Can't get my head around new kitchen cost/make a decision...where would you compromise? Would you compromise at all?!

[hellostarling]

So, our kitchen project is coming in at around 36k in total which I find very, very scary! I had imagined we would do it for closer to 25-30k. The price includes a lot of building work (removing structural wall + rsj, removing non structural wall, removing window, installing french doors, reducing window, brivcking up back door, installing new back door, building new stud wall, levelling all floors etc etc) which accounts for around 20k of price. The rest is the kitchen...units, sinks and taps, appliances, worktops, fitting.

We have looked at all the costs and think we can shave a total of 5-6k off the total by:
Having cheaper kitchen units - vinyl wrapped instead of bespoke wood (save 3k)
Having all wooden worktop instead of wood and stone (save 1-2k)
Having pvc french doors instead of wood (save 700)
Having normal door into utility instead of sliding door (save 500 but have annoying door in very narrow utility space)
Having standard instead of column radiators (save 200)

I am going round and round in circles as we can afford the higher amount, this is our forever home, we are creating exactly the space we want...but it just seems so very much and am worried we are being frivolous and have had our heads turned by designer kitchens! After all, if it functions then it's fine, surely?!!!! But then on such a large project, 5k is not that much in the grand scheme of things to get exactly the finish we want? Where would you compromise? Would you at all?!

[IDismyname]

Ooooh. Tricky. Do you spend a lot of time in your kitchen? If you do, you may regret shaving the money off.

I would be tempted to go cheap on the stuff that in 5 years I could change... so maybe worktop. Get good carcasses for kitchen units with a view to changing doors later. Could you also do that with the radiators?

But don't scrimp on stuff that would be a nightmare to change - like PVC French windows, and the utility door. Spend the money on getting the basics right first.

[hellostarling]

Thanks blue2 - yes the worktop is feeling like one area we could definitely save on. It's so funny how you get emotionally attached to things though eh? I had my heart set on slate around the sink! In fact, I had decided that we should spend the money on worktops, appliances etc and get basic units but when you see the difference in quality/finish on the units, you do understand why they cost more!

Very good point re things that would be a nightmare to change though!

And I do spend LOADS of time in the kitchen...it is my favourite room in the whole house, I love cooking, it backs onto the garden...

Should also mention we have two very young children so I do sometimes worry about biro marks on a lovely painted wooden kitchen!

[sweetmelody]

Hi - saw your other thread about the quote you had for the in-frame kitchen and wondered which company had quoted you (pm me if you prefer)? We are going for something similar and, if your units come painted, then I think £7k for 16 units is a good price (we were quoted £10k for 21 units but these come unpainted).

I agree with blue2's advice, but having had a couple of Howdens kitchens in the past, although they are 'fine', I wouldnt choose to have one in my forever house, assuming budget permits something more robust.

Have you thought of cheaper appliances?

[redrubyshoes]

I spent £35k on my kitchen and didn't cut costs and I am glad I didn't. It was the kitchen I had set my heart on and I love it. I also love it when people come round and just go 'Wow'.

I am always in my kitchen and I love cooking and entertaining. The bathroom I am prepared to cut costs on but not the heart of my home.

[PanicMode]

We have just shaved £10k off a (similar sounding) project to yours - I had to compromise on having two chimney breasts removed, and have stuck with having only one taken out....the units themselves (painted wood) are coming in at around £11k, and we aren't having any appliances because most of them are new - so we're spending around £25k on building work, new flooring, putting in a new drain and loo, complete rewire/replumb, knocking down two structural walls etc. I had hoped it would come in at a lot less too, but we've decided that although it's not our forever home, if we're going to do it, we may as well do it properly and it's probably going to be the room that we live in.

If it's your forever house and you can afford it - I would personally go with it, otherwise you will constantly be thinking, oh, I wish we'd done x or y.......

[financialwizard]

I also think if it is your forever home that you shouldn't compromise. I think it would be a false economy shaving costs off here and there.

[minipie]

TBH £36k for all that sounds excellent to me. If you can afford it I'd do it.

Some of those economies are false economies anyway:

Wood worktop round the sink will be a real pain to take care of and you may end up having to replace bits that go rotten/spend money on resanding & sealing

Vinyl wrap on units chips and peels off (I speak from bitter experience) and can't be repaired whereas wood can always be sanded/painted if it gets damaged a bit

The other savings are v small in the grand scheme of things.

[FishfingersAreOK]

Are you going to look back in 3 years and say "I am so glad we saved that 5K" or are you going to look back and say "I am so glad we didn't compromise". If each time you open the non-sliding door you think "Fuck. Just for £500". Agree with the others - if stuff you can upgrade easily in 3 years or so then compromise. If not and you can get your paws on the money think hard about how you will feel as you look around your kitchen in 2015....

[workshy]

if you are looking to save I wouldn't save on the worktops -wood around the sink is a nightmare!!!

look at foil wrapped doors rather than vinyl as they have no edges to get caught and are less likely to chip or 'blow'

if it's your forever home then personally I would spend the money and not regret it

[hellostarling]

Thanks everyone...I am very bad at spending money and feel there is some badge of honour to be won from being frugal (!) and 36k just sounds like such a huge sum of money. But I think I know in my heart of hearts that you are all right and that I would regret it in the end if we didn't get what we wanted to! And assuming me and DH both stay in work etc then 5k isn't so much extra really...gulp.

sweetmelody will PM you...

[CarlaBruni]

Can you actually afford the extra 5k? If it's easily affordable but you just don't want to pay that then, well, have what you want. But I wouldn't stretch myself. Personally, I think that's a lot for just knocking a room about and some, albeit nice, kitchen units. Don't compromise on the utility door though.

[tricot39]

Have a look at wickes patio doors. Some ok plain hardwood ones that might be better than upvc. It doesn't matter what budget you have, there are always hard decisions and compromises. Good luck.

[MKP1]

Just a couple of things from (bitter) experience - make sure you get the gas/electric/FENSA certificates before you finish paying the builders...you will need them if you ever move! FENSA is for the building regs for the new doors...if you have council building control involved they will give you something equivalent!

[Staverton]

What company has quoted you for the kitchen?
Where are you based?

Look at unpainted kitchens in battersea / also workshop in Northampton.

And for worktop- go to small independent place not the kitchen company. Eg harvey jones quoted us £5k for quartz stone worktop- small place south of Oxford £2k!

And wood kitchens you can always repaint If marked...

[greyvix]

Don't save money unless you really need to. If it's your forever house, go for what you like. But also what will add value and not date.
We went for a cheaper basin in our shower room, saving about £70. In the scale of things, it's nothing, and I feel annoyed every time I look at it.

[queenrollo]

as others have said if you can afford it, don't compromise. But the one thing on your list I wouldn't do is sacrifice the sliding door for the utility. Don't underestimate how much space you would lose by having a standard door.

[reluctanttownie]

The building work seems the expensive bit to me, given you can get an entire extension for only a third more than that. Is there anything to be economised on there?

To me the kitchen compromises don't seem significant enough in terms of saving to be worth the sacrifice, especially if you can afford it.

[VeroVero]

Definately the building work seems very expensive. When it comes to the kitchen, you need to aks yourself if you want to stay in this house forever or would you like to sell is within the next 5 years.

If you want to stay there, then invest in bespoke furniture, it might be more expensive now but you won't feel like changing it again in few years time becasue you don't love it, it gets worn out really quickly becasue the quality is not there.

If you plan to sell, then cheaper kitchen is fine as new owners will try to have it done to their liking. On the other hand well made, bespoke kitchen which fits the house can swignificantly increase the value of the house.

[hellostarling]

Thanks for all the replies and advice.

Yes, the building work does seem a lot but we had four builders quote for the job so I am pretty confident it is about right if not fairly good value for all the various elements and VAT at 20% is a total killer!

[forevergreek]

Can you negotiate on builders? Say you happy to pay 18, but not 20 and see what they say for example

Also as others have said make sure to look around. So find everything you want then look elsewhere for those items

We saved £800 on shower , £300 on sink, and £650 on tiles for the bathroom. All identical to the original ones just a lower price elsewhere ( usually independent places)

[Staverton]

Can you tell is what kitchen co/tiles etc you are looking at and we can find cheaper but same quality equivalents?

[MrsJREwing]

Get the good radiator, sliding door, non wood around sink, wood units. As someone said are wicked wooden doors less? I would have got rid of both chimneys too unless a period property.

[hellostarling]

Thanks staverton! MN never fails to amaze me...people are so generous with their time and ideas.

Units: we are using a local kitchen company in the NW although going to look at Ikea again tomorrow just to totally discount that option.
Worktops: wood our builder will do very cheaply. We can get Italian slate cheaply but I really like Welsh slate which is slightly more expensive (not much at all)
Tiles: not chosen yet but basic white metro tiles
Flooring: reclaimed wooden floorboards painted so the cheapest option.

I honestly don't think we could shop around much more for cheaper options.

I am starting to think about having the work done, getting a cheap range plumbed in and asking the builder to re-fit bits of our existing kitchen then finding stuff from junk shops to act as temporary units until we decide exactly what we want. Would that be crazy? I like an eclectic look and it would be cheap!

[Wickedwaterwitch]

Hi. I just had a new kitchen and did it fairly cheaply (£12k) by

Getting local joinery company to copy Plain English design
Finding local joiner to install
Buying taps, sink, tiles, lights, paint all myself

Made easier by having flagstones which we kep, ditto some carcasses of cupboards

You could do radiators later
You could live with diff doors
Wood is fine, you can sand it (we've got oak)

[Wickedwaterwitch]

Wood around sink is fine if you have taps set into ceramic, ie sink rather Han the wood