If you are keen to renovate and update your kitchen, your worktop is probably going to be one of the main things you need to replace. Over time your kitchen worktop will become scratched, marked, and basically you’ll get bored of it and want a change.

If you are ready to renovate your kitchen and bring it well up to modern day standards, you need to do some serious planning first; this is not a decision to take lightly, as you could end up wasting time and money if you don’t dedicate the time it deserves.

To get you started, here are five tips for fitting a new, shiny kitchen worktop, both in the actual installation stage, but also in the planning stage too.

Shop Around First!

Always shop around to see how cheap you can find your worktop, but also how cheap you can find professional installation too. This will mean you don’t have to do the hard work, and you can leave it to the professionals who are highly trained in fitting kitchen worktops. When you are shopping around for your kitchen worktop, ask about installation costs, and be a little cheeky, asking if you can have a discount – you don’t get if you don’t ask!

Measurements Are Everything

Make sure you measuring your kitchen work space properly before ordering your worktop – even a couple of centimetres short is going to look pretty bad indeed, so always go over, rather than under, and never guess! If you’re not so great at measuring, find someone who is, as this is an area you have to get 100% right to avoid costly mistakes.

Educate Yourself in Your Material Choices

You have a few choices when it comes to what you want your kitchen worktop to be made of, so make sure you do some research into the pros and cons of each one before jumping to a decision. Quartz, marble, granite, wood – you need to think about which one is going to work best for you, as well as the colours you want, and how durable you need your material to be.

Make Sure You Fill in Wall Gaps Before You Begin

The chances are that your kitchen worktop will run along the length of a wall, unless you are going for a centre worktop feature. Check your wall for gaps and holes, and be sure to fill any in before you begin with the installation of your new worktop. This will ensure that the material sits properly against the wall, and it also looks as professional as possible, without unsightly gaps or bumps in the final appearance.

Always Allow 2.5mm Overhang

When you are cutting your new kitchen worktop to the correct measurement length for your space, be sure to allow an extra 2.5mm at either end. This is because when you install it, you will need to plane it down and smooth it off when you have finished, and if you cut it at the exact length you need, once you have completed the process, you’re going to be a few millimetres short!

Fitting a new kitchen worktop yourself isn’t impossible, but it isn’t something you should jump into without proper planning and knowledge either. A cowboy job is only going to cost you extra money, and leave you with a kitchen appearance you are not happy with, and which you have to look at for a good few years to come.