7 Questions to Ask Before Planning a Kitchen Renovation in Singapore
It is often said that the kitchen is the heart of the home. For many food-loving Singaporeans, it is easy to see why the kitchen is such an essential space. Also, the numbers don’t lie.
Based on Redbrick Homes’ survey amongst homeowners and interior designers in Singapore, statistics show that a whopping 80% of all renovation projects include kitchen renovations – particularly for HDB resale flats!
Given that kitchen renovations take up an estimated 15 to 20% of the total renovation costs, we figured homeowners like yourself might want to know more about what to expect before committing to such an investment.
Ready to get started? Here are 7 simple questions to help you decide if you are making the right decisions for your renovation project.
How much does renovating a kitchen cost?
As with all renovation projections, big or small, it’s always wise to start with the budget.
For BTO flats which start with a blank slate, homeowners can expect kitchen renovations to start from a minimum of $8,000.
For Resale housing (Condo & HDB), due to extra labour required to hack away existing cabinetry and installations, costs would start from at least $15,000 for an entire kitchen remodel.
Depending on the size, condition of the kitchen (for resale homes), and choice of materials, the cost can vary significantly.
Tip: Always provide your interior designer with as many details about your floor plan, expected layout, and design to get the most accurate quote for your kitchen remodel project.
How do you plan to use the kitchen in the future?
Planning to leave the design entirely in the hands of your interior designer? Our experience tells us that’s not such a great idea.
While they may be experienced in suggesting easy workflow layouts in the kitchen, at the end of the day, it depends on how you (and not the average Singaporean) work best in the kitchen.
Having that discussion with the interior designer on your common habits and workflow in the kitchen will help them translate your inputs into a customized and intuitive layout for the future.
Need some inspiration? Check out our article “5 Concepts for Your Next Kitchen Remodelling” to get some ideas.
Do you prefer an open or closed kitchen space?
When it comes to kitchen design, Singaporeans often debate between two different choices – the modern open kitchen concept or the traditional closed kitchen space.
To help point your designer in the right direction, this is the very first thing you’ll need to decide on.
Some of the key considerations to help you decide between the two include:
- Space – do you need more storage space or the illusion of a roomier kitchen?
- Style of cooking – do you cook food with a lot of oils, smells, or noisy appliances?
- Privacy – do you need privacy when preparing your food?
- Safety – do you need to be able to keep your kids away from the kitchen?
For a deep dive into each of these considerations, check out our article: Open vs Closed Kitchen: How to Make the Right Design Choice?
What type of materials should you use depending on your level of usage?
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make in kitchen renovations is opting to go with cheaper materials to help maximize their budget, neglecting the cost of potential replacement when it wears down after intense use.
As such, the way to approach your choice of materials should always be dependent on your level of usage. Whether you are planning to cook every single day or just once in a blue moon, let your interior designer know, and they can suggest suitable materials accordingly.
For homeowners planning to utilize the kitchen space on a more regular basis, it’s probably wise to go with more heavy-duty choices of materials like engineered quartz countertops and splashbacks to protect your walls.
What are your storage needs (in the kitchen) like?
Most kitchen spaces in Singapore homes tend to be pretty space constrained. Which makes it even more important to plan out ahead for storage needs in the kitchen. Trust us when we say you don’t want to end up with not enough spaces to store your kitchen appliances as the years go by.
While it may be trendy to have a minimalist-looking kitchen space, with an open layout and minimal carpentry these days, make sure you are practical about your storage needs too.
For new homeowners clueless about what you might need space for in a kitchen, here’s a list of things that go in the kitchen cabinets:
- Cooking appliances
- Cooking condiments
- Dry and canned foods
- Pots and pans
- Plates, bowls, dishes
- Cutlery
- Drinkware
In short, whatever you plan to use in the kitchen, make sure to plan for enough space to accommodate them in the cabinets so they don’t overspill onto the countertops.
How many appliances do you plan to use in the kitchen and where do you plan to use them?
Strategically placed power points are essential in the kitchen – particularly for modern cooks who rely on all sorts of cooking appliances from electric kettles, air fryers, and rice cookers, to the multi-tasking Thermomix.
With so many appliances, you need to make sure you have sufficient, and appropriately placed power points that are easily accessible.
How long will kitchen renovation works take to complete?
A complete overhaul (for resale homes) is expected to take approximately 4- 6 weeks if it’s only for your kitchen.
However, usually, most kitchen renovations tend to be done in tandem with other renovation works which will take an estimated 8 – 12 weeks depending on the scope of work required.
Get Started with Your Kitchen Renovations with ID Mate!
Ready to kickstart your kitchen renovation works? Make sure you find yourself a trusted and reliable interior design partner to avoid any renovation headaches.
Start your search at IDMate and get matched with a dependable, experienced interior design firm today!
