In a perfect world, everyone will have the money they need to remodel their kitchen. In reality, however, most homeowners don’t. And this is perfectly fine because compromises are common when going through a remodel. But how can you figure out which options are better for you?
Essentially, the most vital tool that will help you in your decision-making is having clear remodelling goals. This is also very crucial, so you know exactly how much you need to borrow when approaching a money lender here in Singapore to help with your expenses.
To help you get started, below are some of the most common compromises you and your interior designer will have to decide on for your kitchen remodel.
Value vs Cost
Here are some key questions you need to answer when deciding when you should save or splurge for something:
- Will it improve your daily life, especially with regards to kitchen activities?
- Will it solve a pain point?
- Will it increase or decrease your home’s value?
- Will it make your kitchen feel the heart of your home?
In the points raised above, you might decide that a new feature’s cost would be worth it due to the value it offers. For instance, a higher quality dishwasher would remove the need to rinse your dishes before feeding them to the dishwasher.
The key is to frame your options as value versus cost, in terms of how you use your kitchen and your home’s potential resale value, to help you better decide on which features you should splurge or save on.
Aesthetics vs Function
This specific compromise will all come down to your particular lifestyle when deciding between function and aesthetics, you need to take into account the following:
- The number of people you cook for every day.
- How often or not you have people over.
- Your style of entertaining, for instance, backyard barbecue or more formal sit-down parties.
- Your style of cooking.
- The number of people who work actively in the kitchen.
The truth of the matter is that there are plenty of ways you could cut back on so you could get features that you really need. For example, you could opt for simpler cabinetry, or quartz countertops rather than granite, or a ceramic backsplash rather than glass. Likewise, if you really love baking, you could opt for a more high-end oven and save some money on the stovetops.
Special Events vs Everyday Use
This particular tradeoff is all about the number of people that you’ll serve in your kitchen. From the size of the dining table and amount chairs to the size of your refrigerator, the number of people you will need to accommodate will have an impact on your choices.
You also need to consider how many people are currently living in your home and how many will be living in it 10 to 20 years from now.
Put simply, when remodelling your kitchen, you need to set very clear goals. Setting goals will help you make more informed decisions and ultimately help you choose the most appropriate options fit for your goals.