A Kitchen Renovation Guide

A new kitchen should be one of those lovely experiences. Just like buying a new car or a fancy electric bike, you want to make the right choices from day one.

Here’s how to make your kitchen remodel as smooth as possible.

Firstly, deal with the experts! Don’t rush it. Listen to the advice of your chosen designer. Trust your company and let them do what they do best.

Choosing the right kitchen designer and company is a crucial first step, in fact, the most important step.

You’re looking for someone who is highly experienced and has the support of an experienced manufacturing team behind them.

Look for years in the industry and reputation. If lots of other customers have had a great experience, chances are you will too.

Your designer will have built up many relationships in the local area over the years and can guide you best on who to use for building work, plumbing, electrical, and appliances. Avoid companies that are only interested in making a sale and are not willing to share their contacts and expertise.

NZ made: I honestly can’t emphasize this point enough. Many “kitchen companies” are actually just importers of foreign cabinetry and benchtops and will give you all sorts of flowery stories about European quality. I can assure you that this is an absolute fallacy. No country builds better kitchens than those manufactured in NZ. New Zealand has strict regulatory standards for supply and manufacture, in accordance with NZ conditions. The materials will have to be certified and approved by the strict regulatory bodies in NZ, unlike imported products.

You will also have more protection under the Consumer Guarantees Act when dealing with a local NZ-owned and operated company than with an overseas-based importer. If you insist on using imported products, may I ask that the concerned company provides you with several customer contacts who bought their products at least 5 years ago, so you can inquire about how the product is holding up? Don’t be swayed by cheap prices and smooth talk.

Warranties: Check your company’s warranties, and read the fine print. You want a company that will stand by its product in the long term, not one that washes its hands off you as you walk away with your new kitchen neatly packed into a box.