Planning a kitchen renovation: a checklist

Kitchens go wrong when decisions are made in the wrong order: tiles chosen before the cabinet layout, a cooker bought before anyone checked the extractor route, a sink picked that does not fit the base unit. This is the sequence we use with clients, and it works whether you hire us or manage the job yourself.

Before design

• Write down what does not work now: too little worktop, no space for the fridge, dark corners, a door that hits the oven.
• Decide who cooks and how often. A household that cooks twice a day needs more worktop and storage than one that eats out.
• List the appliances you will keep and their exact sizes, including the fridge height.
• Set a budget range and decide what is non-negotiable (for example a stone worktop) and what can flex.
• Check building rules if you are in an apartment: working hours, water shut-off, lift bookings, whether walls can be removed.

Layout

• Measure the room including window and door positions, ceiling height, and the exact positions of water, waste and gas points.
• Fix the positions of sink, cooker and fridge first. Everything else fits around them.
• Keep at least 1.0 metre of clear floor in a galley and 1.1 to 1.2 metres around an island.
• Decide whether to remove a wall now. It changes everything that follows and is cheapest done first.

Materials

• Cabinet carcass: MDF for painted finishes, marine board where water is a risk, solid timber for frames.
• Doors: melamine for budget, matte lacquer or PU for handleless modern looks, framed shaker for classic.
• Worktop: granite or quartz for durability, laminate for budget, solid wood if you will oil it.
• Floor and splashback tiles chosen after the cabinets, so they complement rather than compete.
• Hardware: soft-close hinges and drawer runners from a named manufacturer so they can be replaced.

Services and lighting

• Plan sockets for every appliance plus four to six for the worktop.
• Route the extractor to an outside wall or a proper duct; recirculating hoods are a last resort.
• Under-cabinet lighting over the worktop, a pendant or downlights over the island, and a general ceiling light.

Programme

• Order cabinets 3 to 4 weeks before the site start; they are fabricated off-site.
• On site: demolition, first-fix plumbing and electrical, walls and ceiling, tiling, cabinets, worktop template, worktop fitting, second-fix, appliances, snagging.
• Plan where you will cook for 7 to 14 days. A kettle, microwave and a tap in the bathroom get most families through.

Our kitchen and bathroom design service follows this list on every project, with the layout, finish board and itemised quote presented before any work starts.