How often do people replace their kitchen these days?

no1catman

Depends on why you would wish to change it. Just because it's old - no personally wouldn't for that.


The question should be -IMHO - does it still meet your needs - which may change over time.


Moving, can be a catalyst for a new one, but then why buy a house with a crap kitchen!?
When, I moved several years ago, quite content with the kitchen, though took advantage of a water pipe leak, to change the work-tops, had the wall re-tilled, and a karn dean floor - still look and go WOW.


It also depends on taste - I look at some of the modern/contemporary - and think yuk - too sterile - much prefer 'traditional'.

Jamiesmum

I've never changed my units or the placement of units yet but have done work top, sink, taps, cupboard handles and the window sill once, and re tiled and flooring twice in the current house but we've not lived here too long so it's more of a fix for a few years.

Units will need changing in about 5/6 years I guess we will get the whole thing done then but I would pick wisely and expect that too be the last time for a long long time, rather chuck loads of money in and have it last.

My nan on the other hand likes a fresh kitchen every 5 years or so. But she has 'her' television in there a bar and stools and likes it. So I guess it depends on the person.

London_Town

Jamiesmum wrote: »

I've never changed my units or the placement of units yet but have done work top, sink, taps, cupboard handles and the window sill once, and re tiled and flooring twice in the current house but we've not lived here too long so it's more of a fix for a few years.

Units will need changing in about 5/6 years I guess we will get the whole thing done then but I would pick wisely and expect that too be the last time for a long long time, rather chuck loads of money in and have it last.

My nan on the other hand likes a fresh kitchen every 5 years or so. But she has 'her' television in there a bar and stools and likes it. So I guess it depends on the person.

Your nan sounds fantastic and full of life. Does she have the whole lot re-done every 5 years or so, or just the tiling and doors?

moneyistooshorttomention

London_Town wrote: »

I had my kitchen replaced last year. I've got a kitchen diner in a two bedroomed home and it cost me about £6000. The guarantee is for something like 25 years which is a very long time indeed.

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Now I wouldn't regard a 25 year guarantee on something like that as "a very long time indeed". I would be expecting my kitchen to last - at least - that long.

I had to put a kitchen in in the first place in my last house (a "starter") and didn't intend to replace it ever. I was going to sell the house anyway less than 10 years after buying it in the first place. But - even though I didn't eventually sell it until over 25 years after I had bought it - I still didn't expect to have to replace the kitchen.

It was necessary, in the event, for it to be replaced then - as it was pretty much starting to fall to bits (from MFI:cool:). I left it for the next owner to replace - and had to charge appropriately less for the place.

Kitchen in current house is still the one put in by previous owner and in a style that was already 20 years out of date at the time she did so. Its between 10-15 years old and needs replacing because she got a cheap one and so I can see its a bit worse for wear already and I reckon it will "limp on" for a maximum of 5 more years. If she had got a decent one then I would expect not to replace it for years yet and hope not to have to replace it ever (I'm in my 60s - so reckon I need about 20 years from a kitchen).

When I get the money to replace that kitchen - I will be buying a decent-quality one in a timeless style and that will be that and I wont ever replace it again.

BTW - where did you buy a kitchen with a "25 year guarantee" on it? (as that might be good enough quality for me).

Davesnave

Kitchens and bathrooms sell houses, so it could be worthwhile upgrading them, even if they are still functional.

The kitchen we stripped out of here was made in 1988, but I have a feeling it was installed second-hand. Being solid oak, the doors are still capable of being used for projects elsewhere, and most of the carcasses were still in good condition. Carcasses of reasonable quality, installed correctly, have a very long lifespan.

We didn't keep the kitchen because we made huge alterations to the room it was in, but it would also have gone if it had been modern and such a dark colour. A north-facing kitchen is a good thing to have, but unless the windows are massive, having something that absorbs so much light is unwise.

missbiggles1

I think it depends on whether you can put in the kitchen you really want when you first get it done.

I've owned this house for 11 years and, when we bought it, there was no kitchen at all so we put in a rudimentary set up of work surface, sink and drainer with white goods underneath and bookshelves for storage. A year or so later we put in mainly second hand units with a new work surface, tiling, sink and taps.

Four years ago we bought some new doors and a couple of new units and work surface but kept the existing tiles, sink and taps - planning that this would pretty well be a forever kitchen. However, the work surface is now lifting at the edges and I've gone off the tiles so I'm pondering either changing those or ripping the whole thing out and starting again with a new layout - with a view to selling in a couple of years time. We've probably spent a total of about £3/4K in those years.

I don't think that this is particularly typical but I certainly have friends who've achieved the kitchen they want in stages rather than all at once, partly for financial reasons but also because they've needed to live in the house for a time while their plans evolved and clarified.

dirty_magic

EssexExile wrote: »

Everytime we move into another old wreck of a house. So in 40 years that's thrice. If you've chosen wisely I can't think why you'd change it, unless you bought something that was "in fashion" of course, in which case you'll need to change it next year.

I agree, I think people change them more because they get dated than because they're not functional any more. I wanted ours to last as long as possible, so we picked a higher quality traditional range.

I don't know if we'll stay here, but if we do I hope it'll last at least 20 years.

SailorSam

My last house was a 'new build', and about 4/5yts old when i moved in. 25yrs later i renewed the kitchen. This house is about 75/80yrs old but had had a new kitchen about 5yrs before i moved in, that was 8yrs ago, so i think of it as new. And i'll probably have my toes curled up and be 6' under before it's changed again.

Jamiesmum

London_Town wrote: »

Your nan sounds fantastic and full of life. Does she have the whole lot re-done every 5 years or so, or just the tiling and doors?

The whole lot is usually gutted and redone. She may keep the appliances though it depends on what deals she can get at the time. She is very outspoken so rarely spends above her limit. But I think she budgets quite high. She got it for 13k in late 2010.

She keeps going on about haggard it's looking and to me, it's still brand new.

Waterlily24

We moved into a bungalow in 1975 when we fitted a new kitchen, the bungalow was up for sale recently with the same kitchen cupboards and worktops. They had changed the cooker and put different handles on the cabinet doors. It was a Wrighton kitchen in bright orange lol eek.