What is the cheapest way to have a new kitchen?

[CherryBlossom27]

Hi everyone,

DH and I have been looking at a new kitchen, but it's way over our budget, so we are thinking about other ways to update our kitchen instead? We are hoping to sell our flat in a year or so.

I initially thought that instead of a new kitchen, we could just buy new doors to replace on the existing units, has anyone done this? There seem to be a lot of companies online selling replacement doors, is this really cost effective, or would it be better to employ a carpenter to custom build some and fit them?

Alternatively, even cheaper, we could paint the existing cupboards? Has anyone done this, if so, what would be the best type of paint to use?

TIA

The cheapest way would be to go yo a DIY shop and buy them and fit them yourself. It's very easy to do.

We didn't exactly replace doors as such, as our kitchen needed to be gutted, but we did fit cheapo Ikea carcasses and then got custom-made walnut doors to go on them, from a bespoke kitchen company. The end result has the appearance of a top end kitchen, but cost a fraction of the price. So I would say yes, just replacing your doors will transform your kitchen.

I wouldn't recommend painting them. A friend tried this; they looked naff and the paint didn't last two minutes before chipping and peeling.

Our friends moved into a flat with a kitchen they didn't like which was not great quality. They painted the units a lovely dark petrol blue. It looks fantastic! I would never have thought of it and it was a very cheap makeover. Certainly worth a try and if the paint doesn't work out you can look into replacing doors etc as that can be quite costly.

Some friends of ours painted theirs. They said the key is to prepare and prime it really well and to pick a finish that looks good with a bit of wear on it so e.g. a country kitchen effect would be better than a high gloss. They painted theirs beige, then went over with cream and rubbed down a bit here and there to give an aged effect and it looks great.

Some other friends copied the idea on a dresser which they painted dark blue then went over with a deepish green and rubbed down, that looks great too.

Fablon adhesive stuff. You get it on rolls in B&Q etc. May be OK for a quick update to door fronts and worktops, especially if you paint kitchen at the same time.

A cheaper option (if the doors are not too hideous) is to replace the worktop/sink etc and the door handles. it's surprising how different things look with a different worktop.

If the doors are bad, replacing them is a good option, so long as there are no difficult ones like glass fronted cabinets etc.

What's the current door and worktop style you want to get rid of/freshen up and what kind of look do you like? Are you up for DIY?

Solid wood doors normally paint up nicely. Wood-effect or other plastic finishes you probably are better to replace but then you have to decide about end panels/trims/kickboards.

I thought my kitchen was horrendous but when it was scrubbed up and decluttered to go on ebay it actually looked pretty decent. If you are planning to sell soon don't spend much.

We painted our 1970's pine kitchen cupboards with matt kitchen paint and replaced the pine knob handles for modern metal ones from B and Q and it has worn well. We also had a bit of a refurb, without the full makeover due to the house being very old and not wanting to stir up problems. We had a new worktop, sink and taps and re-painted (yet again!) the 1970's pine cupboards and up-dated the knobs and handles again which made the kitchen look lovely for a fraction of the price of a new kitchen.

Thanks everyone, I'm not sure if the doors are real wood or not, they look it though. I'll have a chat with DH about it and I think we might just take the doors off and put them back up straight (they're quite wonky)' I'm nervous about painting the doors if it's going to look like we've done it ourselves!

I think if we decorate the actual kitchen and put new tiles up it will make a big difference, and then we can see if the units look any better or not I think.

"I'm not sure if the doors are real wood or not"

Look at the grain. If there is a knot or something on the front, it should also be on the back, and the grain on the sides will be disturbed.

Look at the grain on the ends. Veneer strip or vinyl is lines. Real end grain is dots not lines. Find a plank and see what I mean.

Sorry to jump in on your thread, OP but I'm also trying to find cheap ways to revamp a 1970s chipboard kitchen (John Lewis make).

How much would it cost, roughly, to have replacement doors and work surfaces? Are all replacement ones standard size or would it be better to get made to measure ones done by a local carpenter?

Would that be much more expensive than buying readymade ones??

A friend of mine who is renowned for being a cheapskate and having great taste moved to a flat with a yellow pine kitchen. She paid a painter and decorator to paint it white and added some expensive new knobs and a new worksurface - it looks very good indeed now.

okay, I need to jump into this conversation. we're moving into a new home on the 30th and I'm dreading the kitchen. it's been done in a 'modern' way, but they've used light colored wooden cabinets and i really wanted something like this: thedecorologist.com/wp/pink-turquoise-its-a-festivus-miracle

We've done both. 1st house (in the 90s) - horrid doors but solid carcasses (standard door and drawer size). Replaced them with solid wood doors (from B&Q) new brushed chrome handles, we tiled over the existing tiled splashback and replaced the worktop. Looked like a new kitchen.

This house - we had a dark solid oak kitchen when we moved in. Have painted it with F&B paint. Not particularly hard wearing (with 3 children) but easy enough to touch up. New work top and tiles. Again, the look of a new kitchen for minimal cost. Very time consuming though to get a good finish (removing doors, priming, couple of coats etc).