Kitchen needing work, any less expensive solutions I may have missed?

[Cornflakegirl7]

I'm in the process of buying a house and once bought, I won't have much money left.

The kitchen has some missing cupboard fronts and drawers and some of the remaining cupboard doors have cracks etc in them.

So far my choices seem to be;

1)Spend all of my money on a new kitchen (I'd rather not as it seems irresponsible plus I dont particularly want a new kitchen, despite the breakages I do quite like this one).

2)Spend what will likely be about £3,000 on new cupboard doors making and fitting

3. Have a scruffy kitchen for now and pay as I go along for new cupboard doors/drawers as and when.

Is there any other solution I may be missing?

For context, there's only me, so the kitchen being scruffy doesnt affect anyone else and functions fine. I could potentially glue the cupboard doors that have cracks etc.

The kitchen has been discontinued so it isn't a case of just buying new bits and fixing them in unfortunately.

I'm single and can just about afford this house but it is a good investment in a great area and I've managed to snap it up a lot cheaper than its potential worth. I'll make money on it.

WWYD? I can take photos if necessary. Juat wondered if there might be something else I could do that I am unaware of?

Could you get someone in to renovate the doors? Surely a joiner or something would be able to fill in cracks etc and maybe sand the doors. Then you can either re-stain or paint the doors.

There’s also companies that will spray kitchen cabinets for you.

I have good friend who is a joiner who will come and look at it for me and see what he can do. But the missing door and drawer fronts are a different thing obviously. I quite like the idea of fabric.

If there are any integrated appliances, could you remove those doors and rework them for where doors are missing? Then have non integrated appliances, or have then hidden from view with a fabric panel?

In general I think you could revamp the whole kitchen quite successfully with a skilled joiner; if you are willing to paint the kitchen any reworked or mended doors wouldn't even show.

I had a similar wooden kitchen and would never have matched the quality with a new kitchen from Magnet / Wren etc. Thankfully the flooring was already good; we replaced the workshops and backsplash and sprayed the doors with a company I had seen recommended on here. The result is fantasti and cost me under £5.

I’d repair the ones that you can and take the hinges etc off the others, paint them and make them look like open shelves

I wouldn’t be in a rush to replace that. I’d definitely be thinking of how I could give it a makeover. A pretty fabric skirt for open cupboards would be lovely. Have a look at the Frenchic Facebook group. Lots of inspiration there. https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1GEfdHVZRh/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Thank you again for so many good ideas!
Family are urging me to just splash out and replace the whole thing or pay a lot for doors making and fitting for it. I couldn't help but thinking there would be a different way 🙂

I'd deep clean it and live with it for a while, then save up for a couple of years for a new one. You can get IKEA carcasses and custom made fronts for something that looks amazing but doesn't have that crazy price tag

Honestly I'd live with it for awhile. Have had a similar experience with buying a house and I found over time my ideas changed. Also consider if there's other more important work that needs doing on the house.

My family and I lived with an absolutely awful kitchen for 4 years while saving to replace it with something better. So I’d do that.

It’s a lovely kitchen. I’d get a joiner in to fix the doors the get it sprayed. I had mine sprayed and it looks like a brand new kitchen.

I am glad I asked here-again I hadn't thought of that. I am hoping my joiner friend can join (ah, ha ha!) me there this week to have a look-I will ask him today.

Yes, that's why I don't want a new one. It's such good quality-lord knows how the previous occupiers managed to damage it so much but they did a lot of damage to other parts of the house too unfortunately-albeit cheaper and not as much a job to sort out.

Do you have a sewing machine?

You could replace the door with curtains (obviously fire retardant material).

You can buy them ready made but making your own would be cheaper.

I'd start with the floor. It will elevate the kitchen. That's a great kitchen and it just needs love and attention. Get your joiner friend in to help with the glue fixes. Perhaps at the same time put in soft cupboard closure. Shouldn't cost much.

Well done on your new home purchase.

I'd take down the top cupboards and replace with shelves to display pretty bits. The doors look about the right size to be repurposed as needed, and the rest might be useful in the garage or utility if you have those. You wouldn't even need shelves right away. If you're careful with the tiles, you could just need an edge piece to make it look like it was always like that.

I think then repainting the room and replacing the flooring (try lifting it first, might be decent underneath laminate!) would make much more of an impact. If budget allows I'd also get the doors dipped and revarnished in something less orange to show off the lovely wood.

Thank you so much, It's a big purchase for me.

And I agree.

My parents have now offered to buy me a whole new kitchen as a housewarming present! But I am just not like that, at all. I don't want to take their money, and I also don't want a new kitchen, I like this one, I agree I think It's a fabulous kitchen that needs some TLC.

My joiner friend has been to have a look and agrees, says it isn't as bad as he thought and he can patch things up, can source some drawer fronts and can remove the integrated appliance doors to put onto the ones that are missing/damaged. Good news for me!

I really appreciate all the suggestions! I don't have a mind for things like this.

Although I did for a second feel that I may have wanted to take my parents up on their offer-the proposed new kitchen was a rose pink and I do like my quirky things!

https://dissironworks.co.uk/products/aga-890mm-pitch-hood?variant=50692005626178

It's expensive, it's Aga, but it's a item of beauty 😍 Comes in blush!

Hm I do actually like that! Dont get me wrong,I was very tempted to take up my parent's offer and have a pink kitchen. But ultimately I do not like waste, this one has some life left in it and I don't want to use the money either when it could go on things I actually need 🙂

I would live with it for a bit then possibly repaint it. There are some amazing transformations on Instagram. Keep an eye on eBay and freecycle for replacement doors.

I don't like waste either and am keeping some bathroom fixtures in my bathroom refurbishment. I don't need a love island bathroom.

However it's okay to look at lovely things.