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Your kitchen is probably the most used room in your house. Poor layout, inadequate lighting, cramped spaces, outdated fixtures and old cabinetry are common complaints of homeowners.

Before you decide to go ahead with a kitchen renovation, it is important to clearly identify the features you want in your new kitchen. Just as important is a thorough pre-renovation inspection to identify any existing problems.

Common Situations

Kitchen renovations are high on the list of the most common home renovations. A renovation can be as simple as installing new flooring or be a major undertaking that includes enlarging the space and replacing all fixtures and finishes.

Homeowners consider kitchen renovations for many reasons including:

• Size and design — the existing kitchen may be too small or poorly laid out.
• Fixtures and appliances — the fixtures and appliances may be worn out, inefficient or outdated.
• Cabinets and countertops — cabinet finishes, hardware or countertops may be outdated, need repair or replacement.
• Structural problems — there may be problems that require structural changes or repairs.
• Moisture — the floor, walls or finishes may be unsightly or damaged due to moisture problems.
• Plumbing and electrical — many older kitchens don’t have enough electrical outlets and circuits. Older plumbing and plumbing fixtures may include lead or galvanized steel piping.
• Heating and ventilation — older kitchens often have inadequate ventilation or heating systems. The area may be poorly insulated and have a high degree of air leakage, two factors that lead to high energy consumption.
• Finishes — older finishes may be unattractive or not durable enough to withstand daily wear and tear.

Healthy Home

Renovating is an ideal time to make your house healthier for you, the community, and the environment.

House as a System

A house is much more than just four walls and a roof — it’s an interactive system made up of many components including the basic structure, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, the external environment and the occupants. Each component influences the performance of the entire system. A renovation provides an opportunity to improve how your house performs. Kitchen renovations often include changes to HVAC equipment that can improve indoor air quality and moisture management in the house. Be careful if you are choosing large-volume exhaust fans because they can cause combustion heating equipment to back-draft. Structural changes may give you a chance to improve air tightness and insulation, resulting in increased occupant comfort and house durability.

Avoid Surprises

Once you start a renovation, there’s no turning back. Your life is disrupted and any unexpected problems will lead to higher costs and delays in finishing the project. Thorough planning will help you develop a realistic understanding of the work and the costs involved. Here are some of the likely situations that people encounter. However, every situation is unique and you may need to hire a qualified professional to do a thorough investigation, find the problems and suggest the best solutions.

Make Your Plan

• How much workspace do you need? 
• Is an eating area in the kitchen important?
• What are the traffic patterns?
• Is there adequate storage space?
• Does the kitchen meet the needs of everyone in the household including anyone with special needs, extended family and guests?
• Plan thoroughly before you start. Sometimes a simple reorganization of the space will solve many of the shortcomings of older kitchens.
• Consider an addition or adding space from adjoining areas to meet your space and functions requirements.
• Use a professional designer to help you design a plan to best meet your existing and future needs.
• You will have to live with the results even if they don’t meet your needs.
• A poor layout will seriously detract from your enjoyment of the renovation.
• The layout may not be flexible enough to meet existing or future demands for space, storage and anyone with special needs such as wheelchair accessibility.