A kitchen renovation can make the space seem fresh and new, and more welcoming and inviting for the entire family. Many people have guests in the kitchen when they entertain, so a renovation can make them feel more comfortable and relaxed as well. While renovating can be an expense, note when it's good to think about making a change to your home's kitchen space.

It's hot and stuffy

If your kitchen always seems hot, stuffy, or overly humid, this means that it's lacking proper ventilation. This often happens when a kitchen is very small, with narrow doorways that don't provide air circulation between rooms; dark benchtop materials and flooring can also trap heat in the space. Renovating the kitchen can mean opening up those entryways or removing a wall to the dining area altogether, installing larger windows or a working skylight that opens, and adding benchtop and flooring materials that don't hold heat. Your kitchen will then be cooler and humidity won't get trapped in the room, making it more comfortable.

You can't seem to get surfaces clean

If your benchtop materials, splashback, and flooring never seem to get clean, it may be that they have become so worn and scratched that they easily hold dust, dirt, food splatter, and other debris. In this case, it can be good to simply renovate and replace those surfaces altogether. Choose something durable and less likely to get scratched or pitted, such as glass for the benchtop and splashback, and vinyl or linoleum for the flooring. Your kitchen will then look better and be cleaner and more hygienic.

The layout doesn't work for you

A kitchen renovation can mean more than just changing the surface materials; you can actually change the entire footprint, moving the appliances and sink as well as reworking the cabinetry. If you find that you're always taking too many steps between the sink and stovetop, or have cabinet doors that don't open all the way because they're too close to an appliance, it's time to renovate! You can design the kitchen from the ground up, bringing in larger or smaller appliances that will work for your needs, and then locating everything in a way that maximizes the space and makes food prep easier.

You have no storage

A renovation can mean adding a pantry and taller cabinets overhead, or knocking back walls for built-in shelving. You might also downsize a window so you can add more shelves, or downsize the appliances if necessary, so you can install more cabinets in the space.