How we allocated and prioritised the budget for our kitchen renovation

AD | In collaboration with Habitat

The cost of renovating and revamping your home can vary enormously. When we bought our house it hadn’t been updated for decades and needed a lot of work, but we knew it had the potential to be turned into a home that could both accommodate our lifestyle and reflect our design style. We also knew that in order to achieve this transformation we would need a sizeable budget.

From the very beginning, we realised that the kitchen would take up a big chunk of the budget we had allocated for the renovation work. The existing kitchen was tiny, so to create additional space, we demolished the garage at the side of the property and built an extension to create a light modern new kitchen dining space.

I’m often asked for advice based on our experience of doing this – what we learned, where we saved money and what we decided to splurge on. In today’s post I’ve partnered with Habitat to share some insights into how we managed the cost of our new kitchen and to show how I’ve styled our kitchen with some new pieces from their collection.

Firstly, and most obviously, as we were extending the footprint of the house the building work itself made up the most significant part of the cost. We researched the average cost of similar extensions prior to contacting builders for quotes so that we had a rough idea of what to expect. Costs vary significantly depending on where you live, the complexity of the design, the amount of glazing, and the type of materials used, but a figure of around £1,500 per square metre plus VAT is often quoted as a rough guide. This figure is typically for the build element of the project only though, so if you’re planning a similar project you need to allocate an additional budget for the internal fit out – flooring, kitchen units and appliances for example.

Our focus was on achieving a light, open space in a minimalist style, using good quality materials and designs that will stand the test of time. We also wanted it to offer a high level of function. In order to achieve this within our budget we decided to do as much of the internal work as we could ourselves. This meant that the project took a little longer, but it allowed us to allocate money to some of the higher spec elements we wanted to include.

Here’s how we saved money and what we decided to splurge on:

What we spent on

Glazing

We included a feature window at the front above the sink, roof lights to flood the space with light from above, and steel-look doors leading out onto the garden at the rear to create a real feature and focal point. This ate into our budget but it was definitely worth it – everyone always comments on the doors as soon as they walk into the space. We love the character they add to the room and the way they frame the view out onto the garden.

High quality Appliances

Kitchens are expensive and one cost cutting option many people are tempted to choose is cheaper appliances. We wanted to avoid this and bought the best quality appliances we could afford. Almost a year on we are really glad we made that decision – the appliances we chose are really integral to the functionality of the space and our enjoyment of it.

Natural Wood Flooring

I love wooden flooring and knew from the outset that I wanted it in this space. Although some of the laminate flooring you can buy looks incredible and is often virtually indistinguishable from wood in appearance, I personally love the way natural wood feels underfoot. The price of natural wood flooring can be two or three times that of laminate though. To offset some of this cost, we bought raw, unfinished wood and treated it ourselves to achieve the colour and finish we wanted. 

What we saved on

Labour Costs

By far the biggest saving we made was by doing most of the internal work ourselves – from painting and decorating through to plumbing, fitting flooring and fitting the kitchen. It took up nearly all of our spare time over many months, but was worth it in the end.

Lighting

Lighting is a key design element in any space, but it doesn’t always have to be expensive. Statement lights can cost hundreds of pounds, but in our pared back space a simple paper lampshade and a minimalist brass pendant light (chosen to match the finish of the tap) work perfectly. They can also easily be changed at a later date if we want to update the look.

Furniture

For the dining table and chairs I’ve styled these white steam bent chairs from Habitat with a vintage table we already owned. We may update the table at some point, but for now it works just fine, and I have a selection of different coloured linen tablecloths that I can use to style it and create different looks depending on the season or occasion.

Finally, although we already had lots of crockery and decorative accessories, we set aside a small budget for some new tableware. Again, this is something that can easily be added or changed later, but I think it’s important to invest in a few pieces to really ‘complete’ the space and make it look homely and finished.

The terracotta jug and bowl complement the quartz worktops perfectly and add a rich, deep, on trend tone to the room. We use the jug as a water pitcher at dinner time but it also doubles up as a vase for flowers from my garden. This month it’s dahlias – I’m so glad I planted them earlier in the year at the beginning of lockdown. They are giving me so much joy at the moment!

Even if you aren’t in a position to do a complete renovation it’s amazing how much you can transform a space with a few well chosen accessories. Something as simple as a new set of mugs or a pretty vase will always add a fresh look.

Have you recently completed a kitchen revamp? I’d love to hear how you decided to allocate your budget. What did you decide to save or spend on?