Would I be making a mistake by not putting a bigger/expensive kitchen?

[mum2015]

I am planning on a large extension and looking at ways to save cost on things which arent really essential for me and thinking we can cut cost on kitchen. I would be happy with a basic functional kitchen on one wall or may be a bit L shape from ikea with laminate worktop, but based on overall size and price of house, people would expect it to have large mid-range kitchen with granite/quartz, island etc.

Would I be making a mistake by not putting a bigger/expensive kitchen to match the house? Would it get dated/old by the time we would come to sell(in 10-12 years) anyway?

After how many years do you think a kitchen starts to look dated due to wear and tear, fashion/style change, being just old and used up?

[Lucisky]

If you are not selling for so long, put in the sort of kitchen you want, that gives you joy and is a pleasure to work in. Worrying about potential puchasers so far in advance is pointless. You are the one that will be living with it.

[Intransige]

We have a similar dilemma at the moment. I'm going to put in a kitchen that suits us, not too massive and it will be Ikea. The spare money will be useful elsewhere, since the extension is in danger of over-capitalising the house if we're not careful about fittings.

[Sunnyshores]

If you fit a cheap kitchen it will need replacing in 10-12 years for a sale.

Could you fit a small more expensive kitchen now? so get say solid wooden cabinets just down one wall and add to them over time. Only put the island in for a sale. Or, buy laminate worktops and change to granite later.

[EpoxyResin]

I think most people want to put their own stamp on a kitchen anyway, if the asking price allows them the leeway to do so. If someone's buying a fairly well-to-do property I imagine they'd be likely to want to replace a 10-12 year old kitchen, whatever spec it was when it was originally put in.

[averythinline]

if you are not looking at selling for 10yrs in the main would go with what suits now for units etc as unless solid wood etc it will probably be ready for replacing then anyway

and you can updgrade bits such as the worktop later as Sunny says..

However I would work out the layout for essential utilities eg sink/oven/washing machne/diswasher as they are the things that make a big difference to changing kitchens..

eg some range cookers/induction need their own power cable -plumbing needs drainage etc..

so maybe do units along the wall if that's what suits the space and use a table/moveable island

Ikea carcass are ok apparently and you can get other doors if you want or look at diy kitchens - swanky look for lot less

[mum2015]

I am thinking of small kitchen with IKEA.

I haven't compared DIY kitchens with IKEA for like to like but when I had compared IKEA with some other popular brands, all seems to be similar price from outside as such, but when I actually gave them the list of internal drawers and fittings they just couldn't match IKEA.

Are solid wood cabinets really stronger than normal cabinets. Solid oak chest of drawers and wardrobe given by landlord in my previous home used to feel a weaker and flimsy than the pax wardrobes I had. May be it wasn't well made?

[mum2015]

"I would work out the layout for essential utilities " : that is the key point.

I am at fairly initial state of planning and I had thought I will leave it all to decide later. I have drawn a plan to give to my architect and then I started to think about placing doors, windows and how big should the utility room be to divide things between utility room and kitchen.

I am attaching a plan of proposed layout. Washing machine, dryer, and may be dishwasher(need to think about it) will go to utility room. Now I can have a basic kitchen along the 4m wall just after utility and that would be enough for hob/sink/oven/prep area in general for me.

But to have something bigger the window opposite utility needs to be made countertop height and sink needs to be there or at island for it to all look nice and balanced.

[namechangedtoday15]

Your layout isn't dissimilar to ours in our new extension, think our kitchen wall is slightly longer. We have just "straight lines" - one run down the kitchen wall, base units and some floor to celining, and then a big island in front of it (about 2.3m x 1.2m).

I think there are ways to keep the cost down and still achieve a high end finish. Straight lines mean you avoid corners (which I hate anyway but are expensive for all the fiddly useless corner mechanisms you need) and having wider drawers but fewer of them (so 2 x 90cm units will be cheaper than 3 x 60cm units). I think carcasses are not particularly different, spend money on the doors, the handles, taps and worktops. Quartz suppliers, I found, can vary enormously.

I think a decent kitchen can last 10-12 years if you're clever but I would expect you to have to change a cheap one before then (laminate won't look good in 10 years). Spend on quality items now and they'll last.

[namechangedtoday15]

I meant to say have a look at pocket doors for between your kitchen and utility. They are brilliant space savers.

[Getsomesleep]

Can we have more project detail. What is the full house plan now - and what's being added/changed purpose. Me and dh have renovated and built all our married lives and love the whole transformation thing - it's away from the original op but would love more info on the whole project (to picture coming to the kitchen!) - are the Bifolds south facing? Onto garden? Why 3m? Xx

[BasinHaircut]

If you are going to live there for the next 10-12 years just have whatever you want, it's your home!

I would rather buy a house that needed a new kitchen for a slightly lower price, than one with a dated but expensive kitchen that I'd really have to work hard to justify ripping out.

I think kitchen preferences are quite personal and I would always want a new kitchen in any house I moved in to.

[mum2015]

I have been thinking about it a lot. i wont mind if the basic small kitchen needs replacing after 10 years, as long as it wont put off future buyers from my house. i guess it will be worse if i spend a lot of money and kitchen still get dated in 10 years...

I will ask architect to put window for cabinet height and put a breakfast bar.

getsomesleep, i will create a seperate thread with more details when i can get my laptop to work.

[tizwozliz]

When we did our kitchen we were on a tight budget, we went with cheap Ikea units and spent a bit more on appliances. Worked out well and 5 years down the line do not regret doing it 'on the cheap'. (Units were £2000)

Kitchen nearly finished

I think often cheaper kitchens are more timeless designs than more expensive offerings. Ours is just shaker style, so although in 10 years it might be a bit aged, it's unlikely to look dated/of a particular era

[mum2015]

tizwozliz,
your kitchen is really nice and elegant. Which worktop did you use?

[tizwozliz]

We got solid oak worktops from worktop express. Ikea only did a maximum length of 2.4m at the time and we needed 3m to avoid any joins so got it elsewhere. Price wise they were much the same

[ChunkyHare]

We fitted an Ikea kitchen 4 years ago after we extended. It still looks brand new. We went for laminate worktops because I didn't want to constantly worry about keeping a granite worktop streak free or staining a corian one etc.

We chose an Axiom worktop and they send you a large A4 sized sample of the laminate top so you get a really good idea of what it will look like.

I don't tend to worry about years to come and what other people think. This is our forever home, we have been here 7 years and for the first time I feel comfortable adding colour and choosing things for us rather than what the next person wants.

Quite frankly our original kitchen was in very good condition it just wasn't to our taste and it was small in relation to the rest of the house.

Live for now, not for what may or may not happen in 10 years time. We bought a stepping stone house with the intention of staying for 2 years, we were there 5!

[mum2015]

thank you. you have given me confidence

[rizlett]

Ikea kitchens can look really classy if you add in a more expensive worktop. How about beech and extending it down the sides of the base units - something like this?

Wood lasts ages and can always been resanded when you are ready for resale.

[tovelitime]

If you're staying long term then a cheap kitchen is fine but I'd strongly suggest being really smart with the kitchen and getting a cheap kitchen to look as expensive as possible as I do think that it would impact on the selling price. We put a cheap kitchen in our house about 7 years ago, we couldn't afford more, and it looks cheap and well past its best. I do regret it but we had no choice and we are now about to replace it with a much better one.

What's your budget for a kitchen? We've a huge kitchen and using local independent designers have managed to get some good prices. We've had quotes for italian kitchens (Nobilia) for around £12k including fitting. This includes wall units, side units, pull out larder cupboards, neff applicances and laminate work tops. Interestingly they can make the work tops in the same material as the cupboards so that they contrast really well and look much better than standard laminate. We're actually going for quartz tops but seriously considered the laminate.

[mum2015]

@getsomesleep,
sorry I hadn't answered some of your questions. Yes, the doors and main windows will be facing south-west, a bit more towards south than west on to the garden. It would be around 9.3m wall, so I have thought of it like 3m windows, 3m doors and 3m windows. I don't know if it will be bi-fold doors or not at this stage as if we get into our contingency fund by end of build, I would just put upvc French doors.
The reason for having only 3m door is, I would like to put a window seat or a bench with cushion or a daybed sort of thing next to the window. The window will be around height of that seat and I will put plants which attract bees outside window in large pots. I love watching bees in action closeup from the window where they don't realize I am watching them.

rizlett,
That kitchen looks beautiful. I really love the warmth and feel of wood though I might use laminate which looks like wood for this kitchen.

[MrsFinkelstein]

tbh I'd just go for what you want, you're planning to live there for at least 10 years. I feel kitchen tastes are quite personal and if I was buying a house I'd be planning on getting a new kitchen anyway (unless by a fluke of nature I loved the existing one).
A friend of mine spent an absolute fortune on her kitchen and is planning to move within 5 years. She thinks it's stunning and will "sell the house for them". I personally don't like the style of it and if I was buying her house (I won't be!) It would be the first thing I'd be ripping out and changing. Personal taste varies so much.

[TeenAndTween]

Do what suits you, but have window heights suitable for later modification and make sure there are loads of sockets.

Our kitchen is 21 years old. My parents' is 50+ years old.
Nothing wrong with either of them!

[BreakfastAtSquiffanys]

Don't put the dishwasher in utility is my only advice!
They are much quieter than they used to be so are ok in an open plan area.
A dishwasher not only washes the dishes, it gives the dirty ones somewhere to hide. You risk dirty places accumulating in your open plan kitchen living space until someone thinks it's worth putting them in the machine.
Mine is placed centrally so that I think nothing of opening it to put a single teaspoon in it

[mum2015]

Thnks everyone. Yes a lot to plan, sockets, radiators etc. As long as something isn't affecting the main build plan, I am putting them in a todo list for next stage.

@BreakfastAtSquiffanys,

yes where to put dishwasher is still a question.
Usually I am the one who loads dishwasher at our household(usually at end of day) so dishes get piled up in sink anyway. I would be asking DH and DS to put dirty dishes in utility sink through the day and will load from there. For unloading I will have to walk couple of steps though or DH/DS can do it. Anyway need to think about it more. For now I will have a placeholder near sink in my new kitchen plan for dishwasher.

[MirabelleTree]

Definitely worth looking at independents. We found one who did ours shortly before we moved, though we didn't know we were going to at that point. They were really well priced and comparable with B and Q etc but units made to fit the boiler etc as they made them all on site.

Recently I looked up our old house and found Rightmove pictures from a couple of years ago. The house had been done up hugely but the kitchen was the one we had put in 12 years before that and it still looked good. Just go for something neutral and classic then you can change blinds and accessories occasionally.