Next start thinking about the features you want. These are the specific items, tools, appliances, storage etc. The list can be long at first. Once you start to realize how much the overall project is going to cost you can expand or reduce the list accordingly.
- Do you need an island (and have room for it), a peninsula or breakfast nook?
- Would you fill a pantry?
- Would you rather have a stainless steel sink or enameled cast iron?
- Do you use a microwave for major cooking or just to reheat left-overs and cup of tea and chocolate?
- Do you prefer cooking with gas or electricity?
- Do you want a combination oven-and-range or a cook top with a wall oven?
- Do you have (and use) enough small appliances that you should dedicated a special “appliance garage” to store them in?
The fewer structural and mechanical changes you make, the less you’ll spend. But that doesn’t mean that all changes are going to cost a lot of money. You will need the advice of licensed professionals to make final decisions. But you can get a rough idea of what to expect by answering the following questions:
- If the wall you want to move is a load-bearing then moving it will be a complex job for a professional. (Typically, an interior load-bearing wall runs the length of the house through the center of the structure.)
- What rooms are directly above and below the kitchen? If the rooms above and below are finished, it will be a lot more difficult to reroute plumbing, heating ducts and electrical wiring.
- Does your new design require that you move existing doors and/or windows? If so, this makes the job more difficult because exterior walls are always load-bearing.
