- A new kitchen can increase the overall value of your property by £10,649
- Two thirds of Brits could have made a profit of over £6,500 by keeping their kitchen upgrades to a strict budget
- The towns and cities that showed the biggest uplift in kitchen refits during 2020 were Liverpool, Ilford and Crewe
- Rated People partners with interior design blogger, Jessica Hurrell, to help homeowners renovate their kitchen on any budget
New data from find-a-tradesperson platform, Rated People, reveals that Brits are investing in new kitchens, despite the financial pressures of coronavirus.
As people inevitably spend more time at home during the pandemic, the demand for kitchen renovations has rocketed by 24%. Not only has the kitchen become a valued space for family bubbles to congregate during lockdown, but the national closure of restaurants and cafes has boosted our enthusiasm for home cooking. It’s therefore no surprise that we are once again choosing to show our kitchens some love.
Alongside an increase in the volume of kitchen makeovers, Rated People also found big differences in the budgets allocated for improvements. Despite a squeeze on household finances over the past year, 11% of people set aside a budget of over £8,000 to redesign their kitchen. On the other hand, and showing that you don’t always need to spend big money to make a change, a massive 68% of homeowners set out to tackle the task with a budget of under £4,000.
With so many options to consider, it can be tempting to get carried away when redesigning a kitchen. But, a small budget makeover could lead to a tidy profit when it comes to selling up. Rated People’s new Trends Report recently revealed that a newly renovated kitchen can boost the overall value of a property by a staggering £10,649. This means that over two thirds of Brits stand to make a profit of up to £6,649 by keeping the purse strings tight when sprucing up their kitchen.
Rated People’s 2021 Trends Report looked at the most popular trends in interior design, including in our kitchens. The Report found that moodier hues are very much on trend, with demand for dark blue and black kitchens soaring by 140% and 128% respectively. Rated People’s data also found that wooden style worktops are our surface of choice, making up 85% of kitchen worktop jobs in 2020.
To help homeowners planning a renovation, Rated People has partnered with interior design blogger Jessica Hurrell of Gold is a Neutral, to offer top tips on how you can transform your kitchen – from shelving through to paint jobs.
Jessica Hurrell shares her top 5 tips for how to approach a kitchen refit –
- If in doubt, get the paint out – Paint will always be my number one go-to when it comes to an affordable update to any room. It’s quick, it’s easy to do on a budget and if you don’t like the colour you’ve chosen you can just paint over it again. There are several ways you can employ paint to switch up your kitchen. Our old kitchen was very dark, with veneer cabinet doors and terracotta tiles. So, the first thing I did was give the walls and woodwork a fresh coat of white paint. The next job was to paint the cabinets themselves. You need to use a good primer and a roller for a smooth finish, but it’s well worth the effort. Lighter shades will lift the space, however you could also go for a darker shade on the bottom and lighter on top to add character without dominating the space. Finally, don’t underestimate the magic of tile paint for a tired looking splashback.
- If you can’t paint the doors, update the fronts – It’s not always necessary to replace the doors to your cabinets. The style of ours were decent enough shaker doors, so we decided it wasn’t necessary and went with the paint option instead. But if yours are beyond rescue, there are lots of places you can buy affordable new fronts such as Superfronts and Ikea, allowing you to keep the existing carcasses and save yourself a fortune.
- Keep as many appliances as possible, but buy a new tap – It’s worth investing in a new tap because they are often a focal point in your kitchen set-up. Make sure you get a professional to fit it for you though, you don’t want any leaks swallowing up your budget.
- Swap out the hardware – If you’ve kept and painted your cabinet doors, a great way to update them further is to replace the handles. The wrong handles can often date a kitchen, so swap them out for something more modern.
- Add shelves – If you’re lacking storage or if you simply want to open up a space, it’s a good idea to add shelving. If you have wall cabinets, one option would be to remove the doors and paint inside for a more modern look. (Note, this option does require a little organisation!) If you have a bare wall, you can also add a row of shelves on brackets to add character and act as an additional storage solution.
Jessica Hurrell, of Gold is a Neutral commented:
“Renovating kitchens can be a costly business, but you don’t need to spend a fortune to give your kitchen a fresh look and a new lease of life. There are many affordable updates you can make which will transform the space from drab to fab.
We have been living in our Victorian terrace house for almost six years and have recently completed a major renovation of our kitchen/side return extension. However, when we first moved in, we carried out a budget kitchen makeover in order to make the space brighter, lighter and more liveable, while we saved for the bigger renovation work.
Before starting a kitchen renovation of any kind, the best thing to do is write a list of the areas that bug you the most, and that will help you prioritise where to focus your attention. So for us, it was the lack of light, so we did everything we could to brighten up the space.
Some of these things you can do yourself and some you will need professional help. If in doubt, always call a professional, because you don’t want to be making a costly mistake!”
Adrienne, CEO of Rated People commented:
“For many, the kitchen is the heart of the home. Whether you want to create your dream kitchen or you’re looking to add value to your home before you sell, a kitchen revamp can come in all shapes and sizes, from complete overhauls to smaller updates that will help freshen things up.
We often think that a kitchen refit will be expensive, but you don’t need to spend big money to make a difference. Relatively low-cost jobs done by experienced tradespeople, such as a splash of paint, installing new worktops or refreshing tiles, can keep your kitchen on trend and go a long way towards improving your space.”
Rated People’s data also identified the regions that are making updating their kitchens a priority. With East Anglia and the North West leading the way, Liverpool (116%), Ilford (77%) and Crewe (74%) were the towns and cities that showed the biggest uplift in kitchen renovations during 2020.[10]
