Kitchen - where to save and where to spend

MountainMan101

I'm having a new kitchen. I want quality carcasses, solid wood doors and granite/corian worktops. Those 3 are going to be the biggest cost of the project.

I've managed to find reduce costs by designing a kitchen with minimal refurbishing/ rearranging of electrics. All the appliances are existing freestanding. So I'm look to see where to compromise on the following:

1. Carcasses - Choice is B&Q 18mm flatpack, Howdens prebuilt, Better Living's solid wood. I'm expecting price to increase in that order. Given the long life of the worktop, is B&Q up to the weight of solid granite, and does the Better Living solid wood actually offer something.

2. Doors - do I spend on solid wood (it is the most visible part of the kitchen appearance) or save have have effect with the options to replace in a year or so.

3. Worktops - online estimate is £1200 for granite, £2000 for corian. Is Corian worth the extra? I've managed to keep the price down by designing a kitchen that can be made from 4 slabs and involves no cutting out for sinks/hobs/etc.

Any opinions welcome :-)

Atelier

Have a look at www.withknobson.co.uk and compare their prices. I've used them in the past and their rigid carcases were very good. They also do the solid oak BroadOak doors.

If you are to compromise on anything then it should be the carcases because they are unseen so are less important when considering the total project.

I was also told to steer clear of Corian because it scratches easily and does not stand up to abuse as well as granite.

MountainMan101 wrote: »

I'm having a new kitchen. I want quality carcasses, solid wood doors and granite/corian worktops. Those 3 are going to be the biggest cost of the project.

I've managed to find reduce costs by designing a kitchen with minimal refurbishing/ rearranging of electrics. All the appliances are existing freestanding. So I'm look to see where to compromise on the following:

1. Carcasses - Choice is B&Q 18mm flatpack, Howdens prebuilt, Better Living's solid wood. I'm expecting price to increase in that order. Given the long life of the worktop, is B&Q up to the weight of solid granite, and does the Better Living solid wood actually offer something.

2. Doors - do I spend on solid wood (it is the most visible part of the kitchen appearance) or save have have effect with the options to replace in a year or so.

3. Worktops - online estimate is £1200 for granite, £2000 for corian. Is Corian worth the extra? I've managed to keep the price down by designing a kitchen that can be made from 4 slabs and involves no cutting out for sinks/hobs/etc.

Any opinions welcome :-)

Meepster

1 - B&Q carcases, although being 18mm, aren't the best quality, so I would advise against putting granite on them. Howdens carcases are better quality and you would be fine. I don't see the point of going for solid wood carcases, it's just extra expense that you don't need when a good quality MFC carcase is up to the job.

2 - You could save yourself a bit of money by getting veneered doors instead of solid wood, they look the same and last just as long (The PWS Broadoak door Atelier mentioned, is actually a solid wood frame, with a veneered centre panel) You could also look for doors made by Uform, (For example, the Kinsdale) which are usually slightly cheaper, or by Burbidge (For example, the Lansdowne) which are slightly more expensive.

3 - Corian is USUALLY around 20-25% cheaper than Granite, depending on the quality of the Granite, so I would check exactly what you have been quoted for (And yes, Corian does scratch far more easily than Granite, however, it is easier to keep clean) Why not go for Silestone? You get the anti-bacteria features of Corian, but with the strength and looks of Granite and is available in a much more comprehensive range of colours...

mvteng

Corian worktops look great, but they do scratch & mark easily. Especially noticeable if you choose a single colour

Jomo

A kitchen fitter told me that granite worktops are a !!!!!! to upkeep....

And if not done so properly, look rubbish!

Doozergirl

Jomo wrote: »

A kitchen fitter told me that granite worktops are a !!!!!! to upkeep....

And if not done so properly, look rubbish!

Anything not done properly looks rubbish

angelavdavis

I have Emerald Pearl granite, never had a single problem with them in the 6 years they have been down. They are on top of Howden (then MFI) units. We did re-enforce the kitchen island because it needed a huge piece of granite and so I didn't want to rely on the little feet that normally support the cupboards. We actually built a timber stand for the whole thing to sit on and then fixed the cupboards on top of this - its not going anywhere!

Personally, I would say get good doors (as cheap laminate can be affected by the heat and steam in the kitchen and stands to chip/scratch easily). Carcasses I would say go middle of the road - Howdens have stood up well to wear in our house and both my Mum and I are keen cooks.

I would also spend on worktops - buy the best you can afford. Finally, I would spend on a decent sink and tap - cheap never last.

CKdesigner

Hi, I am going to disagree with nearly everyone now!

Invest in the best riggid carcases with the best drawer boxes you can, this is going to give you the longest lasting kitchen. From a technical point, the door is the least important part of the kitchen but of course it is the part people think about the most as it is what you see. For example we sell a top end German made kitchen and on occasion I will visit an old customer and see a kitchen that is say over 15 years old and it still looks as good today as when it was installed, all the fronts still line up and close properly, that is the sign of true quality.

So my recommendation would be go for a flat panel laminate door (Price group 0 or 1) as it would be the hadest wearing and easiest to clean from the best kitchen manufacturer you can. Its kind of like going for a basic C class Mercedes rather than a top of the range Ford.

I do realize that everyone has budgets to work to but purchasing a new kitchen is the most important purchase you could possibly make for your home so I would always say try to make the least amount of compromises you can.

I agree with Mr Willetts - Silestone is an excellent choice of worktop. I would look at your prices for solid tops though as they seem very cheap, I would probably say too cheap! Like all things, there a good fabricators and not good ones and there is a huge difference.

Good luck.

lisahobden

CK - can you recommend a silestone supplier? I am trying to compare quotes for the new steel colour...

CKdesigner

lisahobden wrote: »

CK - can you recommend a silestone supplier? I am trying to compare quotes for the new steel colour...

Hi

We use Original Marble and Granite in Hertfordshire for our granite and Silestone worktops, they are excellent but only supply the trade like most of the better fabricators. I can only recommend OMG but you will not be able to purchase direct from them.

lisahobden

What a shame we cant buy from them - we are in Herts too!