While not the most interesting of pictures (I tried to make it a little more so with the color shift), it signifies a "milestone" in the kitchen renovation - the oven and microwave are in. Though, it wasn't without some hurdles and more on the way and they haven't been tested yet, as the electricals aren't yet complete.
Our schedule is all out of whack.
The kitchen cabinets, fridge and freezer are from Ikea, but the composite stone worktops are sourced from a local company, and all cooking appliances are from Miele. Miele make decent appliances and this is the first time I have actually bought some myself, though I have used them a lot before. The challenge with them however is, they aren't made for an Ikea kitchen, so while they fit, there are some extra adjustments to be made along the way and, as said, more to come.
While the Ikea kitchens are fantastic quality regardless of price, the issue is that they are made to Ikea size standards that are versatile, but limited in some respects. For instance, the cabinets we used are from the Metod range, which is built using 20cm sizing. So, there are doors and drawers in many variations, but they come in sizes that are built for 20, 40, 60 or 80 wide, and 20-240 high.
Together, the oven and microwave tower are 106cm high, which means that in order to fit cupboards above, we are going to have to cut an 80x60 door down to be a 74x60 door, which while possible, is not ideal as it will kill the finish of the top edge. This will be barely noticeable unless looking for it, as that edge will be 220cm and out of direct sight, but I will know it is there, and it will annoy me forever. But, given the many other compromises we have made along the way with this house due to price, this isn't the worst.
Unfortunately, when renovating on a budget, compromises are part of the game and it is necessary to know limits and come to terms with the decisions that get made. Not everything should be compromised upon however, which is why we selected good appliances, as they are an essential part of the kitchen function. Yes, obviously the cupboards are important too, but far less, so as long as they are laid-out correctly so they are functional, it doesn't matter much, even for the way they look.
Having said that though, if we were to sell this house in the next decade, while they will start to look somewhat dated, the bathrooms and kitchen will still be considered selling points for most people. We aren't planning on selling, as we plan on making this our home for a long time to come, but the future is never known.
Do brands matter?
Yes and no. Some people really check these things when looking at a house, but most people are pretty much blind to it, as long as it all looks neat, clean and planned. We noticed this when selling our apartment (which had an Ikea kitchen also), that only one couple asked about the brand of kitchen, and that was only because it looked so new, they thought it had been done for the sale. Everyone else just saw "new" and made a bid. The apartment sold in literally 15 minutes, with 4 bids in that time and this was pre-Covid. Since then, there are other apartments that have been selling in the same building for many months and they have asked us why ours sold so fast.
It is an easy answer.
Out of the 80 apartments in the complex, when they redid all the pipework (we bought cheaply knowing this, as it is very expensive to do), we were the only apartment that didn't take the equipment package that was offered. This meant that there are 79 apartments that had renewed bathrooms, but ours was the only one that looked like it was planned and thought through as to the way it functioned. Not only that, the contractors had to return money to us, as what we did was cheaper than what they were offering at bulk prices.
Looks matter.
So does function, which is why five years later when we were selling and it still looked new, the other apartments were looking tired and worn, and it wouldn't matter which apartment a person bought, as they were all essentially the same - and that "same" wasn't stylish in any way.
If working on a tighter budget, it is about adding in highlights in the design that matter for sale, where the things that stand out to a prospect will actually notice. When waling through a place, most people miss all the subtleties and details, but they do see key points and if they are in good shape, the assumption becomes, everything else is also.
Since we are living here, the rest of it matters too, because it has to last, but there is not a lot of point in spending top-dollar on the parts that blend into the background structure. However, for the functional components, it really is worth spending time and money to make sure that what you use, meets your needs. There is nothing worse (there are worse things) than having paid for what doesn't do what is required of it.
We have another challenge in this regard, where we have bought some wood paneling and the person who stained it wasn't careful enough, and most of the pieces have been ruined. Due to where they will be used, some of it is salvageable as the bad parts can be cut off, but we will likely have to buy more wood and re-stain and lacquer it. One of the workers said "you will hardly notice" but still, it is something we will have to see every day and knowing it is there, we will notice it daily. In this case, it is better to spend a few extra hundred euros to get more wood - or "pay the price" for the next 25-odd years.
While we are running behind schedule so badly I don't want to predict, I will go out on a limb and say that it is going to be about another three weeks until it is all complete. The stone tops are in, but they cut a piece wrong and have to replace the one they have already glued in, so that has screwed our schedule with the plumber, electrician and builder again, pushing the timeline all over the place.
One thing is for sure, my belly could definitely do with some homecooked food!
It was July when I tore out the old kitchen and four months have passed on a job that should have taken six weeks, but each day I can see new things happen, where I am installing doors or like today, putting in appliances. These things are visible now, which also gives the sense of accomplishment that something is actually getting done. rather than just making more of a mess.
I am looking forward to one night, going into the kitchen and pouring a glass of wine, rather than picking up a drill.
Not too long now...
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]