Would you spend 30-40k plus on a kitchen?

[crystalgall]

We are in the process of buying a house. The needs to be completely rnovated which I am excited about including a new kitchen.

I really love the grey/blue shaker kitchen look but my god some companies are so expensive. However it doesn't seem like you can get the same look with IKEA/howdens etc. Also we are utterly inexperienced in building works/DIY so want someone to come and do all the measurements/design etc and just have it fitted. Minimal faff on our part.

I want to know if it's worth it? It's our forever house pretty much and I cook everyday. The kitchen will be part of a big open plan space too. These are some of the companies I've looked at. Bloody gorgeous kitchens.

Sola
Devol
Tom howley
Harvey jones
John Lewis of Hungerford
Second nature kitchens

So would you spend that much on a kitchen? Have you?

No, I wouldn't, although it does depend on your finances and the size of your kitchen and the value of the house overall of course.

Thing is, if you put a fashionable kitchen in now, it's going to look very dated in 7, 8, 10, 12 yrs time. You might be intending to stay in the house forever, but I bet you fancy a new kitchen 10 yrs down the line. So, I wouldn't go OTT with spending on it now.

Even if I had the money in savings to do it I don't think I would. I think you could get a bespoke carpenter built one for less.

Mine is an Ikea hack and came to less than 3k including appliances. 5 years on it hasn't aged at all despite taking a daily beating.

Think of the amazing holidays you could have for saving 10k off the budget.

What kind of work surfaces were you thinkin of?

I'm about to spend 1.5% of the house value and it will be fucking awesome.
I remember a friend spending £30,000 in the late '80s and thinking she was an idiot.

Forever is a long time. I'd get bored of the same look after ten - fifteen years.

I'd go for a mid range kitchen.

Where from Slough??

Ok so I am agreeing with the idea that I might get bored.

I really really want a big gorgeous island. Can I still do that mid budget?

If you have an IKEA kitchen where do you get an island from?

Worktop granite quartz corian marble. Not sure yet. Defo not wooden worktop. Too much upkeep

I got mine from Devol and it didn't cost £30-40, much less.

Definitely worth the investment in London as you'll make your money back and you can modernise it in the future - repaint and it still looks good as the doors are real wood. Change handles, change tops etc.

My worktop is silestone - it's a dream! I've got wood in my utility and it's a PITA so definitely right decision.

I inhabit a different world .

I think I'd spend 15-20k for a house worth 650k, but absolutely no more than that.

Dsil recently had her kitchen done by devol and must have spent a ridiculous amount. It is stunning! Although her house is a forever home worth a couple of mil. so I guess it's worth it iykwim.

I wish I could! My flat cost that Ahh to dream.

I once spent an awful lot of money on a very high end kitchen company's design and fit and wouldn't do it again. The kitchen I have now was extended a lot and perfectly matched by a local carpenter. It's over fifteen years old and we still have people ask what make and who fitted it and it hasn't dated yet.

What I would do if I were you is consult an independent kitchen designer, a few come up on Google and you can check for your area. Then you could go off to Ikea or whoever and choose from their ranges. The designer whose website I just looked at says he has 32 years of experience and will design kitchens from £5,000 to bespoke timber. You pay them to design and then you go off with the design plans that you own and get costings from various ranges and prices from fitters who come recommended by word of mouth, Check-a-Trade or whatever.

By the way, I wouldn't compromise on the quality of flooring if you can possibly avoid it.

We spent £30k on our kitchen (all works -flooring, plastering, lighting, sound system, appliances and units) but it's less than 5% of the value of our house, it's a very large kitchen & breakfast room, it's solid oak/Silestone/porcelain/ German appliances, it's completely handmade bespoke (amazing quality local firm) and we intend to stay here for 20+yrs.
In my first house I had a perfectly acceptable ikea kitchen for £2k which worked well for that and I loved.
So I guess it depends on what you want/need and your situation as to whether or not it's reasonable.

We spent 35k on ours , but included remedial work , including having to rebuild a very very large amount of kitchen , utility and laundry room floors because the house had been fitted out by a bodge up artist when he had it built .

Kitchen itself was about 25k for the units and granite worktops plus the range cooker . But I spend so much time in there , and it's our forever house , that it was worth every penny to me .

40k on a bloody kitchen?
I think Osborne needs to hoik taxes back up again.

Fine if you really, really like it. However, fashions change and tastes vary so it isn't really an investment in your house.

light for the DeVol kitchen are you including work tops and appliances in the final tally or just the kitchen usnits

I have an ikea kitchen and it's shocking. It's just mdf crap. Never again!!

crystal £10,000 on IKEA+ naice worktops.
I'd feel sick spending 3/4x the cost of a big family holiday. In fact because the dcs are all older teenagers it will be the cost of a long haul amazing holiday for all of us which imo is right.

If you do want a similar look but a cheaper option, check out diy-kitchens.com bespoke painted options. They've got really good reviews, and lots of options available. My navy and white shaker kitchen from them is due to arrive next Wednesday, so can't speak for the quality yet. It has needed quite a bit of planning by us as we've been trying to stick to a fairly tight budget, but I'm sure a kitchen designer could help if budget allows.

Units £18k,
appliances 4.5k
Splashback 1k
sink and taps £1.2k,
worktops 3k,
floor 5k
Installation & painting £2.5k
Chairs for island £40 - junk shop
Extractor fan 1.8k
Lighting £1k
Speakers £500
Electrical work £500

I love my kitchen - we live in it but make sure you budget for the whole project.

We are going to use diy kitchens too boatyroo.

Fuck no. Perhaps if I were a millionaire.

Do think about not only having something that looks like your dream kitchen, but think long and hard about actually working in the kitchen. The first photo in Crystalgall's post shows the units being right down to floor level. Other kitchens have a recess for your feet and a kickboard.

Go and visit showrooms with each style, then stand at the sinks and at the worksurfaces to see which design is most comfortable for you, as you will be in there a lot.

My own kitchen has kickboards, (apart from in front of the Aga) and I'm used to standing close to the worksurfaces and sinks.

A friend's kitchen is without the recess and kickboards. In there, I feel as though I'm standing about a foot away from the worksurface and at the belfast sink, which is really deep, I feel as though I am bent double.

Photo 1 here www.smallbone.co.uk/collections/kitchens/pilaster on the right hand side shows wood columns which reach to floor level and stick out, I'd be forever kicking my toes on those