Ask any seasoned renovator about how to improve a house build in the 80's or earlier, and the first thing out of their mouth is almost certainly going to involve the kitchen - even if they haven't laid eyes on it. Old kitchens are like a time capsule - even if the rest of the house is pretty neutral and timeless, old kitchens always seem to use colours, styles and materials that drag the entire house back to whenever it was put together.

Most houses more than 30 years old weren't designed with the same sorts of toys and technology that go into modern places either - nor even with the same basic level of consideration we put into how kitchens are actually used these days. If you're house hunting or thinking of ways to improve your house for sale, this is definitely the place to start. Kitchen renovations are usually well worth the outlay - sometimes many, many times over!

Darcy Wilson
Editor - Build
www.build.com.au