Kitchen Renovations That Are a Waste of Money
Kitchen renovations are expensive, complicated and often take a long time. This is why we frequently encounter homeowners who are looking to make small upgrades that will enhance the appeal of their kitchen while also adding value to their homes for future sale.
Many kitchen renovations are a waste of money, delivering a low ROI and creating a headache in the process. If you want to increase the resale value of your property and add a touch of panache to your existing living space while you wait, here are a few kitchen renovations you should avoid.
1. Adding a backsplash
A backsplash refers to the material added onto the wall behind the kitchen sink or countertops. It is usually tiles or marble, materials that are resistant to liquid splashes and cooking oils and are easy to clean.
Backsplashes are often the go-to for homeowners wanting to do kitchen renovations with maximum visual impact, but they’re not always the right choice. While this trend is popular, it can very easily backfire.
Backsplashes can be quite expensive to install in relation to the value – or lack of value – that they add to your home.
A backsplash usually reflects your personal taste at that specific time. Depending on what you choose, it can quickly become outdated in just a few years and turn into a waste of money. Even the very concept of a backsplash may feel old school and be offputting to potential buyers.
2. Installing high-tech gadgets
If you’re planning to sell your home soon, you definitely don’t want to waste money on kitchen renovations where the results aren’t immediately visible.
There is a myriad of high-tech gadgetry out there that can seem really progressive and exciting, but most of them won’t increase the value of your home or be attractive to buyers.
From touchscreen countertops (really!) to spotlights that turn on and off with a clap of your hands, technology is fun to experiment with only if you have money to burn and you don’t expect it to sway a future purchaser’s decision.
If it’s space that you’re worried about, try these space-saving kitchen hacks instead of looking for faddish tech solutions.
3. Replacing your floors
You should only ever replace your kitchen floors during full kitchen renovations. Tearing up outdated flooring just to add a new floor style is not only very expensive, but it will subsequently be out of sync with the rest of your kitchen. After all, no one adds thick, luxurious carpets to a living room with a saggy couch and chipped dining table!
Your floors are the foundation on which your kitchen sits. If you replace the foundation, you must rebuild everything else from the ground up to ensure quality and aesthetic appeal.
In addition, kitchen floors are almost impossible to replace without also replacing at least some of the other structural elements in your kitchen. Removing kitchen cabinets can easily crack or chip your tiles or scuff your hardwood flooring.
We recommend considering new flooring when you are designing a refurbishment of your kitchen. At FCI, we’ve been designing modern home interiors for nearly 40 years and we are experts in kitchen renovations and custom kitchen designs. Our team is on hand to guide you through your flooring options.
4. Replacing your kitchen cabinets
Replacing your kitchen cabinets can seem like an easy way to refresh your space, but there are easier and cheaper ways to spruce them up.
If you remove the cabinets entirely, you will likely damage other structural elements during the process such as flooring, electrical wiring and walls. These will be expensive to fix and any perceived value you might think you are adding to your will be negated by the additional money you’ll need to spend.
Instead, our expert kitchen designers recommend a simple refresh of your kitchen cabinets until such time as you can schedule your kitchen renovations. Give them a lick of paint, change the door handles and move or add shelving to increase storage space inside.
For more help with styling and colour schemes, we have some great tips on how to choose the ideal colour for your kitchen.
5. Buying trendy fittings and accessories
We are interior designers with a love of luxury furniture. In fact, we sell exclusive pieces from some of the world’s best brands, so it seems counterproductive of us to warn you off buying trendy fittings.
But that is exactly what we’re doing. You may think the golden swan-shaped tap is a good idea, but we can assure you that your future home buyer probably will not.
Trendy fittings and accessories are specific both to a particular moment and your preferences. They are often overpriced and instead of adding value to your home, they are more likely to detract from its value as prospective buyers consider the cost of replacing them to be part of the purchase price.
In Conclusion
When considering what kitchen renovations to choose, make sure you focus on substance over style and common sense over cool technology.
We’re here to help! Get in touch and chat with one of our expert interior design teams today.
