Avoid these 13 kitchen renovation mistakes if you want your scheme to succeed, urges home building expert

A kitchen renovation is one of those projects that feels exciting right up until it isn’t. At the start, it’s all inspirational images and big ideas suggesting how much better your kitchen’s going to be. But somewhere along the way, many people realise they’ve made mistakes that are very hard to undo.

Kitchens are complex spaces that need to balance aesthetics, functionality, budget and buildability. Without taking the time to think through how the space will actually be used, problems and disappointments are likely.

Typical problems include poor design, installation difficulties, accessibility problems, not enough worktop space, or simply a kitchen that’s awkward to use. Most of these problems are down to the following common kitchen renovation mistakes, which fortunately are entirely avoidable.

1. Ripping out your old kitchen too quickly

Ripping out old units and kitchen appliances can be a very quick job, sometimes taking as little as only a few days to strip out the room. Therefore, it can be tempting to go ahead with removing the old kitchen before finalising your new design, as creating your blank canvas as a starting point can feel like your kitchen renovation is properly underway.

However, it is worth bearing in mind that the work that goes into a deciding, ordering, measuring, and fitting a new kitchen is nowhere near as speedy. And that's before you've had a chance to assess the fabric of the room, adding in any insulation that's needed, underfloor heating and/or flooring, changing windows and more. All this can take weeks or even months, so you need to have a plan for how to have a functioning cooking space before you even think about removing your old kitchen.

2. Not paying attention to electrics and plumbing

Installation and services connection mistakes are some of the most common problems when it comes to kitchen renovations. Kitchens often go wrong because they’re designed or ordered before the room is fully understood. Even small measurement errors can lead to gaps, clashes with services or units that won’t fit. An accurate survey is essential and should be carried out once all building work and finishes are complete, not at shell stage. It must confirm final room dimensions, the exact position of services, and wall and floor construction so units can be fixed, supported and plumbed in correctly.

Many expensive mistakes happen behind the scenes. Kitchens have a complex network of electrics, plumbing, drainage and ventilation, all of which must be planned and installed before walls are finished and cabinets fixed. Fitting kitchen units before service positions are finalised almost always results in compromises, awkward pipe runs, boxings or appliances that don’t fit properly. In the worst cases, newly-installed cabinetry may even have to be altered or removed.

3. Buying a showroom kitchen on a whim

Discontinued showroom kitchens can also cause problems, as they’re rarely designed to suit the space or services positions. Whilst they might look like a bargain, unless they can be properly adapted, they often become an expensive mistake.

That's why it's so important to have a proper understanding of your room and what you want to achieve as well as those all-important measurements before committing to buying your new kitchen – regardless of how good a deal something might seem.

That's not to say you shouldn't buy a showroom kitchen, just don't do it without fully assessing whether you have enough of it to work in your space. You don't want to end up short, when there's no way of buying additional matching units.

4. Overlooking ventilation requirements

Kitchen ventilation shouldn’t be overlooked as cooking produces steam, grease and smells, which must be expelled, especially in open-plan kitchens. Choosing a kitchen extractor that’s too small, underpowered or incorrectly vented can lead to smells lingering and grease settling where it's not wanted.

Proper ventilation needs to be considered alongside the layout of the kitchen. A powerful, well-positioned extractor that vents to the outside is essential, and a good design should also test out what’s possible.

Recirculating hoods are frequently specified to overcome ducting problems but have their limitations. And down draft ventilation sounds great, but unless the large vent ducts required can be vented externally, it’s likely to become an expensive and rather pointless novelty.

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5. Not including a contingency within your budget

A common regret is underestimating how much a kitchen renovation will cost. Even relatively straightforward refurbishments have a few unexpected surprises – outdated electrics, uneven floors or services that aren’t where they’re supposed to be. If budget is tight and the programme has no breathing space, these surprises quickly become stressful and expensive.

A sensible contingency is a necessity, and allowing an extra 10% to 20% on top of the expected renovation cost helps to deal with unexpected issues without panicking or cutting corners. It enables better decision making and avoids mistakes that would typically come back to haunt you.

6. Making big renovation decisions 'on the hoof'

Another common mistake is rushing in without a clear design and plan. Kitchen renovations are complex projects and often executed under pressure, especially when the space is out of action and daily life disrupted. This pressure can lead to decisions made on the hoof, compromised design and a poorly finished product. Good kitchen design requires thorough planning of layout, the right appliance locations, assessing your storage needs and figuring out how the space will be used at different times of day, and by different people.

There’s also a tendency to focus on looks at the expense of functionality. It’s easy to fall in love with a particular design, but the danger is choosing a design that looks fantastic but can’t cope with everyday use. It’s best to test the layout during the planning stage by imagining how the main working zones will work – imagine unloading the dishwasher, cooking a full meal or making breakfast. If something feels awkward, change it.

7. Ignoring basic kitchen layout principles

Kitchen layout mistakes are often the most painful because they’re difficult and expensive to fix. Ignoring basic kitchen design principles is surprisingly common, particularly in open-plan spaces where the kitchen is a piece of furniture, and part of a larger room.

The kitchen triangle is a key design concept and the relationship between the hob, sink and fridge has a huge impact on how well the kitchen will work. A good layout allows natural movement between preparation, cooking and cleaning spaces without constantly crossing paths or walking unnecessary distances. This doesn’t mean every kitchen must follow a textbook triangle, but it does mean the flow needs to be properly thought through.

8. Skimping on kitchen storage space

Poor kitchen storage ideas and worktop space is another typical problem. Kitchens have a habit of accumulating far more things than people anticipate, from small appliances to food storage and even everyday junk. Many renovators focus on storing away small kitchen appliances but overlook where to put everyday items. The result is worktops that are permanently crowded or cupboards that are clumsily overfilled.

Planning storage requires an understanding of what you’ll need to store. This means taking stock of what you actually own and how you use it. Ideally, making use of less obvious storage areas. For example, deep drawers are often more practical than cupboards, corner storage systems will transform this awkward space. Plinth drawers are even a possibility and can provide valuable extra storage.

9. Leaving insufficient clearance around a kitchen island

Kitchen islands are extremely popular but are often misunderstood features in modern kitchens. An island can provide extra workspace, storage and a social focal point. But it can also completely ruin the flow of a room if it’s poorly sized or badly positioned. Making your kitchen island size too large and leaving insufficient clearance around it, can block walkways, make appliances difficult to open and create bottlenecks when more than one person is working in the kitchen. As a general rule, major walkways should allow at least a metre of clear space.

Another common error is placing an island where it interrupts the natural movement through the space. This is particularly relevant in kitchen extensions that connect to gardens or dining areas.

10. Cutting costs by going cheap on high-use items

Kitchens are expensive, and when costs start to climb, it’s tempting to look for savings. One of the biggest mistakes is to skimp on quality in high-use areas such as kitchen worktops.

Cabinet carcasses, hinges and drawer runners are equally as important as they’re subject to daily wear and tear. Opting for the cheapest option can lead to wear, damage and a worn-out kitchen much sooner than expected.

When it comes to hardware – handles and knobs – it’s important to opt for something that doesn’t just look good. They’re one of the few parts of a kitchen that you’ll physically interact with every day, and there’s nothing worse than having something like a dishwasher door being impossible to pull open due to a poor choice in kitchen handle. Take time to test handles, consider how comfortable they are to use and think about how well they’ll age. Ideally opt for something that’s easy to use and will pass the test of time.

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11. Choosing the cheapest tradesperson

It isn't just a bad idea to skimp on kitchen units and worktops, the same can apply to tradespeople too. Choosing the lowest quote without understanding what’s included, or who will actually be carrying out the work, can be a false economy.

A capable, experienced installer may cost more upfront but is far less likely to make expensive mistakes that could end up costing you more in the long run.

That said, just because someone is the cheapest doesn't always mean they aren't the best. And the same can be true the other way around with the most expensive tradesperson too. It's important to do your due diligence and your research to ensure you make the right choice.

12. Failing to address poor lighting

Kitchen lighting ideas are another area where shortcomings are likely. A kitchen might look bright and airy but once a raft of kitchen units are installed, it could become gloomy and dark. Relying on electric ceiling lights isn’t ideal, particularly in kitchens with wall units that cast shadows over work surfaces.

Good kitchen lighting requires a “layered” approach where ambient lighting sets the overall mood, task lighting supports functionality, and accent lighting highlights features or creates atmosphere. Skipping one of these layers usually results in a kitchen that doesn’t quite work in real life.

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13. Forgetting to design accessibility into a kitchen renovation

Kitchens that become difficult to use as our lives evolve can become a real problem. Depending on your stage of life, simple design choices can make a big difference to the usability of a kitchen, and being mindful of these during a kitchen renovation can help futureproof your space and avoid having to spend more money in the future.

For example, incorporating drawers instead of low cupboards, installing pull-out shelves or choosing appliances at more comfortable heights. Even something like a boiling water tap, which you can pick up easily on Amazon, can improve day-to-day convenience and safety by removing the need for trailing cables and carrying boiling water across a room.

If your kitchen renovation is part of a larger renovation project, some of these principles can transfer over to other rooms when renovating a house. But before you get stuck in, be sure to assess your house renovation fully first, as well as looking at your home renovation costs in great detail, ideally breaking them down room-by-room.