Saving money on new kitchen worktop counters

JodyBPM

We spruced up our kitchen a year ago or so, by replacing the laminate worksurface (to a pale wood effect laminate), changing our sink (to a ceramic sink) and taps, and painting the cupboard doors. It looks great and is a really country style effect.

We bought the sink/taps/laminate from B&Q and IIRC it was only about £40 for each 3m length for the laminate. The sink and taps were a couple of hundred, I think. We went with B&Q because there is a big one nearish to us, so we could look at the various worksurfaces/sinks in the store before ordering. I believe we had to order the laminate for delivery, but that might just have been because we (obviously!) couldn't fit 3m lengths in the car!

The worksurfaces came out cleanly without damaging the wall tiles at all. However we didn't have any tiled worksurfaces.

A handy mate did the job for us, took him less than a weekend, and we bunged him £100. I think a skilled DIYer could do it easily enough.

sparkle76

Hi clivejohnson and JodyBPM, very helpful thank you - it looks like Homebase have them for £39.99 per 3m, we need 9 metres all in so hopefully could get 2x3 plus a 2m one maybe, but online it doesn't show any options for smaller ones. Thing is, soon as I want to update the counters, I will want to get rid of existing standalone electric oven that came with our place (which has massive gaps each side so food falls in there) and have an inbuilt countertop hob etc... more money!

Hopefully they'll be open today so we can check things out.

Jody we're doing the same as you I guess, because we had dark cupboard units on arrival and I have painted them all a cream colour with shabby chic handles. Then flooring (was carpet!) is to be replaced with vinyl and counters soon to be changed too. Sink and taps yet to be planned... is ceramic ok to clean? They seem quite pricey so we might have to go with stainless steel.