Roger Morph 
Are you determined that 2024 is going to be the year that you finally get started on your long-planned home renovation? Great! Renovating your home may be messy and hard work, but the results can be amazing, not to mention the extra value you could potentially add to your property.
A whole-home renovation can feel overwhelming, though. Where to start? We can answer that for you: the kitchen. There are lots of reasons to complete the work on the ‘heart of the home’ before moving on to the other rooms – below, you’ll find the most compelling of them.
Limits the Mess
A complete kitchen renovation typically takes several months and causes the most mess – in terms of dust and debris – of all the rooms in the home. Due to this, it’s sensible to get this room completed first before tackling others to prevent the chaos from getting out of hand. After all, the last thing you want is all the dust, etc, getting all over beautiful and freshly renovated rooms.
Plus, while the kitchen is being remodeled, you’ll need to create a temporary kitchen in another room in your home, another reason that sorting out the kitchen first is best. All of this means, in terms of practicality, it’s wise to make the kitchen the first room you tackle in a complete home renovation.
Adds Most Value
And then there’s the property value side of things. A great-quality renovation can add the most additional value to your home compared to other rooms. Realtors estimate that homeowners can potentially recover a massive 75% of the cost of a great renovation of this room, should they need to sell.
So, if you’re planning to renovate your home gradually and over a number of years, it makes fiscal sense to complete the kitchen first, just in case an unexpected event results in needing to put the property on the market.
To make it most likely that you’ll be able to recoup the majority of your kitchen renovation costs, it’s vital that the space has been well-designed, with a thoughtfully crafted layout and good-quality appliances. Elements such as flooring should be properly and professionally laid, and the room should be aesthetically appealing, with things like lighting and storage deployed effectively.
It’s Usually the Most Used Room in the House
One of the most compelling reasons to kick off a home renovation with the kitchen is simply because it’s often the most used room in a property. As well as for cooking, the space is typically used to eat together, chat with friends, and even work. Parties, gatherings, and heart-to-hearts over a cup of tea all tend to happen in the kitchen. Getting this room finished first means you can enjoy these things again as soon as possible.
A word of advice, though. If you are hiring professional contractors to undertake any aspect of the work, ensure you have personal liability insurance, which covers you just in case one of these individuals suffers an accident or injury in your home.
If you already have home insurance, check your policy, as it may already be included in the coverage you have.
To Make Budgeting for the Rest of the Renovation Easier
Of all the rooms in your home, the kitchen could well be the most expensive to renovate. Due to this, getting this space completed first will allow you to allocate your budget more realistically to the rest of the property.
The average cost of a total kitchen renovation is $22,000. With this in mind, many people find it helpful to divide their overall kitchen renovation budget into subsections to help them stay on top of costs and prioritize spending. For example, you may wish to allocate 15% of the budget to appliances, 10% on counters, 5% on flooring, and so on.
The Takeaway: Getting Ready for Your Exciting Kitchen Renovation
When it comes to a complete home renovation, it can be tempting to start work on multiple rooms at once or to tackle ‘easier’ spaces such as a small bedroom or hallway. Put those tools down for a second, though, and think again. Renovating any room can create a significant amount of mess and chaos that’ll inevitably spread to other rooms, so limiting your renovation to one room at a time may, in many cases, be sensible. This is especially the case if you’re planning to renovate your home gradually over a long time period.
Starting with the kitchen is sensible: it limits the mess and will give you back full use of this typically very busy room as soon as possible. Not to mention, this is the space where a renovation can potentially add the most value to your home. Ok, you can pick up those tools and paintbrushes again now; best of luck!
