Top 10 Consumer Fears When Installing a Brand New Kitchen

Top 10 Consumer Fears When Installing A Brand-New Kitchen

1. Getting Ripped Off By Tradies

How to avoid inflated numbers? Act like you know what you're doing (even if you don't!) Get 3 quotes and don't say 'this is my first reno' out loud.

2. Lack Of Planning Approval

It's better to be safe than sorry because it's really hard to un-knock down a wall. And being 'sorry' involves stop work orders and fines. Check with your local Council first unless you like funding government revenue.

3. Wrong Materials

Do you have a big family who enjoys Taco Tuesdays? Don't install a mirrored splashback. Are you a clumsy wine connoisseur? Steer clear of porous marble benchtops. Are you selling to a single person? Forget the 90cm cooktop. Think long and hard about who'll be using your room and how.

4. Paying Too Much For Materials

Look for the bargains. Smaller stores can be really competitive on price. Paint goes on sale so buy all your bits & bobs when they're on sale. Buy items such as your cupboard handles in project packs …. a 10-pack of kitchen handles will be almost half the cost of buying all your handles individually. Check eBay or Gumtree for new items that didn't work for another renovator because of one of the reasons on this list. There are many ways to bring the price down, just invest the time looking.

5. Wrong Style

Industrial kitchens used to be cool and the thing to do, but nowadays are only appropriate in lofts, city dwellings & real industrial buildings. Predict the future if you can to ensure your kitchen style will last the test of time.

6. Lack Of Cohesion

7. Getting Your Layout Wrong

8. Re-Work

To avoid middle-of-the-night screaming, familiarize yourself with the correct sequence of construction, before you start. Make sure your layout is correct and your measurements are accurate. If possible, borrow another set of eyeballs to double check both.

9. Unplanned Surprises

You might be naive to think this won't happen to you, but it will. You know why? Because you can't see what you can't see. In order to deal with the unknown risks of renovating your kitchen, plan 10% contingency for surprises along the way.

10. Overcapitalising

If the cost of your kitchen renovation is starting to exceed the value this update adds to your property, then you're knee deep in #10. This is a big no-no. Have a budget and stick to it. A renovated kitchen should cost no more than 3% of your current property value. Not. One. Gold. Coin. More.

Cherie Barber Launches Comprehensive New Kitchen Renovation Course

Australian renovation queen, Cherie Barber has launched a new online course 'Create Your Perfect Kitchen' to equip any property owner with the know-how and skills needed to confidently design, plan & install a brand-new kitchen.

Having personally renovated more than 50 kitchens over her 30-year career as a professional renovator, Cherie has condensed her knowledge into a highly engaging online course, which includes the filming of an entire kitchen renovation from start to finish.

"I've covered absolutely everything a property owner needs to know to feel confident in project managing their own kitchen reno versus outsourcing their project to a much costlier kitchen showroom. The course covers the creative design & planning phase, all the individual components that make up a kitchen, budgeting and managing trades in a way they can deliver their best work, right through to the step-by-step sequence of construction", says Cherie.

Split into 38 topics over 4 modules, the course offers information-packed videos, downloadable course notes and access to a private student community on Facebook. Also included is a kitchen project plan template that students simply adapt for their own reno.

Cherie is well-known for her ability to break down complex challenges into a format that is simple to digest with processes that are easy to replicate. She said her large community of followers have been indicating the need for a detailed course on kitchen renovation.

'Create Your Perfect Kitchen' will officially launch on 10th December 2019 at a RRP of $299.00. Early bird registrations are open now for just $199.00 till 9th December 2019. To enrol, click here.