AIBU To think of spending 50% more on a perfect kitchen

[blondecat]

So DH bought me a flat
It was not supposed to need a renovation but as it often happens it does. A major one
Including a new kitchen

We are knocking down a few walls to make a kitchen with a dining table linked to family room space

And we are having a new kitchen made

We started off with what I considered a v generous budget. Silly me. Kitchens seem to be like weddings. The zeros multiply. Now with the quotes in I have 3: 2 identical: one with Chinese cabinets hand painted in England but not bespoke and one bespoke and the third which is 25k lower that the first two but includes all appliances and tax

The cabinets are factory made and come in only come in 8 colours. I kind of like one of them but it's much darker than what I'd really like and the cabinets are not quite what I'd love to have.
But it's A lot more. A lot. Like a cost of 2 family holidays.
I am very lucky to even have this "problem", I know.
So do I settle for the kitchen? Would I really care? It's our first home that's not rented. First one I can what I want in. Even so do I spend so much more to get the kitchen I would like. Will I even care in a year or two?

Are you made of money?

If the cheapest kitchen is £25k lower than the others i dread to think what you are contemplating paying.

Ultimately it depends on what you can afford and what the house is worth- a £40k kitchen in a £1m flat is probably expected but in a £100k flat it would be insanity.

I've just done exactly that. Basically the same job you described, and spend twice as much as I budgeted in a custom kitchen. It is stunning and I'm in love with it. It is our first non-rented home also, and it makes such a difference having something you really truly WANT after 18-ish years of making-do. If funds allow, then I'd say do it.

Unless I was living in a house for the remainder of my days (or certainly planning to!), I would not fit a bespoke kitchen.

But also to echo Bear, don't over-develop if you expect to see the money back when you sell.

That sounds like a hell of a lot of money for a kitchen. I'd say keep looking. There must be something in between your extremely expensive bespoke one and the one that's not quite right.

Id do it.
In fact, we did do it.
Spent a huge amount of money on an extension and fitting a kitchen we love.
It's the absolute heart of a family and we don't regret a single penny.
If you think you'll benefit from spending the extra, and you can afford it, I say do it.
However, we are planning on spending a few years in our house now, probably another 5-6, so we thought it wouldn't be wasted.

How long do see yourself living there? What value will it add ?

How much approx is the flat worth? It seems a lot on a flat. But there are flats and flats. I could only justify spending these vast sums on a kitchen in a place worth at least 500k.

The flat is worth who knows. However much someone is willing to pay when we come to sell it
We paid a lot for the size and location and the building
Even the bespoke option will be less than 5%
But it's still so much

I hope to live there for 10-15 years at least but one never knows in life. I would never have thought I'd end up moving to Switzerland or France. So maybe we end up moving but keeping the flat let in 3-5 years.

eh?

You must know a ball park figure of what it's worth- if only based on what you paid.

If the bespoke option is less than 5% then it doesn't sound massively unreasonable- it's just a case of whether you want to spend that much.

Is the 25k sterling or Swiss francs/euros?

Kitchens are not like weddings. Weddings are not like weddings.

It is not things or events that add 000s - it is people.

Either you are good a budgeting, or you are not. In my experience, people who buy their own properties are better are budgeting and understanding value for money, than those who have properties bought for them.

If you like it, and you can afford it now, and you can afford for it to be a decision based on aesthetics not practicality (e.g. you'll love it but won't add value) then just buy it.

Price of a family holiday you say? I hear Maui is lovely at this time of year.

DH bought the flat for you. Is he also buying the kitchen for you? How does he feel about the more expensive option if so?

It sounds like op doesn't want go give us a ball park figure. It's ok op. This isn't jealousy talking. Do whatever you want. It's your house.

Me & DH paid an awful lot more than planned for what is our/my perfect kitchen but we could afford it so it didn't leave us short anywhere else.

If you can afford to spend the extra, I would

Depends you said he bought you a flat so presumably lives elsewhere
Are you planning on living in the flat alone ? (Eg separation, kept woman situation) if so for how long. You need to divide the extra cost over the number of years you expect to stay there. Is it worth it to you

Or is it for investment in which case the question is does the extra increase the yield overall and would it reduce voids . If it does it's worth it if it doesn't then no.

Hmm - I think by going independent you might be able to ft exactly what you want for less. If it's a certain kind of wood and kind of countertop, I'd advise working out what you think is a fair price for the work and approaching independent cabinet makers/carpenters with the brief and see if they'd do for that. You can always see if you can source the wood/top yourself and then hire the makers to actually do the cabinet making?

I'm jealous!