When looking to buy a new home one of the key rooms for many people is the kitchen. As one of the most important rooms in almost every home, it is imperative that you are happy with the layout, design and funtionality of your new kitchen. In this post we identify some key things to look out for and to ask yourself when house hunting and thinking about what you are looking for in a kitchen.

Quality of fixtures and fittings

The aesthetic look and feel of the kitchen may not be to your liking, but if you are not keen to splash out on a brand new kitchen as soon as you move the key is the actual fixtures and fittings. If the general look (colour, pattern etc) of the kitchen cabinets isn’t to your liking but the actual layout is, then your kitchen has huge makeover potential by simply changing the cabinet doors, provided that the cabinet structure is solid.Look out for cracks, and signs that the cabinets may need replacing as that may mean more budget needed for your new home.

In addition have a good look at the counter tops in the kitchen and make sure that you identify any issues up front.

Review your flooring

Look out for broken tiles or floorboards, and be mindful that wood flooring requires maintenance and will need to be repaired if there are a lot of scratches. You might like the kitchen but want to change the flooring down the line. Have a think about this right at the beginning of your house buying process to factor in pricing.

Check your oven

If you are used to using gas and the home you look at has electric, make sure you are comfortable with the switch especially if you love cooking, or make sure you build a new oven into your budget. Also make sure it is possible to switch from one to the other if you really want to.

Review where the electrics are

If you are planning on spending a lot of time in your kitchen and have a number of appliances, have a good look at where the electric outlets are to make sure you are happy with the number of outlets and their location.

Enough storage?

Compare your old kitchen to your potential new one. Is there enough cupboard space for your pots, pans and crockery? Visualise where you would put everything.

Questions to ask yourself if there are any repairs needed:

• Is it purely aesthetic and just your preference?
• Will it be costly to replace/repair? Is it something you need to consider when putting an offer in on the house?
• Is it work that can be done down the line, or will it need doing immediately on moving in?
• Will you be happy with the kitchen when you move in? This is a key question as if you do not have budget to upgrade your kitchen immediately you might find this an issue if you are an avid cook in the short term.

If you need help removing your old kitchen to make way for a stylish new design, give us a call today for an obligation free quote!