Installing a new kitchen could be one of the most significant home improvement projects you’ll ever do in terms of increasing the sale value of your house and how it improves your quality of life. Choosing the correct materials and furnishings will help you to create a beautiful room that you can enjoy and that can more than pay for itself when you come to sell your home. If you plan carefully you could utilise the space in your kitchen more efficiently leaving you more room to manoeuvre.
There are many ways you can utilize the available space in your kitchen but prior to outlining any creative space savers we must first define what utilizing available space really means. When it comes to a kitchen people want three things as far as space goes and they are cupboard space, counter space, and floor space. If you can find ways to efficiently maximize these three space issues in your kitchen then you are more than halfway home to creating a kitchen that is functional to you and a value add to your home. One way you can more effectively utilise the space available is to have a bespoke kitchen made to your exact specifications. Although more expensive than prefabricated kitchens, handmade wood kitchens incorporating handmade kitchen units will allow you to make better use of the available floorspace, rather than buying a best-fit flatpack alternative that may not work as well.
Cupboard space incorporates all of the dry food, crockery and equipment storage on the upper and lower levels of your kitchen units. The deeper your kitchen cupboards are the more storage you will have but you need to ensure that you leave enough space for electrical appliances. Small appliances such as a microwave and electric tin openers can be mounted to the larger cupboards to help free up counter space but fridges and dishwashers will need a significant space between the cupboards. Lazy Susan’s or spinning corner cupboards can be a useful space saver in smaller kitchens.
A good expanse of counter space is essential to any kitchen, particularly if you plan on preparing large meals on a regular basis. Corner counter space is very helpful and do not be afraid to run counters all along the wall all the way from the refrigerator to the oven. You may also want to consider making your counters just an inch or two deeper. It does not infringe too much on the floor space and that inch or two can make a huge difference.
Floorspace within a kitchen is very important due to the amount of moving around you are likely to do. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to prepare a large meal in a cramped kitchen. Kitchen islands are a popular feature in many farm house and contemporary kitchens because of the additional storage and counter space they provide. However, if you don’t have significant floor space available islands are best avoided because they will make your kitchen feel claustrophobic. A small portable island could be a good alternative as they can be put well out of the way when not in use. Once you have addressed the space issues in your kitchen adding value becomes a matter of attending to details. A marble counter top may be more expensive up front but it can add so much more value to your home.
Prior to selling your home you may want to get new appliances for the kitchen and include them in the selling price of the home. New high quality appliances add not only to the value of your home but also to the positive perception your home gives to a potential buyer. Instead of linoleum for your floor you may want to invest in a decorative but functional floor. For example, a tiled floor using a high quality tile would add a lot of value to your kitchen. Adding space and value to your kitchen is a project that may take a while but when it is done you will be very glad you went to the extra expense and took the extra time to make sure you did the project right.
