Use the work triangle, comprising the fridge, stove, and sink.

always put fridge on the where it is most convenient access to the rest of the house. It is the most visited appliances and should not be deep in the kitchen. Hope this helps

Pot drawers, and lots of them. Adequate space to move around in between islands, cabinetry and appliances. Oh, and do not assume that an island with stools can replace a table.

Avoid moving the plumbing and main electrics, if possible as all these types of movements increase the cost. Go and look at as many kitchens as you can before making up your mind, if you are unsure. Set a budget that you can afford and stick to it. Don't let the sales rep talk to you about more expensive options. Tell them what you are wanting to spend and stick to that because to be honest, additional costs will always come up as part of the project and you need a bit of an emergency fund for that.

I agree to place the fridge in a position where it is easily accessible without disrupting the action in the kitchen. If you have children, place the pantry nearby this as well so they can access both without issues, & if you love coffee or tea, add a coffee nook near this as well. This keeps everyone away from the cooking zone.

The work triangle is important as well, but wherever possible have two entrances/exits from a Kitchen. There's nothing worse than being 'stuck' in the kitchen when the fridge door is open.

@chubbychick - so far as I know, quite a few fridges can be bought in left or right hand configurations. I accidentally bought one with the hinges on the left instead of the right - and it has turned out to be the ideal configuration in two very different kitchens.

I could have - except that it turned out it actually worked much better in the kitchen we had then than one with hinges on the other side would have done. Which is why I'm now quite mindful of which way I want a fridge to open.

Never never put a spice drawer under an Induction cooktop. It gets very very hot underneath. Had to move the spices and replace with kitchen utensils that can take the heat.

Usually you have cleaning zone, (sink, bins, etc), storage zone(pantry, fridge etc) and cooking zone(bench prep, oven , cooktop). Adding a very small sink near the cook zone is extremely handy for washing veg, draining pasta and filling saucepan,this saves many steps and drips on the floor.

Take time over the design. Don't just take the word of a designer. Especially based on one design appointment. It can take a long time to get it right. Play with ideas and layouts and try to come up with several different options for each zone, before committing to anything. Planning software from places like Ikea or Bunnings can be fantastic for playing with layout ideas, regardless of where you buy from in the end.

Try out a design by working in it - sounds odd but holiday houses are a great way to see what works for you. Best thing I did was stay in a holiday house with an undermount sink with no drain board, in an island bench top. Hated it! Never installing one of those! Another place had fantastic drawers but an odd pantry and too much distance between cooktop and sink. And the bifold windows to the barbeque area (which we wanted until then) let insects into the kitchen when open, and were painful to open and close.

Make sure you get plenty of power points put in - and in practical places.

my new kitchen has a walk in pantry and cabinets of varying depths and heights to suit the things i need to store..perfection!

Measure 3 times to ensure plumbing will be in the right place.

great advice, my new kitchen goes in on the 31st on Jan but have already had to go back over decisions made on day 1 that weren't included in the final plan. Things like having the bench height increased from 900 to 950, and where the drawers ended near the fridge. Only picked this up when final measurements were taken so went back over all my plans again and picked up a few changes not made. ( a bit worried now, my first big reno $$)

prioritise what does and doesn't work for you in your old kitchens, decide what equipment is essential for you and how much space it needs and cull everything else, don't waste money and space storing things you don't need, make sure there's a dedicated convenient spot for garbage bins, dust pan and broom and storage of food scraps, consider shallow in wall storage perfect for cans, jars, bottles and packets. Group supplies and equipment according to expected use eg enough cups and glasses for the occupants and regular visitors near the sink and kettle, everyday dinner plates stored near the stove and extras stored elsewhere. Even with very careful planning and very specific written instructions my kitchen cabinet maker put the cook top in the wrong place and 3 m of counter had to be replaced so don't assume the cabinetmaker agrees with you and have your plans scrutinised by HOUZZ to ensure that you consider all the best options for your new kitchen!!

Also ensure that the cabinetmaker makes the cavity for the fridge deep enough so that fridge isn't the thing that protrudes the most along a straight wall....I have a galley kitchen and wanted a streamlined look but because the fridge cavity doesn't fully contain the depth of the fridge, it juts out and ruins the look....i have got used to it but it was very disappointing when i first saw it....particularly since the cabinetmakers drawings didn't show it that way... (but in hindsight a fridge is always deeper than standard cupboards and so not sure why the cavity wasn't done deeper).

Have as many clever storage solutions as possible which you will be able to find on pinterest and this site.

at least two or more adjustable shelves in most cabinets so there's less wasted space especially for crockery, glassware and serving bowls, use vertical dividers for storing trays, cake coolers and large baking dishes, double bowl double drainer sink and dishwasher, dedicated counter space for mixer and food processor, corner cabinets are ideal storage for occasional use big appliances, out of sight undercounter doorless space for bins...less unused stuff not more storage!!