Rescuing a VERY cruddy kitchen on a budget?

Queen_Geraldine

Hello everyone,

I'm new here so I hope I'm observing the correct protocol!:)

My hubby and I are in the process of buying a house which needs a fair bit of cosmetic work, most notably to the kitchen which is pretty disgusting. However, we haven't got much money left and we've got a baby on the way in October so we need to get it into a livable state over the summer.

Sadly I can't post links so I can't put a picture of the state of the kitchen in but it is galley style with melamine cabinets (beech veneer front, white sides), stained worktop, some of the drawer and cupboard fronts look to have sustained water damage and are bulging/peeling. Fitted gas oven/hob and stainless steel sink. Everything old and grimy - use your imagination!

We can't afford a new fitted kitchen so as far as i can see our options are tearing out the existing kitchen cabinets/sink etc and getting a new sink unit fitted and managing with a second hand dresser etc for the rest, or else deep cleaning and painting the existing cabinets, maybe getting a bit of new worktop... I don't know! We are both young and of more of a hippy than yuppie persuasion so happy with an unusual kitchen so long as it is hygienic. We can do a bit of DIY and have friends who will lend a hand, but not sure about fitting an entire kitchen! Obviously we are not plumbers/electricians either!

This is our first time owning anywhere so this is all new to us. Any advice gratefully received:)

***Should also mention that our budget will be around £2500 for the kitchen including washing machine, fridge, and new oven if we rip the old one out.****

martin2345uk

Hi,
you can't post links but you can post "broken" ones i.e. without the http://www bit at the start, so people could still see your kitchen and be in a better position to advise :-)

Queen_Geraldine

Thank you martin2345uk !!!

Picture here:
//i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o758/QueenGeraldine/cruddy-kitchen_zpsaae04180.jpg

Add the http : bit

Editing to add, if that pic doesn't work then the listing for the house is here:
rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-43465573.html

Kitchen pic is 5th one in.

Doozergirl

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-43465573.html

Can I ask if you've budgeted for other work? Those are very old school radiators and by the rest of the house Im guessing you will need a quick upgrade to the boiler and the electrics. No one ever seems to account for blown plaster but its very likely in that age of house that it will all need replastering.

Buying off the shelf kitchen cabinets when they are in a special sale at B&Q is pretty cost effective. Build the cabinets yourself and pay someone to fit them properly. I've managed a similar sized kitchen for around £400 for units and worktop. Ikea sells the cheapest worktop I've found anywhere, but you can search for cheap offcuts in B&Q by the wood cutting tools.

eBay is a great source for people on a budget. People often replace perfectly good quality kitchens with new ones and sell them on ebay - you can get the units and rearrange them in your house, buy new worktops etc and you're away. It doesn't happen every day, but I bought a Mereway kitchen for £500, ex-photoshoot.

If you do go with new units, then you can easily pick up attractive looking appliances for £50 or so. No bother about warranties etc at that price.

It's achievable, you can get a brand new kitchen, you just need to be very savvy about it.

Queen_Geraldine

Thank you! Now, please, nobody gazump me!!

Poppycat

Habbakuk

Can't you just keep the existing carcasses and give them a good clean....maybe paint and then add new doors etc? There are companies which do this ie just sell the doors to put on the carcasses. I think B & Q does.

For me, that's an expensive property but then again it seems cheap for London. What's the area like?

Doozergirl

Edited my post above with some advice

Doozergirl

Habbakuk wrote: »

Can't you just keep the existing carcasses and give them a good clean....maybe paint and then add new doors etc? There are companies which do this ie just sell the doors to put on the carcasses. I think B & Q does.

For me, that's an expensive property but then again it seems cheap for London. What's the area like?

Really not the best area either, but there you go. You cut your cloth to suit.

I used to live in Crystal Palace, rented in South Norwood a few times with friends when I first moved out of home.

Queen_Geraldine

Poppycat - thank you!

Habbakuk - that is a good idea about getting new door/drawer fronts.

Would just replacing the superficial elements be my best bet then, do you think, i.e. new doors and maybe a new worktop? I think I might be being to precious about this kitchen. When we were looking round I opened the cupboard under the sink and it was empty except for a huge knife :eek: I'm now convinced that it was a concealed murder weapon and don't fancy any of the kitchen much!!!

WestonDave

If the carcasses are OK then I'd leave them. When we bought our house we had sound carcasses but some green mottled monstrosity doors and drawer fronts on it. We didn't have the funds to change it so were going to put up with it until on a chance visit to B&Q we discovered that their cheapest range included a pack of "cherry modern" drawer and door front for about £15. Now the obvious problem is that the hinge positions don't line up, but provided the old doors have the standard kitchen hinges (circular fitting into the door clipping onto a mount on the carcass) its not rocket science to redrill holes in the carcass in the right place to line up with the hinge positions on the doors. Put some half decent handles on them and that's the drawer/door fronts done. (I think there is at least one alternative to the cherry modern at a similar rock bottom price - make sure you get them when they have a deal on as they are double the price when not!). You can then save your budget for new worktops with sink and maybe a stand alone cooker on that side. Knock the tiles off and see what you can find as a bargain somewhere - tile shops often have half packs or low stock lines that with some imagination you can blend together to create a workable design. Floor looks OK.