Fillable Printable Kitchen Renovation Checklist
Fillable Printable Kitchen Renovation Checklist
Kitchen Renovation Checklist
Kitchen Renovation
Checklist
Contents
1. Planning Stages Page 1
Why renovate?
Current and future kitchen requirements
Key questions to answer
2. Design Page 2
Design considerations
Size of available kitchen space
Work triangle
Kitchen layouts Page 3
Galley Kitchen
L Kitchen
Single Line Kitchen
U Kitchen
Island Kitchen Page 4
G Shaped
Storage Page 4
Special cabinet designs for specific storage items
Key questions to answer Page 4
3. Finances Page 5
Budget
Beware of over capitalising
Key questions to answer
4. Construction Page 6
Key questions to answer
Determining if you need a licensed building practitioner
Licensed Building Practitioners Page 7
The right tradespeople for your job
What is restricted building work?
Choosing a builder Page 8
Do you like the builder
Experience
Work Ethic
Fixed price quote
Safety
Why renovate?
Renovating is an exciting and busy time. Ideas, plans,
designs, budgets, architects, builders, and councils are
just some of the aspects you will encounter during your
renovation. But, don’t be put off by it. The end result of
having your home dramatically transformed into what you
wanted is an exhilarating experience, and the sense of
achievement is brilliant. We have all heard the horror sto-
ries of home renovations taking twice as long and costing
twice as much as planned, but with a little forethought, a
bit of research, good planning, and some help from us,
you will be well on your way to the home of your dreams!
So let’s get going...
The two main reasons people renovate are:
1. To add to the comfort, use and value of the
home.
2. To tidy it up to sell.
Renovating can be a costly and inconvenient business.
Before you launch into renovations, take time to consider
whether the expense and disruption is justified.
If you intend staying in the home you may want to:
• Add extra space to accommodate an expanding
family, or simply to add a sense of spaciousness.
• Add rooms for special purposes, such as an
office or games room.
• Change the configuration of the house for better
flow, ease o f use or orientation to sun and views.
• Update and remodel to give the house a fresher,
more modern look – this could involve major
changes such as taking out walls to enlarge
a room, putting in a new kitchen, or installing new
wallboards and ceilings. Or it could simply be a
matter of painting or wallpapering.
• Restore the house to its original style (while
adding modern features in some areas, like the
kitchen and bathroom).
• Add value to increase your investment.
If you are renovating to sell, it is likely that you’ll want to
give the house an inexpensive makeover to freshen it
up and make it more attractive to buyers. For example,
repainting, repapering, or changing dated or damaged
fixtures, such as a cracked basin in the bathroom. You
need to consider the tastes of potential buyers, which
really means keeping everything fairly neutral to appeal
to a wider range of people. Not everyone warms to bright
feature walls or pink bathtubs.
Renovations that will increase the appeal of your home
may include painting the kitchen and bathroom, or putting
in some decking to give an indoor-outdoor flow and an
increased sense of space or some landscaping.
Don’t spend money that you won’t get back in the sale
price. Ask a real estate agent for ideas to increase the
house’s appeal, and how much you should spend without
overcapitalising.
Take care to renovate to the existing style of the
house and neighbourhood. People search in particular
neighbourhoods because they like the age and style of
houses found there. Giving your older villa-style house a
very modern aspect, which is inconsistent with the other
houses in the street, will lessen the range of potential
purchasers.
Current and future kitchen requirements
Experience has shown that most people keep a kitchen
for approx 20 years. That’s why it pays to carefully
consider your needs and wants before you venture out
to buy a kitchen. You will spend a great deal of time in
the kitchen, therefore it should be looked upon as an
enjoyable place and somewhere you want to be.
When planning for your dream kitchen it’s a good idea to
consider:
• Size of your household
• Lifestyle, cooking and eating habits
• Shopping habits
• Kitchen function (entertainment, dining, working
kitchen)
• Body heights (to determine the optimal work
heights)
• Right handed and/or left handed people
(important for the proper zone layout)
• Types of items to be stored in the kitchen
Take some time to ponder the following questions to get
your kitchen planning underway. It will help clarify your
likes, dislikes and lifestyle. Your job is to get really clear
about your requirements so that designers can translate
this into a beautiful, functional kitchen that suits your
individual needs and tastes.
Key questions to answer:
• What do you want and what do you need.
Decide what is necessary for your renovation
project and what would be nice to haves so you
know what can easily be cut out
if the budget becomes tight during the renovation.
• Is there a deadline for your renovations? Do you
know when you would like the renovations to
begin or when you would like them completed.
Can you renovate in stages or does it need to be
done all at once.
• Decide on a budget
• What things are a “must” and what’s a “nice” to
have?
• What drives you NUTS about your existing
kitchen?
• What are your pet hates?
• What do you LOVE about your existing kitchen?
• What do you think is MOST IMPORTANT in a
kitchen?
• What style, look or feel do you want your kitchen
to create?
1. Planning Stages
Whether you need a designer to design and draw up
plans really depends on the extent of work being done.
Major renovations involving moving walls around, adding
new rooms or having a new kitchen put in will benefit
from the design expertise of an architect, architectural
designer or architectural draughtperson.
Their ideas can help to maximise floor space, aspect to
the sun, and flow. They can also advise on materials and
special design features, such as making the best use of
natural light, heat and other energy efficiency aspects.
With a few exceptions, major work is going to need
building consent. The building consent application
will require plans and specifications to be attached. A
designer can prepare these for you.
Finding a designer - go to www.mydreamkitchen.co.nz
For major renovations and alterations, finding a good
designer should be carried out as carefully as if you are
having a whole house built.
If you are having a bathroom or kitchen renovated, you
can use the specialist services of kitchen and bathroom
designers. Some offer a design service only but others
can offer a service which includes all or some of the
following:
2. Design
Work Triangle
Having a good layout for your kitchen is important, because the kitchen should be an efficient and pleasant area in
which to prepare meals and do related tasks. Understanding the kitchen work triangle concept and the basic kitchen
layouts is a valuable starting point for having a
good kitchen design that you like.
The kitchen work triangle consists of the distance
between the sink, refrigerator and range or
cooktop. Each one of these areas becomes a
focal point in the kitchen and forms the three
points of a triangle with different distances
between them. Done correctly, the kitchen
work triangle provides the most efficient food
preparation area layout in the kitchen.
Whether you’re remodeling an existing kitchen
or building a new one, an efficient design means
that your work triangle minimizes the number of
steps the cook must take between the three areas
during meal preparation and cleanup.
The total distance from the sink to the stove to
the refrigerator and back to the sink should be not
less than 12 feet total nor more than 27 feet. Each triangle leg should measure between 4 and 9 feet in length. The
kitchen isles should be at least 42 to 48 inches wide to allow people to move around easily and for appliances to be
opened with ease.
• A consultation at your home.
• Bathroom/kitchen design service.
• Strip out of existing fittings.
• Installation of new fittings.
• Plumbing work.
• Electrical work.
• Paint and paper finishing.
• Complete tile services.
• Payment and finance options.
Design Considerations
Size of available kitchen space
This is the most important information as the available
space is the starting point from where the new kitchen
is defined. However, the layout of the kitchen space is
not the only thing to consider. You should also take into
consideration important aspects such as:
• Connection requirements (electricity, water etc.)
• Dimensions and sill height of window
• Alternative storage space in the house
• Position of table (if applicable)
• Kitchen area (length, width, height of room)
Kitchen Layouts
When selecting the floor plan for your kitchen, here are basic kitchen layouts to consider:
Galley Kitchen
A walk-through kitchen design, featuring cabinets on two sides. The Galley
design or corridor kitchen is common in many apartments and open-plan
layouts. Space is limited, so try and optimise or consolidate your benchtop
areas.
Be careful of your appliance l ocation. You do not want to have your
appliances when opened, block any exits or not be able to open fully
because of cabinetry. Try and use pull-out wall cabinets to conserve space.
Economise space with floor and wall cabinetry and try and plan for overhead
microwaves or look for the new models that pull out like drawers.
L Kitchen
One line of cabinets placed around a corner. L Shaped kitchen designs are great for
small spaces and open-plan rooms.
This kitchen design locates all appliances and counter space along two walls in
the corner of the kitchen space at approximately a 90 degree angle. An L shaped
kitchen design allows for a compact workspace while freeing up much needed
space for a dining area or storage.
Single Line Kitchen
In this layout the sink, cooking range and refrigerator are placed in a single
line as per the desired order that fulfills your needs better.
You can have your sink placed in the midst of the counter opposite to the
longest wall of the kitchen and this arrangement will result you in increased
efficiency while cooking. This layout offers a free workspace that is not
overcrowded and on the other hand is not widespread so that you waste
your time and energy in going one place to another. The work triangle is
placed in a straight work line along with a wall and all the three major kitchen
constituting factors in the same line.
U Kitchen
A U shaped kitchen design usually has one entrance and all counter space and
appliances are built into a U shape. The kitchen triangle concept is definitely
recommended as to create good flow between appliances.
U-shape kitchens are often designed with a view through a wall or opening
between rooms. This effect is great for small spaces such as flats or apartments
as it will open up your kitchen to the rest of your home. If you are planning a
U-shaped kitchen design where an opening exists in a wall, be aware not to
sacrifice cupboard space and electrical outlets when taking that wall out. If you
are unsure whether this wall is a load bearing wall, refer to your building plans or
better yet seek professional advice.
Island Kitchen
Adding an island is the most common way to achieve multiple work centers in a
kitchen. An island suits many modern house styles where there is enough space
and can provide several small work stations along its perimeter. It is also a great
place to present a buffet when entertaining.
The provision of an extra sink in the kitchen is a great way to create an extra work
station and greater versatility for two or more people working in the kitchen.
G shaped
All counter space and appliances are built into a G shape with one entrance
and extended benchtop/breakfast bar creating the ‘G’ shape. The work triangle
concept is recommended to create good flow between zones.
G-shape kitchens are designed with a opening between rooms. This design is
great for open plan spaces as it creates a definition between rooms such as the
kitchen and dining room.
Storage
When designing your dream kitchen it is key to consider
your storage space, along with ample countertop space.
The first place to look for extra storage space is your
corners. In small, tight kitchens a blind corner cabinet can
be used to get the most use out of the corner. However,
to get the most efficient use of the corner space a lazy
Susan corner cabinet or easy reach cabinet should be
used. These cabinet options maximize the corner space
while allowing easy entry to it contents. Or try adding
rollout trays in your base kitchen cabinets to help access
your pots and pans, or in your pantries in order to reach
cans and dry goods more easily.
Special cabinet designs for specific storage items
Pantry Units
A new kitchen should create more storage space, im-
prove workflow, as well as look good. Make sure you
use quality fittings in your kitchen,some of the following
storage solutions are great options:
Soft close hinges
Hinges that are designed with a mechanism that prevents
a kitchen cabinet door from slamming!
Push Release Cupboards
'Push to open' cabinet hinges are used where the design
calls for a clean line, without the need for handles.
Under the bench rubbish bins
A practical solution to help cope with kitchen waste while
keeping your bin hidden.
Sliding Doors and Blind and Retractable Pantries
These pantry systems eliminate wasted space.
Butlers Pantry
Used as an out of the way preparation space, a spot
to hide dirty dishes after a meal, a place to have small
appliances at the ready, or for extra storage, the butler's
pantry is an asset to any home plan.
Concealed Fridges and Dishwashers
Appliances fitted behind cabinetry, creating a more
streamlined effect.
Utensil trays and Wine Racks
A place for everything – everything in place.
Key actions or questions to answer:
• Plan the projects, room by room
• Collect pictures of designs you like through
magazines, brochures and websites
• Discuss your requirements a kitchen retailer or
designer depending on your budget and
requirements.
• Ask your selected kitchen retailer or designer for
examples of their previous work
• Research different product options for cabinetry
and benchtops to make sure that you have the
right one for your requirements and lifestyle
• Do you have a clear idea of what changes you
want to make
• Do you want to consider issues such as energy
saving and environmentally features in
your renovations?
• Have you got professional advice on what
changes would genuinely add value to
your home?
• Have you considered the future and how your
needs will change over time?
• Settle on a final design
Budget
Budget, the word everyone hates! But, of course, a very necessary part of the whole process. After you have gathered
all your ideas and wish list, it is time to realistically assess how much you can afford to pay. You may have to slightly
reign in some ideas that you were thinking of so that you can get the job done!
Remember that once your home is done - especially if a major home overhaul is completed, that ancillaries such as
landscaping, fences and retaining walls may start to look a little shabby when compared to your newly refurbished
home - so you may want to keep some money aside to spruce these up too.
You may also want to book in and consult with a finance
expert to help you if you require finance to complete
your renovation. When banks loan to clients carrying out
renovations the requirements can be a little different to
simply lending to purchase a property - you don’t want to
get halfway through your renovation, want to borrow more
money and be rejected. It is prudent to check on all these
aspects first.
3. Finances
House Value Kitchen Value % of Home
$200 - $450,000 $15 - $30,000 7 - 10%
$450 - $750,000 $20 - $48,000 5 - 8%
$750,000+ $30,000+ 4 - 6%
If you are renovating your whole house then a rule of thumb is to
utilise approximately 10% of the total amount on your kitchen
Budget guide includes all trades, appliances and lighting
Beware of overcapitalising
If you don’t intend selling, the money you spend on renovating will be an investment in the comfort and enjoyment of
the house. Whether you increase the value of the home may not be an important factor in how much you decide to
spend.
However, it is easy to get carried away with the excitement of doing up a home and overcapitalise by spending
money that can never be recouped if you do end up having to sell. You may regret the $60,000 kitchen you put into
your $200,000 house should unexpected life changes occur, such as a marriage breakdown, or a business failure. It
may be money you never get back if you have to sell and apportion the
proceeds.
Make sure you take a look at the value of your land as well when deciding
on an amount to spend on your property. It may help to get a valuer
around to value your property and get their advice on what the maximum
they believe you should spend on a renovation. You will then have
something to gauge your initial investment figure by.
If your house needs a great deal of work to get it how you would like,
decide whether you want to go to all the trouble and expense, or whether it
would be better to sell and buy something more suited to your needs.
Key Questions to answer
• Does the final design fits within your budget? Be realistic about how much you can afford to spend.
• How will you finance the project?
• If you are borrowing, have you checked your allowances and requirements with your bank or finance
company?
• Do you need to set aside separate budgets for associated costs, such as possible alternative accommodation
and insurance?
4. Construction
Key actions and questions to answer:
• Do you need a Building Consent? Make sure you are familiar with your local council requirements and
restrictions.
• Find out what permits are required for your proposed renovation and how long it usually takes to get council
approval
• Does your work contain Restricted Building Work?
• Do you need a Licenses Building Practitioner? If you do make sure you find the ones you need based on the
work involved:
Builder
Architect
Electrician
Plumber
• Prepare a Project Completion Schedule with your Tradesperson, allowing for known and unforeseen delays
like weather etc..
• Sign a Fixed Price Contract with your Tradesperson (if applicable) and secure with a deposit
• If the project needed a Building Consent, a Code of Compliance Certificate (CCC) will be issued by your
Building Consent Authority after the final inspection of the finished building project
• Make sure you house and contents insurance covers such things as renovations, contact your insurance
company before starting any construction.
The first thing you need to determine is if you need a tradeperson for any of your renovations or if your project can be
done without a Licensed Building Practitioner and by yourself (DIY).
Determining if you need a Licensed Building Practitioner
Yes No
Follow the process
with your local council
Does your renovation
contain Restricted
Building Work
Does your renovation
contain Restricted
Building Work
Yes No
You need a Licensed Building Practi-
tioner to carry out the renovations. To
see if a Tradesperson is registered go
to www.dbh.govt.nz
You have the choice of using
a Tradesperson or carrying
out the work yourself (DIY)
Do you need building consent
Licensed Building Practitioners
A Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) is a tradesperson
you can trust to know how to “build it right”. Licensed
Building Practitioners have been assessed as being
competent to do the type of building they hold a licence
for.
Licensed Building Practitioners have to show certain
skills, give proof of practical experience and comply with
the building code to get their licence. They also have to
gain enough maintenance points every two years to keep
it.
There are a number of licences that can be held by a
tradesperson. These each specialise in an area of the
building process. These licences are:
• Design
• Carpentry
• Foundation
• Roofing
• Brick and Block laying
• External Plastering
Registered architects and chartered professional
engineers are automatically treated as design LBPs
and you can employ them to do any Restricted Building
Work design. Registered plumbers and gasfitters are
automatically treated as LBPs in the roofing, external
plastering, and brick and blocklaying licensing classes. All
can only carry out work that they are competent to do.
The right Tradespeople for you job
If your building includes Restricted Building Work, make
sure you hire a Licensed Building Practitioner to do it,
and that they hold the licence that matches the Restricted
Building Work you are having done.
There are a lot of different ways that you might go about
organising the building or renovating of your home. You
might build through a contracting company who will hire
the right Licensed Building Practitioners for you or you
might hire a builder who holds a carpenter LBP licence.
They may then hire other LBPs to do work such as
roofing and plumbing. Other options are hiring each type
of tradesperson directly or asking your designer to project
manage the work for you.
It is important that the Restrict Building Work on your
home is done by a Licensed Building Practitioner who is
licensed to do that type of Restricted Building Work. For
example if it is Restricted Building Work to the roof, then
the tradesperson has to be licensed in roofing.
Registered Architects and Chartered Professional
Engineers are automatically treated as design LBPs.
Registered Plumbers and Registered Gasfitters are
automatically treated as LBPs in the roofing, external
plastering, and bricklaying and blocklaying licensing
classes. This is in recognition they carry out this type
of work in the ordinary course of their business, and
they must only carry out work that falls within their own
competence levels.
Registered Architects, Chartered Professional Engineers
and Registered Plumbers and Registered Gasfitters have
their own registration systems. They won’t be listed on
the LBP register.
• Architects (New Zealand Registered Architects
Board) www.nzrab.org.nz
• Engineers (IPENZ Engineers New Zealand)
www.ipenz.org.nz
• Plumbers and gasfitters (Plumbers, Gasfitters
and Drainlayers Board) www.pgdb.co.nz
What is Restricted Building Work?
Restricted Building Work is work which is critical to
the integrity of a building. It makes sure the building is
structurally sound and weathertight, that’s why it can only
be done or supervised by tradespeople who are Licensed
Building Practitioners. Having Restricted Building Work
regulations makes sure that your family home, often a
New Zealander’s biggest asset, is protected.
Your Designer must identify all the Restricted Building
Work on your job when they fill in their Memorandum
(Certificate of Design). They’ll do this when they draw up
your building plans.
It's important to know that a lot of work that requires a
Building Consent (contact your local council to determine
building consent, click here for council details) will include
Restricted Building work, but not all. If the work to your
home does not include work to the primary structure or
its weathertightness, then it is likely to not be Restricted
Building Work. Below are a few examples of building
work that require a building consent, but don’t necessarily
contain Restricted Building Work:
• Fitting new sanitary fixtures where there were not
any previously (e.g new kitchen or ensuite)
• Installation of a wood burner
• Domestic wind turbine
• Domestic swimming pool
• Installing a cable car to a home
• Installing other specified systems in small/
medium apartments (e.g. smoke alarms, lift,
HVAC system)
• Installing insulation to external walls in a home
The information on LBP and Restricted Building work
comes from The Department of Building and Housing.
For more information please visit www.dbh.govt.nz.
Choosing a Builder
Do You Like the Builder?
This comes first as even if all the following points fall
in line, there is nothing worse than trying to deal with
someone you cannot get along with. Remember, you will
be sharing your hopes, dreams and aspiration for your
home and your lifestyle with them, they will be in your
house for long periods of time. You need to be able to
openly and honestly express your opinions, good or bad,
so get a builder who will listen and deal with you in a
professional and friendly manner.
Experience
The next most important quality is experience. You don’t
want a builder who has never attempted a renovation
before, and who is not really sure how to achieve what
you want. Request a list of previous clients and ring them
to ask about their experience renovating. Look through
photos and where possible visit some completed jobs.
If they are a good builder they won’t mind you talking to
previous clients about their renovations in order to gauge
their level of experience.
Work Ethic
You need someone who will turn up when they say, carry
out work efficiently and honestly, conduct themselves and
their team professionally, and put your needs first. When
talking to the builder, have a look in the back of his ute,
his dress and overall manner - if he is tidy, courteous, on
time to initial appointments and really listens to you in the
early stages of your decision making process - chances
are good this will carry over into his work ethic.
Fixed Price Quote
A fixed price quote can save a lot of hassle in renovations. A good builder has the ability to inspect, asses and quote
accurately enough to give you a fixed price quote. If a variation is needed in unforseen circumstances, again a fixed
price should not be a problem.
Safety
If you are still living in the house while work is going on, you need to be especially conscious of risks to the safety
of you and your family. Don’t let children play or wander around the work area. Danger comes from the generally
hazardous nature of building sites, including:
• Falls into excavations, or off the edges of building work.
• Power tools in operation or left lying around.
• Fumes or contamination from building materials, including treated timber, and glues in enclosed
spaces.
If you are doing the work yourself, follow normal commonsense safety practices, such as ladder safety, and using the
correct safety gear.
