How do you design a perfect kitchen?

As the price of properties continue to rise in the UK, many people are choosing to use their savings to renovate their current homes rather than endure the expense and hassle of moving somewhere new. Within the growing home improvements industry, kitchens are cited as the most common area that homeowners are looking to improve, with more than 51% either currently undertaking or planning a kitchen makeover in the near future.

However, as with any major home renovation project, designing your perfect kitchen can be a stressful process. For many families, the kitchen is the centre of the home, so it’s important that it’s designed to be functional, attractive and fits within your budget. But it can be difficult to know where to start with so much choice out there in the industry, which is estimated to be worth an incredible £3 billion.

So, what’s the first step for people who are looking to design a perfect kitchen?

Work out your budget

Those who want to design a kitchen need to think about money before even glancing at any websites or catalogues. If you start browsing before working out what you can afford, you risk disappointment if you fall in love with designer units and stunning marble surfaces that are way out of your budget.

Come into the process armed with a realistic budget. Work out what you’re aiming to spend but also calculate the absolute maximum you can afford for the whole project. Allotting additional money as ‘safety buffer’ for unexpected extras is wise, as construction or home makeover projects often end up going over budget. If the basic cost of your kitchen makeover swallows up all your savings, you’ll struggle if unexpected costs come up.

The average cost of a new kitchen in the UK is around £16,100, but factors such as the size of your kitchen and the kinds of units, fixtures, appliances and worktops you choose affect the price. Around 30% of people opt for ‘luxury kitchen’ renovations, which cost around £40,000. Things such as bespoke designed cabinets, luxurious surface materials like Italian marble, specially designed lighting solutions or additional kitchen tech will increase the price of a kitchen renovation considerably.

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Shop around

Whether you’ve been planning your perfect kitchen for years or have no idea what you want, it’s not wise to go for the first company you speak to. Get quotes from different kitchen design and fitting companies to get an idea of what you can get for your budget.

Make sure you do your research and read as many reviews as you can about the company. You might be taken with one company’s designs and the shiny words plastered across its website, but reviews will give you an unbiased insight into the quality of its products. If reviewers don’t echo the promises of quality, longevity or exquisite design the company talks about, it’s best to look elsewhere.

Try before you buy

Many kitchen designers and installers have tools on their website that allow you to get an idea of the finished product. You can input the measurements and shape of your room and try out colours, finishes and different styles of units. Even if you don’t buy your kitchen from one of these sites, it will give you a good idea of what will work for your home.

Kitchen design industry

The kitchen design and fitting industry can be very profitable for those who choose to make their living within them. Estate agents have reported that new kitchens can add as much as 10% to the overall value of a property, making them high priority for property developers and landlords looking to boost the money-making potential of their portfolio.

If you’re looking to become part of a kitchen franchise, there are lots of exciting opportunities here on Point Franchise. From x to x, there’s something to suit everyone. We’ve summed up the best three kitchen opportunities on Point Franchise right now.

Schmidt Kitchens

With more than 200,000 different products to choose from and 710 striking showrooms across the world, Schmidt Kitchens is Europe’s leading kitchen retail company. It offers quality, high-end products and bespoke design solutions for kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms for a reasonable price.

The franchise opportunity is designed to benefit franchisees. They won’t have to deal with stock as it goes directly to each customer from one of Schmidt’s six international factories. They’ll also benefit from healthy cash flow as soon as they secure customers, due to the cash positive structure of the business.

No industry experience is necessary, as comprehensive training will be provided to equip each new franchisee will all the knowledge they need about Schmidt’s products. Including CAD design process and way of operating. Franchisees will help customers select the perfect products for their home and help them to create their very own perfect kitchen.

Dream Doors

Kitchen ‘facelift’ franchise Dream Doors’ unique business opportunity will see you breathing new life into kitchens across the UK. The franchise’s innovative concept allows its customers to replace kitchen doors, worktops and sinks, making the kitchen look like new without the hassle and high cost of a full re-fit.

It has been named as one of the finalists in the bfa HSBC ‘Franchisor of the Year’ category multiple times and has completed more than 60,000 high quality projects since it was set up. To become a Dream Doors franchisee, you won’t need any experience in the world of kitchen designing or fitting, as your role will be to oversee sub-contractors and ensure each project is run smoothly.

Dream Doors is seeking franchisees who are ambitious, passionate and excellent at maintaining good customer relationships. Each new franchisee will build up experience working through a home office for six months before taking charge of their very own showroom.

The kitchen franchise was set up in 1999 and began franchising in 2002, after founder Troy Tappenden realised the potential of his innovative business model.