New kitchen...wha5 would you have? What would you have done differently?

[Perfidy]

Extension, medium sized and reasonable budget... wha5 would you have or do? What pitfalls to avoid?

If you Google mumsnet kitchen lessons learned (or learnt) there are several good long running threads to start you off

We had downstairs extension and new kitchen last year. We thought it would be easier to have the builder doing everything rather than having to co-ordinate lots of different people but in hindsight it was a huge mistake letting him fit the kitchen even though he reassured us he could. If I could do things again I would get a proper kitchen fitter in rather than have the current mess we are left with.

As with clothes, anything "highly fashionable" will look dated quickly, but more "classic" will last longer, as you don't want to be replacing your kitchen in 5 years time.

My top tips would be:

• not to underestimate the number of sockets you need
• Remember your 'working triangle' - you need the cooker (hob) some work surface and the sink to be close. Come to that you also need a bin close and you need the dishwasher to be close to the sink too.
• Get a hose extending thing on your tap
• You DO need drawers
• Think carefully about lighting - you don't want it behind you when you are working / casting a shadow over what you are doing

Remember that YOU, and YOU FAMILY are the ones going to be using it / living there - don't be pushed into things the sales people want you to have just because they are all the rage. If you don't like Islands, don't have one. If you don't want / need a huge American style fridge, don't have one.etc etc

@BackforGood agree.... Don't be swayed by what's In or what your friends have if it doesn't suit you.
I wanted a bit American fridge freezer but it just wouldn't fit in my layout without getting in the way. We got a full height integrated fridge and ditto freezer and the plan came together easily.
We also didn't get the ubiquitous wine fridge as I preferred the extra storage and chill my wine in. Main fridge.
Regrets? Got a trendy flat bottomed square stainless steel sink, replacing my old curved edges sink. Its annoying, crumbs and bits just collect in the corners instead of draining down the plughole.
Compounded by gorgeous looking tap which is incapable of swishing the corners clean.
Will be replacing tap with a pull out rinsing tap as soon as lockdown is over.

Things I like: big drawers for pans, little inner drawer bits for cutlery, tall pull out larder, induction hob, plenty of work surface
Things I regret: nowhere to hang tea towels, peninsula was probably a bad idea for people as messy as us because it is always covered in junk.
If our budget had been bigger I'd have loved a boiling water tap, a pull out bit on the tap and a combination microwave/grill for the top oven so we didn't need a separate microwave.

Following with interest as mid way through extension. @WhereDoesThisToiletGo I had my heart set on a trendy sink but bit might rethink this one so thank you

Only tip I have is better planning for storing my kitchen stuff. I had so carefully organised and moved everything to the spare bedroom to find out they needed access to that room for the steel. We wanted flush ceilings so you couldn't see the steel but it has been so disruptive and now stuff all over the place😵 will be worth it though

I went too pale with flooring and it shows every single speck of dirt, dog hair etc always looks like it needs a wash even seconds after I've mopped it!

There is always room for a dishwasher

We have mostly pan drawers, then separate pull out drawers in every cupboard except 3. I wish I had the pull out drawers in every cupboard. Appliance station (or whatever its called) so toaster etc are not on show. Plan it all so you have nothing at all on your worktops

You dont say whether you're having a utility room? If you're having an extension, hive off part for the messy bits - washer & dryer, tons of storage, also have microwave in there (dont use it much). Pocket door into kitchen.

@Rhica RE the sink- I spent plenty of time deciding on size. My old one was double with 2/3 and 1/3 split. New one is 1/2 and1/2. But paid no attention to shape of sink, so had no idea it was going to be squarer.

Yes to deep drawers but analyse your existing cupboard contents first. I ended up having one 45cm base cupboard just for trays and chopping boards.

Internal fittings- I have one of those Le Mans swing out things going into blind corner with all saucepans, frying pans, lids.
Love it. so accessible. I added a £5 ikea lid holder to keep them tidy .
Regrets. a 150cm pull out thing meant for bottles and oils by the stove. Don't trust the soy sauce and lee and perrins in it in case they fall out, so it/s mostly empty.

Don't spend a fortune on internal fitments for deep drawers like plate holders. All my drawers are lined with non slip base (£16 for more than I'll ever need) and nothing budges. All my plates are in drawers

I’m genuinely happy with our kitchen 3 years on. Things we did was get a hardwearing wood effect floor that doesn’t show dirt. It was by polyflor and was called Camaro. We got a cream classic kitchen , mid range price wise. We got a light coloured worktop. It was one similar to Corian but cheaper. It’s fab! We spent a lot of money on the tap and so far it’s held up beautifully and we coughs a brushed stainless steel butler sink which I think is my favourite thing.

Two dishwashers, one for clean to take stuff from to use, one for dirty to load up (I can dream!)
Big drawer cupboards for recycling bins more than one

Things I’m glad we did- have a full height integrated fridge instead of split fridge/freezer and wine fridge. Fits everything in there.
Galley style layout so no awkward corners to deal with.
Plenty of sockets, some with usb for charging phones.
Mostly pan drawers with a few cupboards.
Huge single sink.
Lots of worktop space.

Things I wish I’d reconsider:
not leaving space for a bin. Had issues fitting integrated bins under sink and then had to get a freestanding one which lives in the french doors.
White quartz worktop- looks fab when just cleaned but shows up every coffee grind and toast crumb. Would consider a speckly granite next time.
Having contemporary rather than wall hung cabinets- the extra shelves in wall hung are so useful.

the one thing I would have done differently is gone to DIY kitchens showroom three days earlier than we planned on the Monday the showroom was open by the Thursday the showroom was shut due to lockdown so I have all the plans done, plasterer, electrician and kitchen fitter all in place and cant go to order my kitchen as not confident enough to order online from them

@issetwith4vampirecats
Can't you ring showroom and ask for a private viewing?

All electric on/off switches in one cupboard. Fridge/freezer/dishwasher all hidden behind doors. Full size pull out larder, self cleaning ovens, full size built in wine fridge. Boiling water tap will pull out hose. Induction hob. Powerful extractor. If you want granite go for decent quality so really easy to clean. No bins!

Enormous 100cm wide full height larder than keeps all ambient food, plus a couple of small appliances.
If it's edible it's either in fridge, freezer or this one cupboard.
170 degree hinges so doors open back

I learned from other people's gadget excesses, although it didn't stop the designer from screwing up. Lesson 1 is don't assume he can use a tape measure and double check the room measurements as well!

pretty happy with ours; drawers are indeed good although pricey. Glad we have no farty internal 'Le Mans' stuff, just wastes space. No integrated appliances except the oven, they cost more and have less capacity. Make sure designer realises that a 60cm wide freestanding appliance needs a space 65cm wide (stupid sod...) The worktops are a little bit too narrow, the same width as the cupboard so when you clear up crumbs they fall on the floor. This is another piece of modern stupidity but may be unavoidable.

Get a normal sink with curves - the rectangular ones are indeed designer crap that catch mess and are impossible to clean properly. No boiling water tap, have a kettle. Installer did screw up placement of taps a bit, didn't notice until too late. Pull out the aerator thing or buy a cheap tap without one if you can, they are just devices for spraying water about.

upstands cost a fortune. Tiles are much cheaper especially if you can fit them yourselves. If you have a gas hob the worktop probably won't be deep enough to allow a glass splashback, so you'll want tiles there too.

don't let a kitchen fitter do plumbing, make sure he gets a plumber in. Make sure all pipes have isolator valves that are NOT buried behind cabinets. Get raw edges of cabinets sealed (this was promised but then refused, we gave up and did it ourselves). Kitchen guarantees are worthless so think robustness and ease of maintenance.

no cupboard for towels; think about it, how will they dry? You would always be opening it with wet hands! Find a space for hooks. No over complex rubbish and recycling 'station', we have a bin and a crate under a worktop, stuff just gets thrown in. Life is too short for extra doors.

go through the design and cross out all the panels between units, £50 each and just waste space. Go through it again when the designer tries to sneak them back.

it's like arranging a flashy wedding (or so I believe) - they assume you have money to burn. Make it clear that is not the case.

I’ve just had my kitchen fitted. Things I love.... my walk in corner pantry and my induction hob.

Things I wish I’d reconsidered... purchased all my appliances from the kitchen supplier. They recommended AEG which we went along with. They’re no where as good as my old neff oven and Bosch dishwasher. The oven doesn’t cook as evenly as my neff and I went for the double/oven grill. The second oven is poor. It’s really slow and not consistent. The dishwasher is poorly planned on top shelf. I really wish I’d explored all appliances before agreeing on them.

@mencken Hello! I'm currently planning my kitchen and have a great deal of confusion around panelling in between units. Howdens drew up a layout using my measurements, and whilst I understand the need for panel decor ends, I wondered why they'd placed an 18mm gap between each cabinet? Is this because there needs to be a gap between each cabinet or does the 18mm denote a panel in between? Can you help? FYI, this isn't the layout I'm going with, it doesn't quite work for me.

Appliance station (or whatever its called) so toaster etc are not on show. Plan it all so you have nothing at all on your worktops

See, this would be so impractical in my house.
We live in our house, and use the kitchen throughout the day. It makes no sense whatsoever, to me, for things you need to use on a regular basis to be hidden away.

@BackforGood I compromised, toaster is used once a day so lives in appliance cupboard. Kettle and coffee maker used all day so stay on worktop.
For ease of wiping up, the few things that live on worktop are grouped on pretty wooden trays. So Tea, coffee and sugar all get moved together to wipe.

Appliance station (or whatever its called) so toaster etc are not on show. Plan it all so you have nothing at all on your worktops

See, this would be so impractical in my house. We live in our house, and use the kitchen throughout the day. It makes no sense whatsoever, to me, for things you need to use on a regular basis to be hidden away.

@BackforGood We also live in our kitchen just dont feel the need to use a toaster throughout the day . You do realise that an appliance station / garage just means opening a cupboard door when you want to use said toaster, and closing it again afterwards? Like the photos.....

I like deep worktops (80cm deep rather than the standard 60cm deep) so you can have all your appliances at the back of the worksurface and still have space to do stuff in front of them. Nothing hidden away in an appliance station. I don't see the point in spending extra money and extra space on things like cupboard doors to hide the the microwave when it is in use every day.