Replace entire kitchen or not??

cscou

Hi - i'm buying my first flat and will be moving in a couple of weeks. The seller has confirmed none of the white goods/appliances in the kitchen are included in the sale and she's taking them with her.

The kitchen needs some work anyway which I was planning to do with a bit of DIY and decorating. Was also considering replacing the counter tops and moving the sink.

However, now I need to buy all new appliances, i'm wondering if it would be more cost effective to simply get a whole new kitchen? Because by the time i've bought all the individual appliances and done some work on the kitchen on my own, i'm wondering if the price would come in about the same.

Does anyone have any advice or thoughts on this?
Thanks

kripel

it just depends in what state your kitchen is in. when we bought a house it had some terrible looking cabinets and countertop we were ready to take out, but than while painting some other stuff nearby i got some paint on them by accident and the idea was born- just to repaint the old ones in really good quality white paint along with some new knobs and it turned out just fantastic,the same quality/style which would have cost thousands in shop ,also just changed the countertops to a new ones and we had a brand new kitchen for less than 150! also the old cooker/ cooker top and fridge looked total crap so we got a new used ones in more or less perfect nick from ebay for another 120quid.

what was supposed to be a 4-5k job turned out to be just around £250

barnaclebill

Are you thinking of built in units?
Some kitchen firms offer some 'free' white goods if they do your kitchen of course it is probably factored in to the cost so not 'free' at all.
If you have free standing appliances usually in white and as white kitchen units are popular at present so easy to find in most DIY places or if the present units are good just new doors and handles will make a big difference

choccyface2006

kripel wrote: »

it just depends in what state your kitchen is in. when we bought a house it had some terrible looking cabinets and countertop we were ready to take out, but than while painting some other stuff nearby i got some paint on them by accident and the idea was born- just to repaint the old ones in really good quality white paint along with some new knobs and it turned out just fantastic,the same quality/style which would have cost thousands in shop ,also just changed the countertops to a new ones and we had a brand new kitchen for less than 150! also the old cooker/ cooker top and fridge looked total crap so we got a new used ones in more or less perfect nick from ebay for another 120quid.

what was supposed to be a 4-5k job turned out to be just around £250

Hi, can I ask what kind of paint you used and did you sand and prime first?

Thanks!

kripel

choccyface2006 wrote: »

Hi, can I ask what kind of paint you used and did you sand and prime first?

Thanks!

Used International furniture/cupboard paint ( though the brand is no longer existing as of now 2years later :mad: as it was just superb quality and cost like 8quid/liter ) ,
no sanding really needed if you got a decent paint, but i warn you- Most of the paints are total crap Im not even sure why are they even making paints like that :eek:
Im sure there are some other furniture/cupboard paints but havent got a need now to paint anything so wouldn't know.

cscou

Thanks everyone. Maybe a whole new kitchen isn't worth it.
It is very tempting just to paint the cabinets etc and looking on ebay for second hand white goods is a great idea. I won't be living in this flat forever, probably just a few years so it doesn't need investment that will last 10-20 years.

cscou

kripel wrote: »

also just changed the countertops to a new ones and we had a brand new kitchen for less than 150!

May I ask what countertops you went for and where from? Was it a time consuming/difficult job?

kripel

cscou wrote: »

May I ask what countertops you went for and where from? Was it a time consuming/difficult job?

there were some on special prices at wickes , and no ,not at all time consuming ,can be done in few hours and not hard at all even for first time.
If you are just living there for few years than yeah it would be nuts to spend that kind of money, but trust me the end-result won't be much of a difference if your current cabinets are still decent enough and aren't in some weird shape/style.

any pics of current?


also it doesnt hurts to try at first, paint is like 10quid and will take you like 2hours to do,just don't get some cheap asda paint and you will be good.
Also new door knobs is a must have! Check on ebay for some really cheap ones, I got like 20 turned pine for 6pounds, in local Homebase they charged 11pounds for just a pack of 2 same knobs,lol.

AlexMac

Your idea to have a go at a cheap re-furb on the kitchen is a great one, as quite apart from the cash saving, and if you're up for it, you'll develop skills which potentially, will save you £thousands in years to come.

I'm no expert, but I've refurbished and fitted several DIY kitchens for myself or the kids over the years; anything from refreshing doors, knobs and tops to a full strip out with new carcasses. I get a plumber, gasfitter or electrician in to do the legal bits, connect hobs, etc, but have (probably illegally) relocated the odd power socket.

In my current house, because there were lots of wall and base units, I just replaced the old doors. These were a standard size, so I used B&Q ones, albeit that I had to relocate the hinges on the cupboards (the doors have fixed pre-drilled hinge positioning). I even got a trade discount by applying for a tradepoint card, or you could find a tame pensioner and get their 10% Wednesday discount which I also now enjoy as a registered old codger!

On a smaller job however, with fewer base or wall units, you might find it more economic to chuck everything away and start with new carcasses too; These only cost £20-£40 as the cost tends to be in the doors. I fitted a small new kitchen in a tiny flat for just a few hundred pounds

As regrds

cscou wrote: »

May I ask what countertops you went for and where from? Was it a time consuming/difficult job?

Getting an old worktop off is do-able but can be tricky without damaging the carcasses below, adjacent walls, tiling, etc. You can disguise this with strips of splashback if you're not up to re-tiling although that isn't rocket science. New worktops vary enormously in price, and I've found IKEA's to be among the best for qaulity and value, although they (like their incredibly cheap base and wall units & doors) differ in size & depth from the kind you get in B&Q, Wickes, Howdens, etc.

Once, I ordered a few bits of (again amazingly cheap) custom-made IKEA laminate work-top exactly the right sizes and popped these on top of the existing worktop, with simple butt-joints and a line of mastic on the corners. It sounds bodged, but in practice, it looked perfect, even compared with proper carpentered and glued l-shaped joints. The IKEA tops come with fully laminated, waterproofed edges and they'll even do the cut outs for hobs and sinks if preferred. IKEA and their delivery services are a nightmare to deal with, but their quality and prices are great.

Give it a go!

MrsDom

No matter what you decide whether to remodel the existing kitchen or buy the new one, you should know what your would-be kitchen will look like in the end. So that try to make a sketch or design your kitchen yourself as no one but you are going to spend time there and you'd better to like this place;)
There are lots of applications which may be very handy when planning your kitchen.
I like 3D kitchen constructor. It has a great number of cabinets and lots of colours are available.
For instance, you may have a look at my project: prodboard.eu/kitchen/#project-sample-6