The kitchen is more than just a room for preparing food, it can often be the social hub of a home.

It is therefore an extremely important room to prospective buyers and it’s estimated that a new kitchen will improve the value of your property by around 6%.

If you’re thinking of making improvements to your kitchen, read on for some tips on the important aspects to consider.

Weigh up the cost and benefits

If your kitchen doesn’t match the standard of the rest of your home, it could have an adverse effect on the property’s value.

The kitchen needs to match the value of your home and if you don’t think it does, it could be worth renovating it before moving on.

If the issue is a lack of space, you could consider adding an extension. Large windows or skylights would help improve the feel of the room with more natural light too.

Such work may require a bigger budget so you could consider equity release as an option to help fund the project.

Make it fit

A new kitchen is all well and good, but it’s important to ensure the room remains in keeping with the style of your property.

For example, rather than a modern eye-level oven in an old cottage you might prefer a freestanding range cooker.

You’ll also want to pick your flooring carefully and ensure there is sufficient storage. If you’re quite happy with your kitchen units, maybe a fresh coat of paint will be all you need to give the room a like-new feel.

Considering things like this helps your home maintain a consistent flow between different rooms, leaving a lasting impression.

Search for inspiration

You may know you want to remodel your kitchen but feel short on ideas.

If that’s the case, it could be worth casting your eyes over magazines like Ideal Home for potential inspiration.

Pinterest is also a useful social media platform that could expose you to online blogs that you might not otherwise find.

If you see something you like, be sure to save the image or bookmark it online you so can refer back to it at a later date.

Try things out

Using online design software like SketchUp or HomeByMe can help you get a feel for how different layouts may look and feel.

Create a 2D floorplan with your room dimensions to get a basic overview or try a 3D model to get an even better look at how your plans might turn out in real life.

If you’re struggling to get your head around it, you could consider hiring a professional designer to help maximise your use of space.