Kitchens on a budget

[Bigbongos123]

I'm trying to work out how to a nice kitchen on a budget. 5k maybe?

Is it best to go for the cheaper kitchen like say the magnet 'cream slab' type, then upgrade/ get nice tiles/handles/worktop to lift the feel of quality?

The room is 4.3 x3.1

We can't salvage the carcasses, the kitchen is so old and basic/ loads of lost space. Also need to fit in a table to seat at least the 4 of us but ideally 6?!

I want to get as best a grasp on this as possible so I don't waste money unnecessarily... So throw all your tips at me!!

Tia

Go to the Autumn Howdens sale, - they normally have nice kitchens in the sale, and when we got ours The discount was really good. You'll need to have someone who has an account with them , but they can recommend local tradespeople if you need....

Think the sale is normally sept or oct....

If I do that do I need to find a kitchen fitter who has an acc with them first?

IKEA?

We did ours on a budget. Ikea units, nice worktops (american black walnut), nice tiles (marble) upgraded handles, added trim and feet etc. It doesn't look like a budget kitchen now.

The trick is to get it well fitted. MIL got her kitchen from Wickes. It's lovely. She just went for fancier worktops and appliances and you'd never know it's a budget kitchen.

I feel really out of my depth, having rented I've never been able to do more than hang a frame and paint (more than most renters I appreciate!)

Can I ask for opinions on wood/butchers block type work tops. Is this a horrendous idea?

IKEA. I fit them in all my renovations with a carpenter. Get exact room measurements and take them for a planning appointment. Get a carpenter to fit. You'll get everything you need plus (own fitter) fitting for £5k if you source appliances in the Internet. Having said that, last week they had ovens for £105 and sinks for £10 as they are on their change over cycle to the new catalogue. They've also got some great new finishes that look very expensive (Matt griege and cappuccino doors). Avoid wooden work tops and fit a good quality laminate until you can afford a better finish. The watermarks and upkeep will drive you mad!

Mine are butcher block black walnut from here

www.woodandbeyond.com/products/Premium-American-Black-Walnut-Worktop-38mm-by-620mm-by-2000mm-WT152.html

oiled with morells oil and we haven't had any issues at all with watermarks etc

IKEA here too. 3m x 3m ish L shape with appliances (extractor was £400, two/double oven, integrated dishwasher), sink, tap, worktop for under £4K Inc Induction hob from Curry's
Lots of drawers within drawers etc so didn't skimp - bargain

We got ours in the Howdens sale and got it fitted almost a year later! I don't know that we got an absolutely amazing deal. However we managed to get our own account telling them that we were doing up our house to sell on. They knew we weren't tradespeople but were happy to go with it. Not worth it just for this, but as a nice sideline, we got a free Makita drill which is fantastic! We had a great carpenter to fit ours and, as others have said, that is what makes the difference. We just got laminate worktops too. I would have looooved granite but they were way too expensive, and having seen how much work they need to keep them sparkling, I think I would still go for laminate in future.

Thanks so much! I do love IKEA. I just don't trust my measuring skills and stuff like working around the boiler etc made me worried about being too responsible for getting it right I want someone else accountable ha!

Have been Pinterest-ing IKEA kitchens and do think they look fab.

IKEA will come out and measure for a fee I believe.

Still haven't done my kitchen. Shameless place making!

For 5K you may need to shop online to get what you need. It does work out a lot cheaper these people are a good place to start.

Yes to IKEA coming out. We paid £50 and it was worth every penny for the little bits of insight he imparted - what to steer away from, what had a bad rep but we're actually ok etc
I already had a 'vision' of what I wanted and tweaked his final idea to keep sight lines right

YY to a good joiner too

For that budget you should go for a fairly simple but effective kitchen without too many frills (unless you are up for a bit of DIY). Make the expensive parts simple. Make the cheap parts bespoke. It's hard to beat Ikea for clever contemporary designs.

• Fewer, larger units but with good internal storage and space planning (that comes free). Not in-frame.
• Laminate worktop (can get square edged) and stainless sink
• Freestanding appliances except maybe oven/hob. Can often be got nearly-new cheaply.
• Don't buy everything from one place if you think you could get it online cheaper.

With that room I'd go for an L shaped design with just one corner unit. If you see a feature you like that is expensive, see if you can make it more cheaply e.g. open shelf unit - just have some open shelves painted to match walls. Pull out units - have some inner drawers made up by fitter. Pull out bin unit - just have a single drawer with a tall front and stand your bins in it. End panels/trims can be eyewateringly expensive, so going for a cream/white kitchen with colour matched carcases (DIY kitchens offer this) could save a good few hundred at no extra cost.

You can then personalise it with your colour scheme, accessories, quirky handles etc to get a look you like.

Timber worktops you need to use a hardwax oil like Osmo to protect them properly. Not Danish oil, olive oil, Ikea oil or anything else. Whatever the supplier tells you. I love the look and feel of them.

Amazing advise thanks guys!!!