Kitchen & Bathroom Design Blog

If you know your kitchen design no longer fits your family’s needs, then it may be time for a kitchen remodel! What if you look around your kitchen and feel that the existing space and location are not fit for purpose? Should you start packing your boxes and looking for a new home? Not necessarily!

While changing your kitchen is a big endeavor, it pales in comparison to buying and moving to a new home. Ask yourself: Do you love your existing home and neighborhood? Are the kids happy and in a great school? Can you not bear the thought of moving boxes taking over your life? If the answer to these questions is yes, then it is time to explore alternatives for your kitchen design that allow you to stay in your existing home.

This could include changing your kitchen layout completely, extending your existing kitchen, or moving your kitchen to a new location in your home. While moving your kitchen is a more involved and costly project than a simple remodel, it can be a worthwhile investment if it transforms your home into a space where your family can grow and thrive.

Let’s explore why you would want to move your kitchen layout, what you need to consider when planning to move your kitchen, and the pros and cons of moving a kitchen.

Reasons to Move Your Kitchen

Moving a kitchen to a new location in your home, whether that involves simply extending into an adjacent room or relocating to a completely new spot is not a small job. So why would anyone consider taking on this type of project?

Location, Location, Location:

The biggest reason to consider undertaking such a project is that your home is in an ideal location, even if it doesn’t exactly meet your needs. Perhaps you are in a great school district and your kids are settled in school and with their friends. If moving to another home in that school district isn’t feasible, then you will want to hang on to the home you have. Maybe you love the proximity of your home to extended family members or your favorite stores. If you don’t want to give up that convenience, then it is worthwhile to upgrade your existing home to meet your needs.

Moving Home Is Not an Option:

Maybe the housing market or interest rates are not ideal, or perhaps there are no suitable homes on the market in areas where you want to live. If moving to a new home is not possible or won’t meet your needs, then you need to look at creating the space you want in your current home.

Kitchen Layout and Size:

As your family grows and changes, so do your functional needs in your home. While a more straightforward kitchen remodel will allow you to achieve your style goals, simply updating your existing space may not fit your functionality requirements. If you need more space, room for an open-concept kitchen, or better kitchen storage options and this cannot be achieved in your current location, then look at expanding your space or moving.

View and Lighting:

You spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so you want to be able to enjoy yourself there as well as accomplish key tasks. If your existing kitchen is dark or the view is not great, then look at other locations that may fit your needs better with enhanced lighting. Perhaps you can move the kitchen to a brighter space that gets more sunlight and overlooks an area of your yard with flowers and herbs.

What You Need to Consider When Moving a Kitchen

There’s no point in sugarcoating it – moving a kitchen to a new location is not a small undertaking.  However, with the right professional help almost anything is possible. If you are considering relocating your kitchen design, then there are a few key things to consider.

How drastic is the change?

There are several options to explore when planning to move your kitchen, and which you select will impact how much work is involved.

Do you plan to expand and move around your kitchen layout by utilizing an adjacent space? This could involve simply expanding beyond the current bounds of your kitchen into a dining room that forms part of an open-plan first floor. Or you might consider knocking down or moving an internal wall to allow you to create a larger kitchen. If your existing home does not have sufficient room, your plans may even involve bumping out an external wall or a full addition onto your home.

The more structural changes you make, the more involved the project will be and the greater the cost. Likewise, if you want to completely relocate your kitchen to a new space that does not currently have the necessary plumbing, electrical wiring, HVAC, or gas connection, then additional expertise, costs, and time must be factored into your plans.

How does the change affect traffic flow through your house?

You may look at a family room on the opposite end of your house from your existing kitchen design and think – that would be the perfect place to have a kitchen! However, when planning the location of key rooms like your kitchen design you must consider how it sits vis-à-vis entrances and exits to your home, as well as other spaces like a living room or home office. Will the noise and smell from a kitchen impact activity in its new location? Is your preferred kitchen location accessible to other spaces like a pantry or utility room? How will the new flow of traffic change in your space based on the new location of your kitchen?

What is your budget?

There’s no avoiding the fact that changing your kitchen layout, extending your kitchen, or moving your kitchen to a new location is going to cost more than a simple kitchen remodel. Maintaining your current kitchen layout means that you can use existing plumbing, electrical, and gas connections (unless they need to be upgraded anyway). It may also mean you can maintain certain elements of your kitchen if you are happy with them, such as your flooring or backsplash.

If you are extending or moving your kitchen, then your project scope is automatically bigger meaning you need a larger budget to back it up. Make sure you do your research to understand the costs involved and set a realistic budget before commencing your project. An experienced design and remodeling team can examine your requirements and provide you with detailed, transparent costs, which is essential when budgeting or seeking funding for your project.

What approvals do you need?

Any home remodeling project requires permits and approvals, but the larger your project the more important it is to fully research and understand these requirements before proceeding.

Does your project require planning permission? If you are considering an addition, you may need a variance from your planning board to add the room. You would also need stamped and approved architectural plans for this option. What are the building codes and regulations related to your home remodeling plans? If you are extending or changing the external appearance of your home, are there any homeowner’s association requirements related to this? What permits do you need to have in place before starting work on your home remodeling project?

Working with an experienced Bucks County, PA home remodeling team can take a lot of the stress out of this process. They will bring their in-depth knowledge and experience to the table and can manage this approval process for you.

Pros and Cons of Upgrading or Moving Your Kitchen Design

There are several options to consider when updating your kitchen design. The most straightforward approach is to keep your existing layout and room dimensions and update your fixtures, fittings, and accessories. You could go one step further and extend your existing layout into an adjacent space (either into part of an open plan or by knocking down a wall). Or you could completely move your kitchen to another area of your home or a new space by putting on an addition. Which choice is right for your home and family depends on several factors, so let’s explore some of the pros and cons of each.

A Kitchen Remodel with the Existing Layout

Pros:

• The project should not take as long to complete as a more involved remodel or addition.

• You can control costs by avoiding extra expenses, such as additional structural work, moving or adding plumbing or electricity, and the requirement to outfit at least two spaces (the new kitchen location and your old kitchen).

• There are many clever ways to update your kitchen’s style and enhance storage to get the most out of your existing space.

Cons:

• If your existing space is insufficient for your needs, then a basic kitchen remodel may not do the trick.

• You could find yourself outgrowing it quickly and needing to do further updates or move house before you get a return on your remodeling investment.

Extending Your Existing Kitchen Design

Pros:

• This approach provides extra space to extend your kitchen layout and create more storage, workspace, and seating.

• It allows you to create a larger and more efficient kitchen design while still using existing plumbing, electrical wiring, and gas connections, assuming you are keeping key fixtures in approximately the same place.

Cons:

• If you need to remove a wall or bump out an external wall, your project requires structural changes.

• Your budget requirements may be higher than a basic kitchen remodel.

Moving Your Kitchen to a New Location

Pros:

• Once you have a suitable space to move your kitchen, this approach provides you with a blank slate to design the kitchen layout and style you always wanted.

• You can update your home’s first-floor layout in a way that will meet your family’s needs for years to come without having to move home.

• It allows you to create the home you want and need while staying in a location you love.

Cons:

• Project costs and scope will be greater than a standard kitchen remodel, but this is worthwhile if your long-term benefit outweighs the costs.

• You may have to move out of your home for at least part of the project, as the upheaval and mess will affect multiple areas in the home.

• A larger project will take longer to complete.

When it comes to remodeling your home, almost anything is possible once you have the design vision backed up by an experienced team and budget to support your plans. Spend time considering your needs, discussing them with the entire family, and then looking around your home and seeing what changes you could make to fulfill those requirements.

If you love your existing location but are badly in need of a style and functionality upgrade to your kitchen or other home spaces, then a home remodel is the answer. Our experienced team can help you uncover the potential of your home. Contact us to discuss your kitchen remodeling, bathroom design, and other home remodeling needs today!