Freestanding kitchen to replace fitted one?

[Blogwoman]

We’re in a modern house & the very cheap kitchen installed when the house was new 10 years ago is shabby & poorly designed. Replacing it with a good quality version is way more expensive than we imagined. DH likes the idea of taking it all out & putting in freestanding items, retro or quirky maybe. Anyone got experience of doing it? Do you think it would make the house difficult to sell (if we wished to later)?

No

Oops sorry
No, it would look like you couldn’t
Afford it unless you’re all about retro and the House is themed that way.

You can get brilliant kitchens second hand off eBay for 1-3k. I was tempted

I took out a horrible old fitted kitchen and replaced it with stand alone Habitat Oliva units some years ago. Looked great and very functional too. Would do it again if I could afford to

Is the sort you mean a bit like the picture? Interesting it is but I'd imagine that most buyers would want to start all over again.

In terms of a proper kitchen being way more expensive than you imagined, how much do you mean? It's possible to put a very smart kitchen on a budget - Ikea units are very budget but actually very good quality for the money.

I have bought (and sold) a Flat with a lovely, quirky kitchen, all freestanding units and open shelves, and reclaimed odds and ends. Clearly DIYed v cheaply by the people before me. It was a selling point both when I bought it and when I sold- the new people loved it as much as I did. It does "match" the rest of the Flat though- I assume yours will too.

The main thing that puts me off a freestanding kitchen is the amount of food bits, dust and grease that could go under and in between the units and therefore need cleaning, which is a Bad Thing.

Thanks all; you’ve given us some things to think about. Second hand kitchens on eBay - sounds high risk but I guess you could be lucky! jojo that’s the kind of thing. Interesting to hear your positive experience Messy - noting the point about it going with the rest. Our house is all a bit quirky perhaps, but it is a modern house on an estate.

Re the second hand kitchens, you should look, it seems legit and orsganised, a proper business. I think it's a great idea and would have gone for it

My DS and his partner got a white gloss kitchen complete with appliances for £300 on a Facebook selling site. It came from a big posh house and there were enough units to use in a little utility room as well.