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Beth Sandland

7 Things to Know Before Renovating Your Kitchen

09/28/2020 · Home, INTERIORS, LIFESTYLE

Things to know before renovating your kitchen: kitchen remodelling tips to make an open plan kitchen. Pink and grey kitchen with Pink Smeg Fridge and Howdens matte kitchen cupboards

A couple of weeks ago our kitchen renovation finally came to a close! It was a drawn out and at times stressful process, that ultimately cost a lot more in time and money than we had anticipated. As well as the nitty gritty details of what we chose and some juicy before and afters, this blog post details the most important things to know before renovating your kitchen. There are kitchen renovation tips that I wish someone had told me (and in fact, they apply to most renovations!) and things that, in hindsight, we would’ve done differently. 

This post is in part sponsored by Howdens Joinery, who provided me with a discount to install our Howdens Silestone Arabesque White Marble Effect Quartz countertops following a worktop-induced disaster! The rest of the kitchen is also Howdens; we chose, funded and installed this with our chosen tradesman ourselves. All imagery and words are my own!

Things to know before renovating your kitchen


1. Budget, and then factor in a buffer of at least 20-30%

One of the biggest things to know before renovating your kitchen is that it might cost a fair bit more than you were prepared for. It’s important to set a budget and be clear which percentage of this is for the materials and appliances, and which is for the labour. You’ll probably find the latter comes in higher than, or at least as high as the former! A great starting point for setting a renovation budget is to get several quotes; it will give you an idea of the going rate of your project. Kitchens themselves come in all sorts of shapes and sizes from budget to a mega splurge, so gage where the styles you like are sitting within the range.

You absolutely must budget to go over budget. I know it sounds crazy, but factoring in a buffer will soften any nasty surprises later down the line. One of the lotteries of renovating is that you don’t quite know what might crop up. We went 28% over budget on unavoidable things, not fancier tastes. We didn’t have a buffer and it stings…

Featuring: Howdens Hockey Super Matt Dove Grey kitchen, Brass Round Cupboard Door Knobs. Worktops are Silestone White Arabesque Marble Effect Quartz. Flooring is Karndean Lime Washed Oak.


2. Prepare for the unexpected to crop up

…The second most important thing to know before renovating your kitchen: anything can crop up! This ties closely with the first point. In our case, we suddenly needed a steel RSJ that we had been told we could be 99% certain we wouldn’t need – more on that later. This literal spanner in the works added several weeks and several thousand pounds on to our kitchen renovation. The builders also discovered an old, live gas pipe that needed cutting off.

Things to Know Before Renovating Your Kitchen

3. Design the layout with a professional

You might think you know exactly what you want from your kitchen, or trust your builder to design the remodel for you. My advice is to speak to several professional kitchen design teams and see what each of them brings to the table, then take the best elements from each. Fresh eyes can never hurt!

Howden’s have a kitchen design team who will create graphic mock ups; we didn’t use them but probably should have done! On the whole we’re happy with the layout of our kitchen, but in hindsight I’d have liked a wider range of creative opinions.

4. Don’t forget about bins!

Such a simple thing: bins! We use them daily, and yet one of the major things to know before renovating your kitchen is that most people forget to factor them in. We chose the Howdens Door Mounted Recycling Waste Bin. It takes up a half size unit but features plenty of space for separate waste and recycling, as well as a small shelf above for things like liners and tin foil!

5. Keep the plumbing where it is

Unless you’re doing a complete remodel with a very large budget, it’s almost always more cost effective to keep the plumbing where it is. That doesn’t mean that everything has to stay in the same spot: our washing machine is now the other side of the room. It just means, speak to your team about where the plumbing (and gas!) points are and consider arranging things accordingly.

We opted for the Howdens Lamona Integrated Dishwasher and a Zanussi Integrated Washing Machine – both of which we chose because they’re virtually silent!

Things to Know Before Renovating Your Kitchen Howdens Hockley Super Matt Dove Grey, Samsung Dual Flex Oven

6. When it comes to structural changes, prepare for the most expensive scenario

Yikes. Against my better judgement we trusted that we wouldn’t need a steel beam, despite removing an internal wall to make our kitchen and living space open plan. Had the worst case structural scenario been one of the things we’d known before renovating our kitchen, we could’ve at least estimated and prepared for the cost. Instead, we were landed with a panic-inducing phone call, a missing wall, supports holding the ceiling up and a £3000 bill for a retrospective structural engineer, steel and labour. Cry.

7. Choose appliances with longevity and resale in mind

With the exception of our freestanding pink Smeg fridge (my pride and joy!), we bought all our appliances in the knowledge that they won’t be ours forever. We decided to integrate the dishwasher and washing machine for aesthetic value, and chose a high quality oven and hob too. This definitely isn’t our forever home, but we went for quality, named brands for a few reasons. We get to enjoy them now and they’re designed to last (even if the next owner is the beneficiary of that!) Plus, whenever you do eventually sell, impressive names support all the handwork and funds you’ve put into renovating your kitchen; of course most people hope their efforts will increase the overall property value!

Our Samsung oven is one of my favourite choices. It’s got so many incredible features like a dual cook door and plenty of brilliant modes!

8. Don’t commit without seeing samples

Up there with one of the most important things to know before renovating your kitchen. Had we insisted on samples for each aspect of our kitchen, we would have saved ourselves wasted time, money and stress. Howdens don’t have large showrooms as they only sell to trade but that doesn’t mean you can’t see and touch samples!

We chose our original laminate worktops and backboards blind, relying purely on how they looked in the catalogue. Unfortunately, when they were fitted it wasn’t what I imagined. I was absolutely gutted when I saw them, which is a crushing feeling I’d love to prevent others from experiencing! So get samples, or visit a showroom first.

In the end, we chose to remove the worktops and backboards, but doing so came with the penalty of losing not only the almost £900 we had spent on them, but also the labour costs of their installation and their removal.

Subsequently, we chose Howdens Silestone White Arabesque Marble Effect Quartz worktops and I wish we had just gone for these in the beginning! The finished effect is worlds apart, and these really elevate the look of our kitchen

Kitchen renovation tips: Silestone white arabesque marble effect quartz worktops, Belfast sink

9. Choose your three biggest functionality priorities

Unless budget is unlimited, you can’t have it all. It helps to lay out your top three priorities right at the beginning of your kitchen renovation. Ours were to maximise storage, which we achieved with full extension corner base units and a larder cupboard. To have plenty of space to prepare food on, which we did by maximising the worktops and installing a breakfast bar. And to create a really social, family friendly open plan living space. Removing the wall and adding the bifolds and the breakfast bar helped to achieve this; I love that whilst one of us cooks, the other can sit and chat and still be involved!

10. It might take a lot longer than you think

Initially, we were quoted 3 weeks. I thought it was overly optimistic, so prepared myself for 4 to 5. In the end, our kitchen renovation took almost exactly two months. It was pretty relentless and whilst we’re thrilled that it’s done, at the time it felt like one issue after another and ate up the entire summer that we’d planned to sit back and enjoy it. I don’t regret it, but I do wish we’d been more prepared!

Things to Know Before Renovating Your Kitchen
Things to Know Before Renovating Your Kitchen: Howdens Silestone White Arabesque Marble Effect Quartz Worktop
Things to Know Before Renovating Your Kitchen: Belfast sink with bronze  swan neck tap

Edited with my Spring Lifestyle Presets: shop here!

Posted In: Home, INTERIORS, LIFESTYLE

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Comments

  1. Lucy says

    09/28/2020 at 16:21

    This is such helpful advice to anyone who is thinking of renovating their kitchen! x

    Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk

    Reply
  2. Alexandra says

    09/28/2020 at 18:28

    Having designed and built a number of kitchens myself over the years, I have to say this post is very accurate and helpful for first timers.

    Reply
    • Beth Sandland says

      09/28/2020 at 19:07

      Thank you!

      Reply
  3. Pauline says

    09/28/2020 at 18:52

    Great tips, especially about the worktops. We are doing our kitchen next year, we postponed this year so that gives me more time to source, touch, feel and see what worktops are out there and ensure we make the right choices.

    Reply
    • Beth Sandland says

      09/28/2020 at 19:07

      Absolutely! Good luck 😊

      Reply
  4. Stacy says

    09/28/2020 at 21:15

    Hi can I be really cheeky and ask for ball park figures just for the room being made open plan? I have an idea of how much kitchens cost, just not how much it would be to make a separate kitchen and dining room into one room. Thank you x

    Reply
    • Beth Sandland says

      09/29/2020 at 09:01

      It would depend very specifically on your space! How big the wall is, if it’s supporting, if you need beams (the steel was the bulk of our cost – that alone came in at £3K, but had we not needed it the project would’ve cost a lot less)…You’d be best to get a few quotes!

      Reply
  5. Stephen says

    09/29/2020 at 05:29

    Really useful tips. The kitchen and worktop looks amazing. What flooring type is installed?

    Reply
    • Beth Sandland says

      09/29/2020 at 08:59

      Karndean Lime Washed Oak x

      Reply
  6. Danielle says

    10/04/2020 at 11:02

    It may have been a hike to get there, bu it looks amazing!

    Danielle
    https://www.thereluctantblogger.co.uk/

    Reply
  7. Kim says

    11/08/2020 at 20:44

    Beautiful kitchen! Thanks for the tips. What is the colour and brand of your wall paint? 🙂

    Reply
  8. Sam loton says

    12/03/2020 at 09:44

    Hi…. Looks fabulous!!
    . How did you find out that you needed to install a steel??

    Reply
  9. Carey says

    12/17/2020 at 15:18

    It looks amazing, you’ve done a great job!

    Reply

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I am a multi-award winning blogger, photographer and writer from London. I’ve travelled to over 38 countries, lived out of a backpack for a year and love to scuba dive! This site is a destination for all things travel, lifestyle and my successful online book club.

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A hug in a bowl from the inside out, this steaming bowl of sweet and sour broth is the perfect warmer for a moody January day. Taking care of yourself - here in a winter lockdown - is more important now than ever. It’s healthy, fresh and ultra comforting and all the ingredients are easily picked up at @waitroseandpartners during your weekly shop.
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Serves: 4
🌶: Medium heat (warm rather than hot) - add more or less chilli oil to taste!
🥬: Vegan version: skip the chicken, make the broth as is then add peeled and chopped veggies of your choosing instead of the shredded poached chicken.
⏰: 10 mins prep, 90 mins cook time
👩🏻‍🍳: Ease level: foolproof!
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Nursery pending 👶🏼🌈🎨 I’ve hated this Nursery pending 👶🏼🌈🎨 I’ve hated this room for the last year. After our first loss it completely taunted me and I couldn’t bring myself to do anything with it other than use it as a giant Monica cupboard. It’s been called so many things - ‘the middle room’, ‘the spare room’, it even stayed as ‘Emily’s room’ for a long time after our lodger moved out - but now we finally call it the baby’s room 🥰🤍 #week28 #thirdtrimester #nurserydecoration #pregnancyafterloss
Week 27: extra hormonal, everything is stretching, Week 27: extra hormonal, everything is stretching, bub is the size of a cauliflower in this bizarre compare babies to fruit & veg game...👶🏼🥦🌈
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😭 Hormonal wreck: I haven’t really had mood swings at all throughout pregnancy but oh my goodness have the hormones got me good this week. There have been tears. And hysterical sobbing. Sorry husband.
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🏀 Basketball belly: the stretch is real! My uterus is now firmly up under my ribs and I swear I can feel them slowly pulling apart. I cried when I sneezed - “it’s like someone STABBED me” (see point 1). Everything feels very round and my old belly piercing scar is not thrilled about life...
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👈🏼 Still an innie: ....just. It’s more like a saucer where it was once a cereal bowl.
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🦒 All the cute things: we’ve decided on a neutral safari themed nursery. Says the person who hates themes.
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💸 “But they’re so small...😭”: I’m officially on a tiny clothes shopping ban. I’ve rinsed eBay and some lovely small brands (and the Zara sale) and I get an eye roll every time I smuggle a new parcel into the nursery.
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🥴 Tasting everything 6 times over: Hi reflux.
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📖 Reading: Your Baby, Your Birth by Hollie de Cruz is next on my bedside table.
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Here are 3 titles I’ve read recently (and rated 5/5 - I’m a harsh critic) that are perfect if you need a pick me up or some escapism...
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1. The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley: an old man leaves a notebook in a cafe for a stranger to find telling his ‘truth’ and challenging them to do the same. The catalyst for a web of unusual friendships and genuine, warm characters...
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2. Educated by Tara Westover: a memoir that reads a little like a fiction depicting Tara’s life growing up in a strict Mormon family in Idaho with a survivalist father who is battling undiagnosed mental illness. They don’t believe in formal education or medicine and any form of governance is the work of the Illuminati. Covers some heavy themes (tw: abuse) and is extremely interesting and engaging.
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3. Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams: sometimes laugh out loud funny, sometimes poignantly sad, Queenie is a vivacious twenty-something growing up as a black woman in an ever gentrifying south London. A crap boyfriend, covert racism and a battle with anxiety paint a backdrop whilst she navigates daily life. It’s excellent!
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Monty the monstera is going to start eating dentists soon. My top tips for a super healthy swiss cheese plant -
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🌱 A lovely bright spot away from direct sun (not a problem in winter) and radiators.
🌱 Intuitive watering: stick your finger in and water when the top 2” of the soil are dry, rather than to a set schedule. The amount needed depends on your plant (I use around 700ml approx every 10 days) but make sure you’ve got good drainage!
🌱 Every now and again I like to put it in the garden when it’s raining (in the spring/summer) or under the shower. Rain is best if possible as hard tap water can cause mineral build up on the soil.
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🌱 Wipe dust off the leaves (shower also does this) and use a spritz bottle regularly.
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With less than 2 weeks until the final trimester I thought I’d try and document weekly, as much for me to look back on. This photo is already a week old and I seem to be growing by the day!
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What’s the crack this week?...
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🤧 Pelvic floor: Sneezing brings ALL the fear!
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🐙 Movement: I saw my belly move from the outside like a scene from Alien for the first time. At bed time it feels like a small octopus is doing the Macarena in my uterus. It’s still the most magical feeling in the world.
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👶🏼 Prep: The pram arrived this week! We ordered it in a brilliant Silver Cross sale. I was feeling a bit flat about the loss of that ‘pram shopping with my bump’ experience due to lockdown but putting it together made me happy - it’s so beautiful! And so surreal - we own a pram!
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📖 Reading: The Positive Birth Book by @milli.hill. It puts across all options in a clear, non-judgey, humorous way and has made me think of things I’d never heard of. It’s also the first time I’ve understood what a birth plan might physically look/read like.
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🧘🏼‍♀️ Hypnobirthing: I’ve started to feel more nervous about the birth (not the actual act or the pain, rather fears I won’t share as don’t want to project) but we’re starting hypnobirthing online next week which I’m looking forward to!
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👯‍♀️ Following: @birth_ed, @takingcarababies, @mixing.up.motherhood are accounts that are bringing joy/invaluable info.
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#26weeks #rainbowbaby🌈 #secondtrimester #pregnancyafterloss
I loved being a pregnant bride. Often a baby is a I loved being a pregnant bride. Often a baby is a reason to delay or speed up a wedding (lots assumed that was the case for us, but it wasn’t!) and is generally seen as perhaps spoiling things a little. It’s totally fine if you do feel that way, but for us it made it extra magical. It felt totally right to have our little bub between us as we exchanged vows and I was happy to embrace the bump in my dress. I still chose exactly the look and fit I wanted and wore the sparkly heels and in a way, I found trying dresses on much lower pressure as I wasn’t worrying about my figure. Perhaps the biggest difference was staying sober and the fact that we had a tiny wedding with a fancy lunch rather than a party probably made this a lot easier. I raised a toast with our four guests but beyond that, I didn’t have any inclination to drink anyway. Bonus - a great nights sleep and no hangover! 🥂👰🏻
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Photographer: @victoriasomersethowphotography
Dress: ASOS
Box fresh kicks ready to explore [from the bedroom Box fresh kicks ready to explore [from the bedroom to the kitchen, to the loo...aaand repeat]...at least they’ll stay clean 🥴☕️
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Type into browser: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/ewjdwzcbq2x (junior size 🤑 if under a UK 5.5)
AD: Pregnancy has given me a lot of time to reflec AD: Pregnancy has given me a lot of time to reflect on my relationship with alcohol over the last year. 🍸 I flitted between giving it up when pregnant or for fertility purposes, then using it as an emotional crutch in loss which made me more anxious and restless. This time - now 6 months pregnant - I haven’t had a drink since August and have been really pleasantly surprised by how little I’ve missed it, even over the festive season. I’m not into vilifying booze; I enjoy a couple of drinks and even the feeling of lowered inhibitions and being tipsy. But I know that even post-pregnancy and the other-side of the hazy newborn/breastfeeding days, I’ll try and maintain a far more positive relationship with alcohol which for me, looks like indulging lightly and occasionally.
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Having access to brilliant alcohol-free alternatives makes this significantly easier. My favourite gin distillers, Salcombe Gin, are behind the @NewLondonLight; a 0% spirit that doesn’t compromise on taste. So whether you’re pregnant, doing Dry January or simply attempting to live lighter, you can still enjoy a Sunday evening tipple. How do you feel about the alcohol free movement?
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Get 20% off with code ‘NLL20Beth’ 🍊 #NewLondonLight #LiveLightNLL #NLL
Top 5 Books I read in 2020 ☕️ ~
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Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens: totally captivating, unusual and enchanting. I literally devoured this one!
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Queenie, Candice Carty-Williams: as well as being laugh out loud funny, Queenie is also an education. A must read on what it’s like to be a young black woman growing up in London. Also tackles mental health really well!
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The Flatshare, Beth O’Leary: I recommend this to anyone who just really needs a hug from a genuinely enjoyable book. It’s warm and lovely but offers depth well beyond your usual chick lit too.
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Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi: this novel is such a triumph! Spanning over 300 years from pre-colonial Ghana to present day USA, each chapter follows a new character in the lineage of two sisters. One sold to slavery, the other married to an English coloniser. It’s sweepingly powerful and incredibly well written. I could’ve read an entire book on each character!
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A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Backman: Ove was the very first book I read in 2020 and it stuck with me throughout the year. At its most basic, it’s the story of a cantankerous old man. Delve a little deeper and it’s funny, heartbreaking and incredibly heartwarming. I just love Ove!
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Hit the ‘save’ button to come back to this list when you’re in need of a good read! What were your books of the year? 📚
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PS. If more reading, less scrolling is one of your 2021 goals too then don’t forget you can come and join us at @bethsbookclub_ 😎
2 0 2 1: the year of you 🕊🤍
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Happy new year saucepots! We had an ultra rock n’ roll night (read our books in bed then watched the midnight fireworks - that was a nice surprise! - on a phone before falling promptly to sleep...) and today is all about a long walk, a longer bath, books and tea. And obviously starting a new diary because isn’t fresh stationary the best thing about a new year?!
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Are you setting New Years’ resolutions? I prefer a bit of reflection and mindset shifting. This year it’s all about setting firm positive boundaries, protecting my energy and saying no to things/people that don’t serve that. I like the new year, not for the ‘new me’ noise but rather as a chance to let go and embrace a fresh beginning again. ⚡️☕️
As far as NYE outfits go, I’m not mad about this As far as NYE outfits go, I’m not mad about this one...🐻🥂 I hope you’re all well and excited to bid farewell to 2020. I know the clock striking midnight doesn’t fundamentally change anything but I’m hopeful that we can look forward with more optimism. I always find the turn of the year really emotionally complex. I’m not even going to attempt to unpack this last one other than to rejoice that even amongst the lowest of lows there have been highs. My beloved Nan won’t see the new year, which is hard to contemplate. I also married my best friend. This time last year I was miserable on the sofa, a day after surgery for our first miscarriage and wishing I could press pause on life. Tonight I’m still on the sofa, but full and at peace rather than empty and grieving, looking forward. For us, 2021 will see the birth of our little cub so it’s one that I’m welcoming with open arms. So much can change in a year and I hope you can seek comfort in that. However you’re feeling tonight, I’ll raise my alco-free bubbles to you because you did it: you made it through one of the toughest years in history. Brighter days are coming ☀️💓
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