How to Become a Kitchen Renovator

Sophie Cole, writer

Published at 29/08/2021, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 7 min

How to Become a Kitchen Renovator — Photo © How-to-Become-a-Kitchen-Renovator.jpg

Fancy becoming a kitchen renovator? A kitchen renovation franchise could give you the opportunity to do just that. And after a year in which people have spent more time than ever at home, leading them to invest in home renovation, there’s never been a better time to begin. Here’s how to become a kitchen renovator.

During the lockdowns of the past year and a half, many people decided to put the money they were saving on commuting and foreign trips and invest in home renovation instead. Research by money.co.uk found that a whopping 65% of homeowners invested in renovating their homes, with 22% saying their kitchen needed a little love.

If you’re looking to capitalise on this multi-million-pound sector, a franchise could be the perfect way to do so. Not sure how to get started? Here’s everything you need to know about becoming a kitchen renovator.

What does a kitchen renovator do?

Kitchen renovation isn’t something most people can tackle alone, meaning there are lots of different roles within a successful kitchen makeover business. You could opt for roles including:

Installer
Plumber
Project manager
Designer
Customer service staff

As a franchisee, you’ll be able to tackle as many, or as few, of these roles as you like. If you’d prefer a hands-off approach, you can handle enquiries and focus on looking after clients while your hired team of tradespeople handle the fitting.

Alternatively, if you’ve got practical experience and are looking to go into business with a friend or professional partner, you may be able to handle the fitting. It’s likely you’ll still need to enlist the help of an employee to handle essential tasks like admin, marketing, sales and customer service.

But if you simply like the sound of running a kitchen renovation business and aren’t sure if you’re a good fit, here are some of the skills you may need:

Great communication - You’ll need to make sure you clearly understand your clients’ wishes and promptly communicate any delays, issues or changes to keep them satisfied.
Time management - Most kitchen renovations can be completed in under a week, but it’s vital that you can work to deadlines to minimise disruption to your customers’ lives.
An eye for detail - The little touches can make or break a kitchen renovation, so you’ll need a strong eye for detail in this sector. A tiny chip or smudge of paint could spoil an otherwise excellent job.
People skills - You’ll be responsible for finding new clients, keeping them happy throughout the install process and following up if there are any issues down the line.

Becoming a kitchen renovator is very rewarding, and there are many advantages that come along with this job, for example:

Building new networks
Managing your own working hours
Meeting new people
Gaining experience from working with different households
Being open to new ideas

The average kitchen renovation costs an estimated £8,000 [Loftera], but the price can quickly head upwards if a customer is looking for luxury. If you’re in the kitchen business, or are looking to build a career within it, that’s great news; you’ll be able to capitalise on the fantastic profit potential of this essential sector.

How to become a kitchen renovator

1. Get qualified

The kitchen sector isn’t as difficult to enter as, say, law or medicine, as you usually won’t need a specific set of qualifications to get started. Most of the work can also be learned through experience; you could’ve learned how to plaster like a pro simply from shadowing and working with a colleague.

However, as you could find yourself tackling everything from fitting light fixtures to plumbing in new sinks, it may be worth exploring qualifications to get your skills up to scratch. You may also need certain qualifications to carry out potentially dangerous work, such as fitting a gas cooker, for both insurance and customer safety purposes.

>> Read more:

2. Identify the right opportunity

If you’re a skilled tradesperson with the right practical skills to tackle much of the work on your own, you could opt for a franchise that will let you get your hands dirty. But if you’d rather oversee work without getting involved, a management format franchise that allows you to focus on client and business development will probably be a better fit.

Luckily, there are franchises to suit every ambition. You can check out a wide range of kitchen franchise opportunities right here at Point Franchise, whether you’re looking to help people build their dream rooms or offer a quick makeover solution.

3. Build a skilled team

A kitchen renovation can be a big job, particularly if you’re ripping the entire existing space out and starting all over again. Even if you have some past experience, you’ll likely need to find employees with experience in things such as plumbing, plastering, rewiring, decorating and fitting flooring.

Make sure the tradespeople you recruit have the correct qualifications. For example, a plumber and gas engineer (who could help you fit gas cookers, for example) needs to have an NVQ level 2 and 3 qualification in plumbing and domestic heating, as well as a Gas Safe license. If you work with staff who aren’t qualified for their roles, you risk putting your customers in danger and getting in trouble yourself.

4. Keep up with new trends

As a franchisee, you’ll have a dedicated team that are behind you every step of the way, offering assistance with everything from marketing to admin to sourcing products. And even though your franchisor will do their best to keep their finger on the sector’s pulse, it’s an important part of your role as a franchisee too.

Listen to your customers and keep your eyes out for new innovations and products that could improve your current range. Don’t be afraid to make suggestions to your franchisor - after all, the iconic Big Mac was created by a McDonalds franchisee!

Franchise opportunities in the kitchen renovation sector

Like the sound of becoming a kitchen renovator franchisee? Here are two opportunities that could be right up your street.

1. RAISON HOME

Raison Home offers exceptional kitchen, bedroom and bathroom design services. The company focuses on perfection and its innovative solutions, such as VR design previews, allow its customers to make sure Raison’s designs truly fit with their vision of the ideal home.

Raison Home has been in business for over 20 years now and boasts a network of 110 successful franchisees, who generated a cumulative total of £30m in sales in 2019.

Becoming a franchisee with Raison Home: Franchisees will enjoy highly competitive margins within their businesses. The set up process of becoming a franchisee for this company is so simple that you will not require any staff until your business really begins to grow.You’ll also gain access to top European designs and the latest technology!

How much you need to invest: The minimum you’ll need to invest is £10,000. But if you can’t fund the full amount straight away, Raison Home offers great funding support. Your expected revenue after 2 years is £360,000.

What you get for your investment: Your investment covers training, ongoing support and the latest technology to encourage your business growth. You’ll also have access to a huge network of fellow franchisees who can offer practical advice and moral support throughout your journey.

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2. Granite & Trend Transformations

This management franchise puts you behind the scenes of an affordable kitchen transformation service. Its innovative products can be installed directly onto existing worktops, breathing a whole new lease of life into kitchens without the hassle and expense. This highly adaptable concept can work in virtually any room, from the bathroom to bedroom cabinets, meaning you’ll enjoy multiple revenue streams and repeat customers.

Becoming a Trend Transformations franchisee: You won’t need to have any practical experience, but the franchise is keen to talk to people who are:

Confident leading a team
Ambitious, driven and goal-oriented
Great at project managing and working with people

How much you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum investment of £35,000 to become part of the Trend Transformations network. By year three, you could have achieved a turnover as high as £1 million, with most franchisees generating between £400,000 to £600,000 in their first year.

What you get for your investment: You’ll attend a one-week induction course to learn the ropes and will enjoy two weeks of support on your own premises as your showroom is fitted out. And whenever you need an extra bit of support, you’ll have the team on hand to guide you, as well as perks like:

Getting the chance to attend national and international conventions
Regular and useful educational webinars
Packs for employee training and updates
PR services to get your message across
Online marketing services

Start a kitchen renovation franchise today

As you can see, the kitchen sector is bursting with plenty of opportunities. It doesn’t matter whether you’d like to get stuck in and do the fitting yourself or oversee a team of experts, as there’s something for every type of entrepreneur. And even though people aren’t spending so much time at home, it’s clear there’s still a healthy appetite for beautiful homes all across the nation. But if you’re not sure this is the right sector for you, explore our UK franchise directory, where you’ll find hundreds of other exciting franchise opportunities.