Today we are going to talk about tips for Building Kitchen Extensions. If you are looking for ways to improve your living quality or increase the value of your home, then planning a kitchen extension will definitely aid this issue.
A kitchen extension should give the house a much needed revamp and it only costs a fraction of what it would cost to move or build a new house.
Below we will discuss a few tips to keep in mind if you are seriously thinking about giving your kitchen a face lift:-
- The optimum layout of your kitchen should be looked at before you go designing plans for the extension part of it. Compromising the kitchens functionality for grand design ideals is pretty pointless, as you will only regret it later on. If you spend time evaluating the layout of your home and how you can make the new kitchen work along with it, you will inadvertently get the space working in your favour. Make sure that the new layout will suit your current household and that everything within the kitchen is within easy reach and makes life as comfortable as possible for those who will use it in the future. When you have worked out your preferred layout for the kitchen you can move onto the designing aspect of the extension.
- It goes without saying that hiring professionals to carry out your project is highly recommended. Have a plumber recommend to you the correct location for the kitchen sink, refrigerator and dishwasher. A registered electrician can look after all the electrical needs and recommend the proper position for light switches and fixtures to be placed. A building contractor will be the one to talk to for recommending where walls, windows and doors are to be positioned. Get a number of quotes but don’t skimp when it comes to hiring top quality tradesmen for the task of extending your kitchen. They get paid well for doing a quality service.
- Ventilation is one area which should be carefully planned ahead of time. You need adequate ventilation so that steam from cooking has a proper escape route. This is vitally important during the colder months when problems arising from a lot of condensation can occur. Extractor fans are a must in all kitchens and should definitely installed.
- An extended kitchen could very well be the kitchen of your dreams, but make sure you have proper privacy from your neighbours. Loads of extra space your new kitchen affords you can result in less privacy due to extra large windows. To combat this potential issue, you can use blinds, roof lights and glass inserts which can be strategically placed.
- If you’re struggling for design ideas then simply flicking through a few home design magazines, or having a look in kitchen showrooms locally may be just the infusion of creativity that you were looking for. If you see something that tickles your fancy, then tear out the page or take a few photos if its in a showroom.
- Meet with your kitchen designer and go through everything with them. A clear, direct line of communication between both of you is equally as important as a good design. Make your requests known and don’t be afraid to ask plenty of questions. The designer will be able to spot things that the builders won’t, and they will also be able to show you what is possible with the dimensions of the space available. Many kitchen suppliers and manufacturers will provide you with a free design service if you are buying from them but you can also hire a kitchen designer seperately so that you are not bound to any one supplier.
- Your budget will ultimately play a major role in your kitchen extension. Don’t be afraid to tell your architect or builder how much you want to spend. A lot of people think that this is a bad idea, as they think the money will definitely find a way to be spent. This is a common misconception, as without the correct advice it’s very easy to spend a lot of hard earned money on a kitchen extension without adding significant value to your home.
- In Ireland, building an extension or indeed making any other significant changes to your house may require that you get planning permission. You must be certain you have the right permission before you start, otherwise it can result in severe fines or even imprisonment. The best way to go about finding this information out initially is to talk with your local authority on the matter.
- Get references, qualifications and insurance details from each contractor who quotes for the job. Make sure you have a building contract drawn up between you and the contractor so that there is no confusion on what has to be done. The building contract should describe everything about the extension including the exact specification of the work to be done, materials to be used, stage payments and timescale etc.
- Make sure that you know if the prices you got for the job are inclusive or exclusive of VAT. You don’t want to get any surprise at the end that there is VAT to be added on to the price.
- Make sure to have an independent certifier sign off on each stage of the build. Only pay for each stage as it’s signed off by the certifier. Consider using an escrow payment facility to manage the payments and to safeguard both you and the contractor.
A good architect will give you good advice and tell you where you could potentially save money. Listen to them carefully and your kitchen extension will turn out just the way you wanted!:)
I hope this helps some of you who are planning to extend your Kitchen in the future and if you decide to go ahead with it you can get a number of kitchen extension prices here and get up to 4 quotes fast from rated tradesmen!
Cheers
Oliver Dempsey
Tradesmen.ie
April 22nd 2013
Here are some other articles that you might be interested in below:-
http://blog.tradesmen.ie/2012/04/do-i-need-planning-permission
http://blog.tradesmen.ie/2012/04/certifying-my-building-or-renovation
http://blog.tradesmen.ie/2013/01/construction-contracts-why-are-they-needed
http://blog.tradesmen.ie/2011/10/attic-conversion-prices-dublin-ireland
http://blog.tradesmen.ie/2012/04/house-extension-prices-dublin-ireland/
http://blog.tradesmen.ie/2012/07/conservatory-prices-and-sunroom-prices/
http://blog.tradesmen.ie/2013/03/garage-conversions-things-to-remember-when-planning-to-convert-your-garage/
