Planning for a kitchen extension

For a lot of people, the kitchen is the hub of the home and therefore is an integral part of the space they live in. However, there are times when they feel the potential of their kitchen isn’t being met and that there is a lot more to get out of it.

Extending the kitchen is a massive step, but a very exciting one and something that can really give your home a new breath of live. Extending the kitchen gives you the opportunity of replacing much of the implements within the room and to give a completely refreshed look.

The initial challenge when extending is giving your kitchen new purpose through extending. Some are lucky enough to have space to extend onto the garden and open up the room to the outside, whereas others will want to use the extra space to create a dual-purpose room that also acts as a dining room.

Using the space effectively is also a trick to master. If getting new kitchen cabinets and appliances in the process of extending, make sure there is a clear-cut plan of where the space will be best used and again this depends on what you intend to use the room for.

Plenty of worktop space will be required of you’re a bit of a wiz in the kitchen, but if you’re wanting a family sized oak dining table to be brought in then you’ll need plenty of floor space. Either one is a potential double-edged sword, but compromises have to be made to get the most out of any room.

Don’t forget to plan for appliances too; cookers, fridges and dishwashers take up a lot of space so ensure that you’ve planned around the space that they’ll take up, and remember to consider what furniture will be going into the room also. Ventilation is also a key issue, so make sure you’ve not created a layout that will have your cooking odours filling the room, whilst also keeping to UK building regulations.

Next up is how much of the work you’ll be able to do yourself. There’s no doubt you’ll have to get some contractors in, but there will be elements that you can do yourself given the correct experience. If you’re a bit wet behind the ears on DIY, there are plenty of tips and tricks that will teach you a thing or two and give you the opportunity to save some money by doing some of the work yourself. The most common tasks that give the chance for a bit of DIY usually tend to be tiling, plastering and installing cupboards.

You may also be trained up enough to take on some of the plumbing or electrical work that needs to be fitted in any kitchen, but most of that is generally done by those fitting in new appliances of you’ve gone down the route of redoing the whole room.