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Kitchen Renovation Mistakes That Cost the Most
Updated 2 min read
The short answer
The expensive kitchen mistakes are not aesthetic — they are sequencing and dimensional. Choosing appliances after cabinetry is built, leaving walkways under 900mm, forgetting under-cabinet lighting and not planning for the countertop templating gap account for most of the regret and nearly all of the rework.
The nine mistakes
- Ordering appliances after cabinetry is builtIntegrated panels, hood inserts and sink cut-outs are all built to a specific model’s published dimensions. Substituting a model later usually means remaking components. Lock appliance selection before shop drawings are approved.
- Walkways under 900mmOn a plan a 750mm gap between island and perimeter looks generous. In use, with a dishwasher or oven door open, it is a bottleneck you notice every day. 900mm minimum for one cook, 1050–1200mm for two.
- Not planning for the countertop gapStone cannot be templated until cabinetry is installed and levelled, then fabrication takes one to three weeks. During that window there is no counter and usually no sink. It is the single most common source of frustration.
- Doors instead of drawers in base cabinetsDrawers let you see and reach everything; base cabinets with doors hide their contents at the back. Three drawers per 900mm base is a good default.
- Forgetting under-cabinet lightingUpper cabinets shadow the counter directly beneath them. Under-cabinet lighting is not a luxury in a working kitchen, and adding it after tiling means opening the backsplash.
- No home for small appliancesKettle, toaster, coffee machine and mixer all need somewhere with power. Without a designated spot they permanently occupy the counter you just paid for.
- Cabinets to the ceiling in a 10ft roomThe top shelf becomes unreachable without a ladder. In tall rooms a considered stopping point with a cornice usually looks and works better than running full height.
- Specifying a beautiful door on a cheap boxQuotes often detail the door and stay silent on the carcass. The box decides how the kitchen ages. Ask what it is made from and how thick it is.
- Moving services without checking firstRelocating a sink or a gas line is the change that turns a cabinetry refresh into a permitted renovation. Decide early whether the layout is actually changing.
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Answers
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most expensive kitchen mistake to fix?
- Ordering appliances after cabinetry is fabricated. Integrated panel dimensions and hood insert sizes are model-specific, so a substitution usually means remaking components rather than adjusting them.
- How much clearance do I need around an island?
- 900mm minimum for a single cook and 1050–1200mm where two people work simultaneously. That is also the practical minimum for an appliance door to open without blocking the walkway.
- Can I avoid the countertop gap?
- Not entirely — stone must be templated on installed cabinetry. You can shorten it by confirming your fabricator’s lead time before the project starts and scheduling templating for the day cabinetry is levelled. Plan to be without a kitchen sink for that period.
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