The start of the year is often the period when people take a look around their home with fresher eyes and consider what they’d like to change about the property or it’s décor over the coming months. With the kitchen being one of the most important rooms in the house, this is often a key place to start.
While you can take small steps to keep your kitchen in good order, such as putting in a new backsplash, adding a skylight or making repairs (e.g. if you have a leaking sink you can contact specialists like this Tampa faucet repair service), sometimes something much more major is required.
To help decide whether you can get away with minimal work or whether you need to invest the time, money and energy into a total kitchen remodel, read on for some signs it’s time to update your cooking and entertaining space in 2019.
Appliances Are Outdated or Mismatched
One of the most common signs of a kitchen that needs an update is one in which the appliances are outdated or mismatched and where it’s too hard to swap them out for new products because the sizing of the current holes don’t work with modern options.Older appliances don’t look great, and they also stop functioning well, not to mention they don’t have the handy additional features that newer items do. Plus, outdated appliances are likely to be a drain on your energy usage, too.
Not Enough Room
Another key sign of the need for a kitchen upgrade, and one that many people have an issue with, is there not being enough room. These days, kitchens aren’t just about getting meals ready, after all; they’re the “heart of the home” and tend to be where we eat, spend time together as a family and entertain. If you’re finding your kitchen too cramped to do these things, it’s probably time to update the space and expand the area or rearrange it so the kitchen is used in a more efficient way.
Often, homeowners complain that in particular there isn’t enough counter space in their kitchen. Counters are used for preparation and storage, especially when entertaining, and are also regularly where children do homework while a parent cooks or the spot where breakfasts are eaten. While you can perhaps add more shelving in your kitchen, countertops are another matter altogether and a lack of them means a whole kitchen do-overis required in most cases.
The Layout and Functionality Is Lacking
Do you have a kitchen with a bad layout? Perhaps it’s purely inconvenient (which is a big enough issue in itself), or it could in fact be dangerous, like the inclusion of range-top islands that were all the rage in the ‘80s but which can lead to burns and fires if pot handles are knocked as they’re bubbling away. If this is the set up in your kitchen, it’s a sign that an update could be required.
For most people, the functionality of their kitchen is lacking because they seem to spend more time trying to find what they need and moving pots and pans and other tools around from spot to spot, than actually cooking. If you’re constantly annoyed by how hard things are to find or reach, or if you and your partner get in each other’s way when in the kitchen, it’s probably time for a new, more effective layout.
Your Kitchen Is High Maintenance
If you find that cleaning your kitchen is always a nightmare that makes you curse and wish with all your heart for a fairy to come in and wave her magic wand, it’s probably time to consider a renovation. Old kitchens with damaged or dirty finishes, such as mottled, scratched or torn linoleum floor tiles or tile countertops with deep, dirty grout lines, leave homeowners having to spend hour upon hour cleaning each week. Unfortunately, most of this hard work doesn’t even pay off because the space still never looks properly clean or stylish. When your kitchen gets to this point, there’s usually nothing to be done about it but go ahead and remodel the space.
You’re Considering Selling Your Home
Of course, if you’re considering selling your home this year,yet your kitchen doesn’t look appealing and is going to drag down the property’s value, you should consider forkingup for a renovation. When potential buyers look through homes one of the most important spaces they evaluate is the kitchen. As such, if you want to get top dollar for your property, it’s worth investing in remodeling this area.
