Basement renovations are a real trend in Toronto. It is not a dead secret that a finished basement can increase the value of your property and solve existing problems with adult kids or in-laws providing additional living space and usable square footage. Think only of an extra playroom for your kids, a home theatre, second living room, a workshop, in-law suite, a fireplace, a fitness room or a pool table! Moreover, it can be a great place for entertaining and hosting. Many home improvement projects today are about creating personal areas away from the everyday bustle of the house; the basement kitchen joins this list. However, it is worth considering the fact that without professional approach this project can turn into a serious undertaking or even disaster. If you are ready not only for bathroom renovation or for kitchen pantry installation, then, discover here some very important basement kitchen issues and steps you need to think about when setting up a kitchen or kitchenette in your modernized basement.
- Estimate the state of the basement (is it finished or unfinished?) Your task is much easier, if you have already had a finished basement. If your basement is still a catchall for your old furniture, there is plenty of work to be done before you can even think of setting up the kitchen.
- Think of ventilation with your contractor, otherwise you will get trapped with cooking fumes and odours. Proper ventilation is vital both for comfort and safety.
- Take appropriate safety precautions: sprinklers, smoke alarms and escape routes.
- Plan desired size, consider of a working space, a counter, a wall cabinet, proper fire exits and the best route for connecting appliances, like a dishwasher, to the basement plumbing. By the way, is your plumbing ok?
- Visit additional resources to find interesting solutions and more inspiration to add to your home.
- Decide what appliances you need most. More likely you will not have room for a full fridge, microwave and oven in that small space. So, buy them insmaller sizes or recessed into a cabinet to save space.
- Plan your lighting, fixtures and flooring with both functional and aesthetic purposes in mind.
- Consider your budget. The estimator can give you a lot of ideas about your kitchen renovation costs.
- Carefully choose the trustworthy contractor for your project.
