5 Surprising Benefits of Renovating Your Kitchen

8/14/2022

Renovating the kitchen can be an amazing experience, and has the power to breathe new life into your old kitchen layout. Renovating the kitchen helps homeowners in many ways, other than improving the look of the house. The national average return on investment for a kitchen remodel is almost 54%. That means if you spend $21,000 on a kitchen renovation, you can expect to recoup about $17,000!

white kitchen with granite counters and a center island

5 Surprising Benefits of Renovating Your Kitchen

If your kitchen is older, dated or has just seen better days, it's probably a good idea to start gathering estimates for a kitchen remodel. Kitchen remodeling costs can vary depending on where you live, what you need and the choice of fixtures and finishes you use. Whether you are looking for a full-on renovation or remodeling of certain parts of the kitchen, there are a certain number of benefits that come with the renovations:

1. Improves Functionality
An intentional galley kitchen notwithstanding, older kitchens tend to have dated, claustrophobic layouts. You might want to consider taking down non-load bearing walls for a more open floor plan, or relocate appliances for better functionality. A U or L shaped kitchen layout is most practical for home chefs, with a single wall of cabinets and center island a close third. Overall, you're looking to add space, ease of use and organization.

2. Reduces Energy Costs
Unless you have new-ish appliances (say, post early 90s), you might want to consider upgrading your appliances to Energy-Star rated appliances. According to energystar.gov, "A dishwasher that has earned the ENERGY STAR gets your dishes clean while using less water and energy, and costs about $35 a year to run. On average, U.S. households run their dishwashers about 4 times per week, for a total of over 200 times per year.".

3. Improves Sustainability
As you upgrade your appliances to the energy efficient appliances, you will also make the kitchen eco-friendly. Consider using sustainable building materials like bamboo, salvaged wood and other recyclable materials as options for your countertops, cabinets and even flooring. Places like Habitat for Humanity Restore has lots of recycled building materials for a steal, too.

kitchen with white cabinets and stainless steel appliances

4. An Up To Date Look
Whether you intend to hire a professional home remodeling company or plan on doing the work yourself, consider adding a kitchen designer to your budget. Kitchen designers are professionals in their field and are in the know when it comes to trends, costs, ROIs and resale value. They will also be able to hook you up with discounts on materials, fixtures and furnishings, too. One important note to mention: If you do decide to forego the remodeler, you may still need a professional set of building plans for permit purposes. Check with your local municipality to see exactly what you'll need.

5. Improved Comfort & Safety
Something as simple as adding a kitchen island can enhance the comfort of working in the kitchen. It's also a great spot for entertaining and quick meals, too. Choose a surface that not only enhances the look of your kitchen, but will withstand hot pots, sharp knives and general wear and tear.

As a safety precaution, make sure that when you remodel your electrical is up to code and can handle any new load you might have incurred with your remodel. Also, be sure GFCI devices are installed instead of typical outlets (these are generally required anywhere near water, like kitchen and bathroom sinks).

When you consider flooring, choose a slip resistant material, such as cork, slate or wood. Stay away from anything that is highly polished, like marble. While these make for great flooring accents, they can be extremely slippery, especially around high-splash areas like sinks.

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Check out this infographic from the pros at RWC. It gives you a great snapshot of what you need to know about kitchen remodeling, and makes a great addition to this blog post:

Do you plan on remodeling your kitchen? If so, we hope you'll take the above advice into consideration. Have any other tips you'd like to share? Let us know in the comments below.

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