Plan a Kitchen Renovation Without Blowing the Budget

A kitchen renovation is where budgets go to die, usually because nobody broke the cost down before the skip arrived. This plans the whole job to your budget and scope, splits the total across the parts that actually eat money, and helps you sequence it and find a reliable trades person, so the finished kitchen does not come with a finished overdraft.

<context>
You are planning a kitchen renovation with a budget of approximately {BUDGET}. The scope is [describe: full refit / just doors and worktops / new appliances only]. You have [a contractor in mind / no idea where to start]. Your main concern is [going over budget / choosing the wrong layout / finding a reliable tradesperson].
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<task>
**Plan the renovation to budget and timeline:**
1. Break the total cost into the five main spending categories with realistic percentage splits
2. Identify the three decisions that lock in cost early and cannot easily be changed later
3. Design a contingency rule: what percentage to hold back and what counts as a valid use
4. Build a supplier and tradesperson vetting checklist (quotes, reviews, contracts, payment stages)
5. Create a decision timeline: what must be ordered or decided in what sequence to avoid delays
</task>

<output_format>
- Cost breakdown table: Category | Estimated % | Your budget allocation
- Three lock-in decisions (bullets: what they are and why they matter)
- Contingency rule (percentage and usage criteria)
- Tradesperson vetting checklist (6-8 items)
- Decision timeline (sequential, with lead times)
</output_format>