Starting a kitchen renovation | Jag Kitchens

The build up to Christmas has already started, and although some like to leave things to the last minute, most of us are thinking ahead to the end of the year and picturing celebrating with family and friends. It’s incredibly tempting to imagine all these festivities taking place around a new kitchen, especially if you’ve been putting up with your old one for ages! Although it may seem like a good idea, reality maybe anything but.

With 12 year’s experience Jag Kitchens know what it takes to successfully install a kitchen and all the pieces involved. Here are 5 things to consider if you thinking about a new kitchen for the end of this year.

1. Don’t bite off more than you can chew

Just like that extra drink you shouldn’t have, or that extra mouthful of turkey you don’t need, there’s always the temptation to take on slightly more than is wise. Our jobs get busy as we push to get things done before Christmas, our social calendars are jam packed and let’s not even talk about tackling the Christmas shopping in the Christmas shopping crazy! Do you really want to add the challenge of an enforced deadline of Christmas to get a new kitchen installed?

There’s more than you think that needs to be done when installing a new kitchen:

  • Removal and disposing of the old kitchen
  • Moving taps etc if your changing your plumbing
  • Moving or wiring up new electrics
  • Repairing, plastering and painting any exposed walls
  • Installing of new cabinets and benches
  • Laying of any wall tiles
  • Installation of a splashback
  • Laying of flooring
  • Plus getting the electrician and plumber back to finish the connections.

It’s a lot to line up and coordinate especially if you have no wriggle room with timing.

Do yourself a favour – don’t do it to yourself in December…you will be glad you decided on January.

2. Party Hearty in your old kitchen worry-free

Send your old kitchen out with a bang and host this year’s Christmas or New Year’s party without fear of out of control guests causing damage to your kitchen.

Just think of all the things you won’t have to worry about:

  • No damage to your new floor
  • No one sticking something stupid down the waste disposal
  • No red wine staining your tile grout
  • No one accidently “cooking” something in the oven or microwave for longer than they should
  • No next morning fry-ups splattering grease everywhere.

On the subject of partying, if you’re removing the kitchen yourself, why not host a kitchen removal party in the New Year and say goodbye to those old cabinets together with a beer and BBQ to look forward to at the end of a job well done!

3. Feeding a family without a kitchen much easier during school holidays

For families the kitchen is often the heart of the home, and although Jag Kitchens keep disruption to a minimum, there’s still a period of time between the old and the new kitchen.

Timing this to occur in summer, and during the school holidays, is ideal as dinner options aren’t so reliant on a kitchen in January. Your options can include:

  • BBQs with salads with fresh bread
  • Fish & Chips on the beach
  • Picnics in the park

Oh, and did we mention no lunchbox prep to handle when you are feeding the family from the microwave perched next to the laundry sink.

4. The traffic nightmare before Christmas

Before Christmas traffic congestion turns Auckland traffic into a nightmare and even simple journeys can take so much longer. Not only do all the tradesmen need to get from A to B, so do all the pieces of your new kitchen.

The coordination of when people and things will turn up becomes so much more complicated when there is no certainty on when things will arrive. And let’s not forget that you’ll need to battle traffic too to be home when needed as well!

Set yourself up to succeed and time your kitchen for when there is more control over the timing of deliveries and tradesmen, and you aren’t leaving yourself to the mercy of Auckland traffic.

5. Tradesmen are transform from grouch to grin

The pressure seems to come onto everyone at the end of the year as we all push to get things done before we celebrate Christmas and enjoy the holiday season. Builders, Plumbers and Sparkies are the same. With Christmas and summer holidays coinciding in New Zealand we enter the New Year fresher and more energised and tradesmen do too! Tackling your kitchen in the New Year will have you enjoying trademen who are fresh and friendly. Isn’t that a better option than everyone being stressed and under pressure before Christmas?

There’s a lot to consider when planning your new kitchen. Hopefully we’ve given you some things the think about when it comes to timing your new kitchen install. You can still have fun planning your new kitchen this side of Christmas so make an appointment with one of our Design team today!