Working out your budget
Whether you are just wanting to tart up your kitchen for resale or want a complete makeover with brand new everything, you still want to make sure you are getting value for money and are sticking to your expected budget. Taking the time at the beginning of your project to workout likely costs will mean you get the best possible job done for your money.
Appliances
These will represent a large percentage of your overall cost. You may decide to buy new or keep your old appliances and fit your kitchen around them. The appliances you are likely to buy are as follows:
- Cooker/hob
- Extractor hood
- Washing machine
- Dishwasher
- Tumble dryer
- Fridge/freezer
You may also consider electrical items such and TV’s, radios or garbage disposals
Wall and floor units
Once you have your plan completed you will know how many of these you will require. It is then a case of deciding on the style you like and multiplying through by the number you need.
- Carcasses
- Doors
- Shelves (sometimes bought as separate units – particularly if glass)
- Drawers
- End trims
- Plinths
Worktops
Accessories
- Door handles
- Corner unit mechanisms
- Soft close drawer mechanisms
- Cupboard bins/recycling units
- Drawer separators
Plumbing
- Sink
- Taps
- Pipework
- Water softeners/filters
- Waste disposal units
Flooring
Tiles and grout
Paint
Radiators
Add in any possible carpentry items you may require such as door and window trim, architraves.
Expert help
- Plumber
- Gas engineer
- Electrician
- Planning fees
- Building regs fees
- Architect fees
- Carpenter
Tools
The following tools will be required during your project. It may not be necessary to buy all of these, as plenty will be available for hire. Bear in mind that some of these may be provided by your electrician or plumber, if you are hiring in some help.
- Workbenches
- Combination Square
- Tape measures
- Worktop Jig and clamps
- Screwdrivers
- Mitre saw
- Spirit Level
- Hammers
- Jigsaw
- Stanley Knife
- Handsaw
- Adjustable spanners
- Hacksaw
- Electrical tape and masking tape
- Drills and Bits
- Cable Detector
- Spanner
- Sealant gun
- Safety Gear
This list is quite full but may not cover every eventuality you may experience in your particular job. Every kitchen is different. Keep a contingency fund aside for any emergencies. 10% is recommended.
Saving Money
Once you have a comprehensive budget you may well have changed your mind! It is not cheap but it is cheaper to do it yourself.
You can, however, make savings by buying your kitchen from independent manufacturers, buying ex-display models and appliances and shopping around the larger DIY stores. They will often have end of season sales where a bargain can be had if you are willing to make compromises on you design or colours.
If you are buying all your kitchen, flooring and tiles in one go, you should be able to negotiate a discount. Many retailers will offer store cards at a discount rate of around 10% if you spend over a certain amount. While store cards in general are a bad idea if you make sure you pay if off immediately you can take advantage of the discount. You may also be able to get reasonable finance rates at the moment with interest rates being so low. Look out for 0% deals but remember that these often do not last forever.
As already mentioned it is a good idea to save whatever you can from your old kitchen. Appliances can be reused or sold on eBay to recover some costs and carcasses which are still in good condition can also be put to good use.
Use eBay to buy used appliances which are in better condition than yours. If your kitchen is small you may come across lengths of vinyl or tiles which other people have leftover from their project. Freecycle is also worth keeping an eye on for these types of giveaways. You never know what you might come across.
Investigate whether your old kitchen could be sold as whole units to someone as a spare garage work area. Worktops in particular are expensive to purchase and what feels like junk to you may be treasure to someone else.