How much did it cost you to do your kitchen?

[SleepForTheWeak]

And what was your initial budget compared to the final money spent?

We are going to do our kitchen, it's an ok size, perhaps 4x5m. we would be getting new worktops, cupboard a doors, a cupboard put in and perhaps one taken away. A fake arch taken down. New Lino and wallpaper stripped and repainted. Perhaps the ceiling re plastered and definitely new lights and fittings. Oh and a new oven and fridge.

Not looking for top of the range or luxuries, but wanting looking good.

What do you think?

[smu06set]

No particular help but very interested to see the responses as we are planning kitchen refurb at the moment too! Ours will involve knocking down a wall and installing an RSJ but we do have friends who can plaster so hopefully will keep the costs down. Rough budget of 10k but we are south so probably more costly than up north!

[seb1]

We did that, can't actually remember the cost but found a great place for unit doors as our were strange sizes. It wasn't that bad if you shop around online.

[Testificateman]

All depends on how much work you want, or can do yourself.
I did my own kitchen so the only cost I had was for the units, tiles and cooker, plus other bits I needed.

[Titsywoo]

Look at diy kitchens.com for very affordable and good quality. They have a showroom near Leeds but we just ordered sample doors to check the quality and we're very happy with the result. Appliances we bought in the sale. Our kitchen cost 10k but 2700 was quartz worktop and we got an American fridge freezer and large range cooker so our appliances were 3500. We have a large island so got a lot of cupboard units for 3900.

[Titsywoo]

Oh yeah and dh fitted it himself (he doesn't do it professionally he is just good at diy).

[LBOCS2]

About 12k, which included knocking a wall down, a steel beam, granite work tops and moving services. Surrey/London borders.

[SleepForTheWeak]

Thanks folks.

We are in a rural area of Scotland so not sure how prices will compare to down South.

All work will be done by professionals, both DH and I are rubbish at DIY!!

Really want someone to come and look at the kitchen and help us best use the space - do such people exist?! (And willing to travel?)

[helloheather]

If you can get the proper measurements of your room, mark down where your water/electric points currently are and take them into any of the big showrooms (Wren/Magnet) they will do a layout design for you for free.

[SleepForTheWeak]

I'm about 3 hours away from the nearest showroom unfortunately, we'll maybe need to do a day trip, although was wanting to get it done ASAP as we are hoping to do a few other rooms too before DC is born in June

[Sgtmajormummy]

We've just finished a kitchen refurb (5m x 3m room).
New plumbing, new wiring, all-over wall tiles ripped off and replaced with tiles just in the area between the units and one short wall, new floor tiles on top of the existing floor. Flue inspection and whole room re-painted. Safety declaration.

Professional work and good quality materials - approximately £5,000 (but mates rates and in Euros).

That was before we even started on the kitchen units and appliances, where the sky's your limit!

[MacTaylorsSecretWife]

We've just done ours and it's come in at around £15k altogether. That was with complete replastering in the kitchen and utility room, quite a bit of electrical repair work from the old owners who were diy mad but had no real clue about what they were doing. We also put in underfloor heating and it includes 7 new appliances some of which were neff branded so not particularly cheap.

[MissClarke86]

We had a mid-range kitchen fitted by an independent kitchen fitter. We have an average sized kitchen, had the whole lot ripped out, moved around, gas moving, new electrics for spotlights, plastering, decorating and karndean flooring. New oven hob and sink, but only basic range. No building work.

He organised it all for us and it was about £9k.

[FourKidsNotCrazyYet]

Ikea have an online kitchen design thingy you can do yourself. Download the app then add your measurements and doors/windows etc then mess about planning what and where things go. May help with the pricing and design?

[SleepForTheWeak]

Oh will try the ikea app! Thanks :)

We have a budget over around 6-7k so sounds like we are kidding ourselves!

[MissClarke86]

You'll definitely get one from B&Q or similar for that price. Depends how much building work the arch way requires?

[SleepForTheWeak]

I don't think too much, although I'm not an expert! It's not a supporting wall, more cosmetic (or at least the last occupier thought so!!)

[Gobbelino]

Hi! I had mine done in October - smaller than yours by quite a bit at 2.5 x 3 meters and only appliances were cooker hood, but I moved the sink and plumbing around a lot and a lot of the electrics and had a new floor, plastering and expensive lighting and it came to £6000 - I went through home base though and used their design and fitting service so a bit more expensive than an independent fitter but their service was fantastic. I budgeted £1500 but the lighting pushed the cost up.

I did go for their cheaper range but the fitter told me that it's as good quality and a lot easier to work with and build etc, and a lot of people at least go with the cheap carcass and then just an expensive work top or doors. I'm down in the south about an hour outside London x

[TeaPleaseBob]

Just had kitchen done, room is 4m x 3m new units (howdens), appliances, French doors and new window installed, walls and ceiling replastered, flooring etc. Cost approx £9000
We're central Scotland

[Ramona75]

It cost me about 6k for the kitchen and all the trade work and kitchen fitting. I was well chuffed. I went with diy kitchens as their prices were cheap and the units were ready made and solid.

[Newtssuitcase]

Ours was about £14k but that was for both the kitchen and a large 5 x 2 utility room. It also included new flooring throughout the kitchen utility and snug, underfloor heating, all new appliances and decoration.

[Bluntness100]

Ours was 20k, but included new appliances, a range cooker and hood and granite worktops, it's also prob just a bit bigger than yours, done about a year ago.

[321zerobaby]

I reckon ours was around 20 grand too, as above, with appliances, quartz worktops, glass splash backs, tiles and underfloor heating.

[PigletJohn]

I've come to the conclusion that a kitchen costs the same as a new car.

[Sgtmajormummy]

I suppose you get as much use from a kitchen as you do from a car and whether you'd prefer a basic family model or a luxury make is entirely a matter of choice, PigletJohn.

There are ways to cut costs IMO. For example in the last two kitchens I've gone for an eyecatching freestanding fridge instead of a built-in one because the cost was the same. I think that goes for all appliances.

Sticking to standard, 60 or 90cm, units and not falling for fancy larder units or carousel corner cabinets means you don't pay over the odds.

Stone worktops? I had Carrara marble in my first kitchen. It was the local stone, so about the same price as granite. Never again! Oil, lemon juice, scratches, even water stains were indelible. Nowadays I think laminate is fine as a cheap option but Corian would be my first choice.

Cheaper appliances? We've put Whirlpool in this kitchen, which is a bit of a leap of faith. Bosch has served me well and is not the most expensive. I love Franke stainless steel sinks but my plumber took one look at the drainage pipes and went out to buy better ones! He said they wouldn't stand up to boiling water (pasta or vegetables) for long.

[PigletJohn]

"entirely a matter of choice"

I was thinking more a matter of how much money you've got.

Plenty of people have no prospect of buying a £10,000 car or a £10,000 kitchen, never mind a £30,000 one.