Budget kitchen

Firsthouse19

I’m moving into my first house in a few months. I need to get a new kitchen. However I’m on a budget and only want to pay up to 5k including fitting. Just wondered if anyone had recommendations for where to look?. Also is there anyway I can keep the cost down. For example I was thinking about getting a kitchen from Ikea, building all the units myself and then hiring someone to fit them. Obviously I’d need someone to also fit appliances too but if I built the units would that keep the cost down?.

Is there anywhere that I should avoid?. I saw a nice kitchen in B&Q but I’ve also read a few bad reviews about them.

Thanks in advance.

Doozergirl

Your Ikea idea is a good one. Great value for money, you can soend your own time assembling and get someone to fit it and hang the doors properly.

I have found amazing kitchens on eBay in the past. Most notably a Mereway kitchen used only for a photoshoot, with full luxury upgrades with lighting and glass drawers etc for £500

onomatopoeia99

My kitchen was second hand from ebay, three years old and out of a second home that was being extended and the ground floor completely redesigned. It had barely been used and was in really good condition. £1500 including good quality appliances, and a current range from the manufacturer so I was able to buy a couple more units to finish it off - I saw the bill from when they bought it new, £11,000 for supply only.

So don't discount second hand but you would need to make sure it will fit your space and some way of moving it, as kitchens are big and heavy once assembled.

Fire_Fox

Welcome to MSE.

Do you definitely need a completely new kitchen? Are the carcasses in poor condition? Do consider the space needed to make up and store the new units before they are fitted.

Could you replace some components - doors/ worktops/ tiles/ flooring - but retain the carcasses? This saves mess and disruption, not just money. Freestanding appliances may be cheaper to purchase, and save on fitting, compared to built in.

Could you refinish the existing doors, drawer fronts and end panels yourself? Painting is a popular choice, but modern 'sticky back plastic' may be worth considering. The B&M Stores channel on YouTube has several 'how to' videos using one such product (DC Fix).

HTH.

kpwll

Our daughter had a new kitchen just before Xmas, it was from Howdens. Without appliances the units, cooker hood & worktops came to £2000. Fitting by a carpenter cost £600 and she chose free-standing appliances. The carpenter said the units were good quality and not flimsy. The units are supplied built and just require the doors, drawers and shelves to be fitted. Worth a look.
Tiles, flooring and lights (inc fitting) were extra.


Good luck.

knightstyle

Go round local kitchen suppliers and see if they will sell any discontinued units or ex-display ones. My DW and I dismantled a display once on a Sunday afternoon as they had a new one being fitted on Monday.
We got a great kitchen plus dresser for £800, took it to France for our house there. Only problem was we had to make new worktops but the old ones were useful in the workshop.

trailingspouse

Congratulations on your new home.



Do you 'need' a new kitchen in the sense that there is no kitchen in your new house?


Or do you'need' a new kitchen in the sense that there's an old one and you want a new one?


I'm going to assume that your house already has a kitchen... You're not going to be able to do much with £5000. I have a tiny kitchen, and I bought mid-range units from Homebase - with the white goods, tiling, plastering and fitting, it cost me £11,000 5 years ago. Here's a suggestion - rather than spending £5,000 on something that is likely to be a bit rubbish, give your existing kitchen the once-over - deep clean, fix the wonky doors, paint the walls, change the blinds and the light fittings and colour co-ordinate the towels etc. Then save like billy-o for a year or two, and get the kitchen you really want.

Firsthouse19

The house I’m moving into doesn’t have a kitchen. It has a sink unit and a freestanding cooker so yes I do need a new kitchen. Thanks for all the replies.