Should I go with option A or B please?! (kitchen related)

[Missnearlyvintage]

Hi everyone,

Our 'it's only cosmetic, a lick of paint and it'll all be sorted out', house has turned into a bit more a project... The long and short of it is that the dream £9k - 12k new kitchen is off the cards.

However, our whole house will need work doing this year and this will result in redecoration and new flooring in the majority of areas including the kitchen diner.

The current fitted kitchen was put in in 1980. It's fake walnut wood coloured, and while I don't mind it, it is falling apart a bit and getting a bit tatty. The floor is currently bare concrete (with holes in it), and there is plaster missing from the walls at present, so I can't leave the whole room well alone and revisit it all at another time unfortunately. I'm concerned that the fitted kitchen will look awful once everything is else is sorted out and pristine.

If you were in this situation would you either:

A) Accept that the current kitchen is staying until we can save up for the dream kitchen, (approx 5-8 years I reckon, or until it properly breaks and we have to rethink our financial options), fit a cheap new floor and decorate.

Or

B) Buy a new budget style kitchen now (£3-£5k I reckon) so the whole house is sorted in one go, and spend a bit more on flooring etc. so it's en-keeping with the rest of the house, in the hope that this new kitchen will last a decade or so, and we'll be in a position to fit our dream kitchen then, when we'll probably redecorate some of the rest of the house again anyway...

Thanks in advance!

We got a Wickes kitchen on a similar logic and we are now eight years in and it is fine. Some builders get massive discounts for Wickes so do check

We paid extra to tile under the cupboards rather than upto with the thought new cupboards would be easier to change in the future.,

B. I have had a Magnet kitchen (well, run of units with drawers and cupboards) for about 20 years now, and it survived me twice, and 4 loads of tenants. If it is still OK, I shan't replace it any time soon after I move back, apart from the worktop; and the rest of the kitchen is free-standing pieces that I have amassed over time.

B definitely. We had a Magnet kitchen put in 10 years ago and it still looked perfect when we recently moved out. We had chosen a style at the time that we didn't think would date too badly and it hasn't at all really and all our viewers commented on the kitchen being a plus to buying the house. We've put a cheap Howdens kitchen in our new house which had a grotty old kitchen and it looks brilliant.

Thank you all, it's fantastic to hear your opinions! After a few discussions between DH and I we have decided on option B. I think we'll regret it if we don't change it while the rest of the work is going on.

We've only got to replace about 6 linear metres of kitchen, though we will need new appliances as well, and I am not sure we are competent enough DIYers to fit it ourselves, so will have to add in fitting costs.

The inital costing for the units, doors and a laminate worktop on DIY kitchens is around £2k, so fingers crossed we can get it all done within bugdet if we're careful?? This will be the first time we've bought a new kitchen so it's all a bit daunting!

Thanks again!

Just to add, I have looked into Ikea kitchens (as suggested thank you) and was quite keen on a few of them, but I've been put off by some bad reviews about quality and because they were investigated last year by watchdog last year for not honouring their guaranty.

B. I wish I’d done this. I’m now 7 years and one additional child into waiting for my dream kitchen!!!!