They say that the kitchen is the heart of the home, and anyone who can sense that in their own house understands how important it is sometimes to have that heart renovated. Kitchens wear out and become dated; they wind up shabby and no longer fit for purpose. If you're about to embark upon a kitchen renovation, there are a few things you should think about going in that will make the whole experience go far more smoothly for you.

Think about how you actually use your kitchen, not about how you wish you used your kitchen.

It can be tempting to get a fancy range cooker with a bread rising compartment and all the bells and whistles--but if you've never baked in your adult life, are you really going to start now? If you're not so much the Stepford type and your kitchen is more likely to be used for mixing drinks than cakes, it's okay to be honest with yourself about that and pick the features you know you'll use in practice as well as in theory.

Figure out how many power points you think you're going to want, and then get about 50% more than that.

Everything in the kitchen seems to want plugging in, all of a sudden--and chances are you're going to acquire another small appliance at some point, too! Remember also that it's good for a kitchen to have spare power points: for someone to plug in a laptop as they work or study at the kitchen table, for someone to charge their phone while they use it to follow a particular recipe, for someone to plug in a set of speakers to add some atmosphere during a party.

Don't worry too much about things like the 'working triangle', but do give some thought to an efficient path.

There are a lot of theories and rules about how to organise a kitchen, but you don't have to follow any of them if you find them stressful and perplexing. All you need to do is give a little thought to what you do while you're using your kitchen: do you drain things a lot, meaning you need quick access to the sink from the hob, or are you more likely to be taking things out of the oven and need plenty of surface space nearby to put them on? However you use your kitchen is okay, so arrange it in the way that's best for you.

Don't feel pressured to get a matchy-matchy fitted kitchen like everyone else has if you'd rather do something else.

Freestanding kitchens with movable cupboards are more common now than they have been in a while, and many people find them are great choice. You can also look into tables instead of islands, shelves instead of cupboards and bespoke insteads of ready-to-go! The possibilities are endless, so don't let yourself be pressured into something just like what everybody else has if it's not your style.