home Renovation Image Source: The Interior Lab
 Kitchens are primarily function-based parts of a home, so you need to be very considerate of this fact. Remember that you’re the one who’s going to be cooking and eating in this place so be as pragmatic as possible. If you feel like you’ll be needing more than 4’ of aisle space to move properly then go for it – after all, your needs matter more than the standards.
