Our kitchen is in an extension (70s/80s) to a 1930s bungalow. We put new kitchen units in 18 years ago when we bought the house to replace the old one (think lots of brown tiles, fake wood doors, brown carpet in the dining area etc.) but for reasons of timing, budget and various other things, we just replaced the old units with new ones (plus put in new flooring, new tiled splashback, new windows and appliances). Living in it we soon realised we would have been better with a more radical rethink - despite being a large room there isn't much storage because of the layout, there aren't enough power points, so we have to unplug the kettle to use the coffee maker, we only have space for a washing machine, there's no dishwasher - but couldn't afford to redo it.
Now, finally, we think we have have saved up enough and want to start the work but are a bit paralysed by the thought of spending all this money only to get it wrong again. As well as putting in new units, we want the floor levelled (it slopes badly), all walls and the ceiling stripped back and replastered, new skirting boards installed, extra power points installed, plumbing to allow a dishwasher to be added, and a floor-to-ceiling larder cupboard built in what is currently the dining area to address the storage issue. This is beyond what a kitchen installation company will offer but should we be looking for a joiner or a builder or one of the 'all trades' companies? How do we find the right supplier? (no one we know has a good word to say about their kitchen installer and social media seems to be full of recommendations which have been posted by friends and family of the tradesmen.) We're not looking for a high end kitchen (Howdens or equivalent is fine) and expect most of the budget to go on labour costs.