Can't get my head around new kitchen cost/make a decision...where would you compromise? Would you compromise at all?!

[hellostarling]

So, our kitchen project is coming in at around 36k in total which I find very, very scary! I had imagined we would do it for closer to 25-30k. The price includes a lot of building work (removing structural wall + rsj, removing non structural wall, removing window, installing french doors, reducing window, brivcking up back door, installing new back door, building new stud wall, levelling all floors etc etc) which accounts for around 20k of price. The rest is the kitchen...units, sinks and taps, appliances, worktops, fitting.

We have looked at all the costs and think we can shave a total of 5-6k off the total by:
Having cheaper kitchen units - vinyl wrapped instead of bespoke wood (save 3k)
Having all wooden worktop instead of wood and stone (save 1-2k)
Having pvc french doors instead of wood (save 700)
Having normal door into utility instead of sliding door (save 500 but have annoying door in very narrow utility space)
Having standard instead of column radiators (save 200)

I am going round and round in circles as we can afford the higher amount, this is our forever home, we are creating exactly the space we want...but it just seems so very much and am worried we are being frivolous and have had our heads turned by designer kitchens! After all, if it functions then it's fine, surely?!!!! But then on such a large project, 5k is not that much in the grand scheme of things to get exactly the finish we want? Where would you compromise? Would you at all?!

Also think about things like:

Soft close drawers (I love mine)
Door handles ( can be £££)

We are also in the NW and had a new kitchen before Xmas. Mine cost about £33k and that was with less building work than yours.

I agree with others, don't compromise unless you really can't afford it.

About 10 years ago we had quotes but really couldn't afford it (interestingly the quotes then were almost identical to what we have just paid 10 years later) We moved a couple of units round, put in new appliances (old built-in ones were dying) and new laminate worktop. It was finctional and looked fine but never the WOW kitchen I have now.

Feel free to PM me if you want to see if we are nearby and have used any companies that might overlap

Do you actually need tiles at all? Upstands and paint look fine.

Basic white metro tiles - I got some gorgeous flat Matt white metro tiles from tons of tiles. (online) They look very similar to fired earth architecture tiles. They look fabulous.

There is a small joinery somewhere near you, recommended by mistlethrush maybe? Who makes wood kitchens at ikea prices. I'll see if I can get the details to pm you if interested. If you search my thread on harvey jones kitchens she talks about them there. I almost went up to see them!

We are also going for floorboards. It seems that engineered wood is better for kitchens because of temp changes and moisture levels/ water. If they are going to be painted why have reclaimed. We have found some gorgeous , long and wide, unfinished oak boards (with 6mm oak on top) which we are either going to white wash or apply a white oil to. For about £42 a square metre.

Thanks for all the responses. It's so reassuring to hear other projects with similar building elements have come in about the same. I wonder how the people in the home improvement magazines do it...you know the "real homes" sections where they claim to have done two bathrooms, a kitchen, extensive remodeling and painted the whole thing in F&B for 30k??!!!

Staverton - found tons of tiles thanks to a MN search last night...samples in the post! I would love you to PM me details of the joinery place...will look up that thread also. And our reclaimed boards are I think £26 per sq m so pretty cheap!

Thinking more and more about wood worktop around the sink though...for that run it would only be a couple of hundred pounds and then we can upgrade in a few years maybe if it's gone all rotten.

Hello Staverton where did you find your flooring from, sounds great?

OP I would shop around for everything but in yoru shoes I'd get the basics right such as doors/rads and try and cut back on kitchen costs like worktop.
I think wood is fine if you are careful and prep it well, walnut is supposed to be esp tough and you can source it online at worktopexpress or barncrest.

Can you skip tiles altogether and have upstands instead? Looks sleeker and costs less...

Hi pannacotta!

From
The wooden flooring company at peppard common near henley - www.uptonwood.com

The boards are unfinished oak, 2 wide and 2.2 m long but can do up to 3.2m long in 190m width. We're then getting a local floor sanding guy to white wash them They are 21mm thick and have 6mm oak on top

Sorry meant to say 220mm wide.

Sorry hijack- how is your project going? Chosen a kitchen yet? I am seeing HJ again this week - kitchen finally coming in 3 weeks after builder delays etc (we're currently in our 4 th temp house as house still unsafe to live...). I did email a while back but can't find it my sent mail so wonder if it didn't go after all? If so sorry for being rude!
So happy with the metro tiles so thanks for the advice- in the end we are going for dovetale f&b paint.

I'm doing a similar job on my house at the moment. It'd the forever home.

I decided that I wanted to spend the money on getting the structural work done and have the lay out of the ground floor as I wanted, and that the rest could come later. The the bulk of the spend (30ish exc vat) is on that. I'm spending around 5k on the kitchen inc worktops etc but on top of that I'm putting a 4 door aga in. I've minimised the kitchen spend by using howdens and a laminate. I'm also using b&q tileloc slate floor which is about 15sq/m and looks fine.

Once the structure (and aga!) is in place then I feel the rest can be worked on over time as and when I make more money. I've tried to add to the whole thing by spending a bit more on things like tiles (see for example Jacqueline talbot) and bright paints which are the higher end but comparatively cheap.

Things absolutely not to cut costs on are things which future proof. Electric sockets, in built storage etc.

I'd consider scrapping the French doors until next year. They can be done any time and won't be much use over the winter.

Also, don't forget that it will inevitable cost more than the quotes.

We compromised on radiators. Just got normal shaped slim line low ones instead of feature wall rad. Am actually really glad we did as the wall is free for pics and the new ones look fine.

I was advised not to compromise on worktop (we have Maia) to get vinyl. We did compromise Corian for Maia though as they are pretty identical.

I am reading ideal homes, incidently has an article on painted kitchens. As I was drinking my coffe I was thinking the same thing op, how do they do so much for so little money and always increase house value so much.

Increase in values ad mostly bollocks, that's how.

HI Staverton, gosh sorry just remembered you did email me and I completely forgot to reply!
NO real progress here as I am bit baffled by how to get the building work in the right order and have yet to meat a builder with the time/patience to help me get the project off the ground!
Think we are there on the design though finally.
GOod luck with your kitchen, all very exciting.... WHat colour is Dovetale btw, dont recognise that name?

Thanks again everyone...DH and I have had a big talk and we are very much leaning towards getting the structural stuff right and asking the builder to re-fit our existing kitchen so we can live with the new space for 6 months or so then if we do choose to spend 16k on a kitchen at that point at least we'll be 100% confident it is right. We both feel hugely relieved at making this decision which tells me it is the right one! Thanks so much for the advice and different perspectives...it helps immensely to confirm your own thinking.

Pannacotta - if you are in NW, our builder is simply amazing so far. PM me if you want his details.

Please could you pm me the details of the kitchen company you were thinking of using. We are in north yorkshire and looking for a similar sort of kitchen and the price does not seem that unreasonable compared to what we have seen.
Thanks

I shoud have said, hello starling, please can you pm me the details of the company you were thinking of using.
Thanks

Zoelda what fuel are you using for your aga? We have elec one, and the best thing we did was to swap the warming plate for a 2-ring gas burner.

Offer to pay cash for some labour.

I wouldnt want to make cheaper options for 5k - too much compromise. I wouldnt go cheaper on units for definate.

In my experience once its completed you will never replace the cheaper options later as you have better things to spend on.

Not worth compromising over 5k if its what you want.

Wickedwaterwitch what a good idea. How do you go about finding a good local joiner? Do you recommend the one you used?

We had a new large kitchen diner put in this March we paid under £15k. This included taking out load bearing wall, rsj, building control cost, new large kitchen window, new patio style sliding door leading out to conservatory, complete replastering, 25 kitchen units, range cooker, fridge freezer, all lighting, amtico oak effect floor, all decoration.
We saved money by ordering in the sale immediately after Christmas and by being a bit cheeky!
I would allow at least 5 % contingency as unexpected costs will arise.
Good luck !

I wouldn't swap wood door for PVC. We just installed jeld-wen French doors that we bought from Screwfix and were half the price of the exact same door at our local timber merchant. I'm really pleased with them. I also wouldn't scrimp on the sliding door as it sounds like that will bug you.