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Original poster

Would you spend £7,500 on a handmade kitchen in a cheap terraced house?

36 replies

DaisytheStrange · 30/12/2013 19:40

I live in a Victorian terraced house. The house has loads of character, but the road/area is not regarded as particularly 'desirable' (slightly tatty, though not awful), and the ceiling price for a house on our street would only be about £130,000. I've been quoted £7,500 for a lovely traditional handmade solid wooden kitchen, painted and with thick oak worktops. The price includes installation, (but not tiling, appliances etc.) The kitchen is a good/medium size.

My Dad thinks I shouldn't spend so much money on the project, as I'll never get it back when I sell it, and it's taken me a long time to save up so much money. We won't be able to move to a nicer area for at least 7 years though, until after the children have left school, so we'll have a long time to enjoy the kitchen. Also, the salesman told me the kitchen is "fully maintainable", so can be made to look as good as new again when the time comes to sell, unlike a cheap vinyl/chipboard kitchen.

So would it be extravagant and stupid to spend so much money on a kitchen in a house on a slightly tatty road with such a low ceiling price?

OP posts:
Earlybird · 30/12/2013 19:43

Do you have any idea how much a 'reasonably priced' kitchen would run?

OiMissus · 30/12/2013 19:44

Go for it.
You'll have seven years of loving it.
You may not get the full value when you sell eventually, but an asset like that will sell the house for you. It's a worthy investment. Bathrooms and kitchens sell.
(Don't waste any more time, just do it. You'll love it and enjoy it way beyond the cost.)

HankyScore · 30/12/2013 19:45

Sounds fine to me. You will have at least seven years to enjoy it.

Ours was that much for an off the shelf Howdens kitchen so yours sounds like a bargain, really.

roadwalker · 30/12/2013 19:49

I once put a really flash bathroom in a small terrace
It had a spa bath and everything
I really enjoyed it. It sold quickly at the time the market badly crashed, the estate agent said the bathroom really made it stand out
You may not get all the value back but it could be the deal breaker when selling

Lagoonablue · 30/12/2013 19:55

Aren't most new kitchens around that price?

LEMoncehadacatcalledSANTA · 30/12/2013 20:13

You say theres a "salesman" I wonder if you would be better off getting this done by a carpenter who works for himself . Cut out the middle man. Make no mistake - this will not increase the value of your property especially as its likely to be very much to your personal taste, but if you will enjoy it then go for it. It sounds like a good price - does it include electrics? You would expect to pay about £30 per square meter of tiling and the appliances very much depends on what you go for. Envy

One day my DP is going to make me such a kitchen when he has finished making them for other people

PigletJohn · 30/12/2013 20:18

you can do it if it will make you happy, but don't look on it as in investment or expect future buyers of the house to share your taste or to increase value.

AmandaTanen · 30/12/2013 20:20

Sounds like the going rate for a standard kitchen around here, go for it.

Original poster
DaisytheStrange · 30/12/2013 20:48

Thank you for all your replies x Thanks

I could get a perfectly OK flatpack type kitchen from the local DIY shop for about half the price, but I wouldn't love it. This one is my dream kitchen - very solid and traditional, totally in keeping with the age and style of the house.

I feel a bit stuck living in a slightly bleak area, with no realistic prospects of moving for a long time, so the kitchen would be a way of compensating, I suppose...

OP posts:
AliceInSandwichLand · 30/12/2013 20:54

We put a kitchen in our old house that suited it very well but was rather too expensive for the house. At the time we fitted it we thought we'd only be there a couple of years more. We ended up staying another 5 years and sold the house within 48 hours of putting it on the market, at the asking price, mostly because we'd done the kitchen and bathroom well, having really enjoyed it for the five years. Have just done a similar thing with new house, made a huge difference to our quality of life, and plan to enjoy it for 20 years or so. I'd say go for it, if you'll love it!

Earlybird · 30/12/2013 21:02

Do it if you can afford it. You'll enjoy it everyday, and when it comes time to sell, your house will be more desirable than those around it.

MrsGrasshead · 30/12/2013 21:45

If I could afford it yes I would. You'll get lots of use out of it and when you come to sell it might make your house stand out from others on the market.

Aethelfleda · 30/12/2013 22:14

When we sold our last place (a terrace) there were tons of similar sized/priced properties on the market. Our kitchen-diner with range made the house much easier to shift. So a good quality set-up won't raise the price but may make it more saleble. If you get to enjoy it for seceral years first then I'd say go for it... Those years of enjoyment count for more than the cash. Or to put it nother way, imagine yourself getting a cheap and icky kitchen and putting up with that for seven years.... No thanks??

ShoeWhore · 30/12/2013 22:17

Is that the full price including installation and everything OP? If so I say go for it - sounds like you'll be there long enough to enjoy it.

If that's just for units with appliances fitting electrics plumbing etc to pay on top I'd be more reticent tbh

MrsFlorrick · 30/12/2013 23:14

Kitchens and bathrooms sell houses. If you put a cheap kitchen in, it looks cheap and devalues anything else you do to the place.

£7.5k doesn't sound bad.
And yes these types of kitchens can easily be refurbished when its time to sell with a coat of fresh on trend paint and handles. Whereas a cheap Howdens plastic job will look ready for the scrap heap.

MoreThanChristmasCrackers · 30/12/2013 23:23

Don't do it as an investment as sales people will tell you anything. It will be an old kitchen and probably out of fashion and need replacing the same as any other in years to come.
Buy it for enjoyment if you like but financially you'll gain no benefit.
I wouldn't spend so much in a terrace and having just done a terrace albeit to let I tarted the existing one for very little.
Our new kitchen cost 3k it is quite a large one from Howdens and is really nice.

superlambanana · 30/12/2013 23:47

I'd say that's a very good price! How big is your kitchen and can you give me the name of the company because I'd love to get one for that price!! Grin

LaurieFairyCake · 30/12/2013 23:49

That's really cheap, would cost 20 round here.

Isn't it about 10% of the value of the house on a kitchen?

80sMum · 30/12/2013 23:58

That sounds like an absolute bargain!! Does it include the fitting costs? And the appliances? And the taps? The tiles? The floor? The redecoration? Or even the VAT?
I don't want to rain on your parade, OP, but do make sure you've worked out the total cost before you agree to anything. Be sure you know what to expect. If it's within budget and you like it, then go for it. You'll enjoy it for 7 years and it will retain (probably enhance) the value of the house.

Original poster
DaisytheStrange · 31/12/2013 10:41

Thanks for the further replies - much appreciated! Smile

To answer your questions, yes the price includes fitting and plumbing, but not tiling, flooring, appliances etc. I'm assuming it includes VAT - however, this was not itemised on the quote so I'm a bit worried now!

@superlambanana The kitchen is medium sized. The company is a little family firm near Wrexham called Clarendons. They make all the units themselves.

@LaurieFairyCake Is 10% of the value of the house the norm for a kitchen? If so that makes me feel a bit better!

I'm veering towards going for it. Smile Your anecdotes of quality kitchens/bathrooms helping to sell a house are reassuring. The style is so traditional and the units look very solid so I don't think it will look shabby or dated in 7 years time. A cheap flatpack would probably need replacing again, so I think the expensive option might actually be cheaper in the long term!

OP posts:
superlambanana · 31/12/2013 12:24

Ooh Wrexham isn't too far from me!! I'm going to look them up - thanks!

And by the way - 7 years is a long time with a kitchen you don't like. I say go for it if you can afford it Smile

Sunnyshores · 01/01/2014 10:39

if you fitted a cheap Howdens kitchen, in 7 years it will need replacing or updating anyway for a sale. So, get your dream kitchen and smile everytime you walk in the room!!

givemeaclue · 01/01/2014 10:41

That is extremely cheap for a kitchen

AngryBirdRoast · 01/01/2014 10:45

No I would hold off.

You can get cheaper and more proportionate to the value/position of the house

a house in a shit area (sorry!) with expensive fittings is not going to be worth more than one with worse fittings - well not that much more

it looks like kind of sticking a load of bling on a donkey Smile

Bear with me - I'm moving to a cheap place soon and though I like good quality kitchens and bathrooms and so on, I'm not going to go for my ultimate in those departments because it would not be in keeping with the value of the property.

You can raise it a bit by dressing it in an appropriate manner, but if you go OTT it will be clear, and it just means you'll have lost the money on it when you could have waited and spent it on your forever home.

I'd downscale the plan, compromise on some things, and still go with quality stuff - eg my 4.8mm oak worktop was about 150 from a supplier on ebay. I rent and so didn't want to spend too much.

Shop around, but don't go the whole hog as you'll regret it.

Itsaburrdiee · 01/01/2014 10:47

I think that's OK for 7 years worth of kitchen - go for it!

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