Kitchen Renovation Mistakes to Avoid in Mallorca
Key takeaways
- Almost every mistake is a decision made late.
- The building is checked before the design, not after.
- Three quotes are only comparable if they describe one kitchen.
- The lead time is the calendar; the fitting is the last part of it.
None of these is exotic. Each happens on the island every season, each costs money and weeks, and each is avoided by doing something a month earlier than it was done.
1. Changing the layout because a new kitchen seems to call for one
Moving the sink, the hob and the drainage is where the plumbing surprises live, and in an older Mallorca property they are real. Change the layout when the room does not work; keep it when it nearly does, and ask for both priced.
2. Choosing the appliances after the cabinetry
Housings are sized to appliances. A fridge chosen after the order does not fit the housing; a hob chosen late needs a different extraction route. Choose provisionally, early, and let the cabinetry be made once.
3. Ordering the worktop before surveying the route
A slab that cannot make the turn on a village stair or the corner of a finca lane is cut in two on the day, and the joint lands wherever the saw was. Survey the route first and design the joint if there has to be one.
4. Discovering the electrical supply after the walls are closed
An induction hob, a double oven and a large fridge together ask more than many older properties here were wired for. The check belongs before the first fix, while the walls are open.
5. Comparing three quotes on the total
One priced a standard range and a laminate top, one a premium range and quartz, one left the electrical work out. Compare the scope first and the total second, and send every company the same written brief so there is a scope to compare.
6. Leaving the lighting until the ceiling is closed
Under-cabinet light, pendants over the island and a separate evening circuit are wired while the room is open. Afterwards, the only option left is a row of downlights.
7. Planning from the strip-out forwards
The cabinetry and the stone reach the island by sea, and a kitchen planned from the demolition date is a kitchen with no units for six weeks. Plan from the delivery backwards.
8. Choosing materials for a mainland kitchen
A wood worktop in a house shut for four months, board that swells along a coastal wall, hinges that corrode in salt air. Ask how everything behaves in a house that is empty in winter and by the sea.
9. Three companies and nobody in charge
A kitchen company, a plumber and an electrician who do not work together wait for each other, and the owner – often abroad – coordinates. One company responsible for the whole job is worth the difference.
10. Deciding from a showroom
A finish chosen under showroom lighting looks different on a north-facing wall. Samples belong in the room, in its light, before anything is ordered.
The checklist is the same ten as things to tick; the complete guide is the sequence that avoids them.
What is the most expensive mistake?
Changing the layout in an old building without pricing the alternative. Everything that moves water and waste in a stone house costs more than it looks.
What is the most common one?
Comparing quotes that describe different kitchens. It is avoided by one written brief sent to every company.
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