Kitchen on a budget..

maisie_cat

phill99 wrote: »

I run a company fitting kitchens and bathrooms. Fitting expensive solid wood worktops on an old kitchen is being penny wise and pound foolish. If the carcasses are old, they will soon start to fail and you will end up having to start again.


My advice would be to save some more money and do the whole thing properly when funds allow.

It depends on how old the carcasses are whether there is water damage or not. I've replaced worktops on old carcasses a few times, then painted the doors etc. I have only ever seen carcasses "fail" with extreme water damage

onomatopoeia99

Lee77uk wrote: »

Hi, we have recently purchased our first house. The kitchen is old but functional.

Unless the money is burning a hole in your pocket, live with it until you can afford to install a new kitchen that is entirely what you want, rather than a compromise.

Lee77uk

Thank you for all your replies... still debating what to do.. need to do some more research/shopping around

rach_k

Ikea kitchens are very well priced. I love mine.

Do look into the pros and cons of solid wood worktops but don't let others sway you with their preferences alone. We have solid oak and, yes, it does take work to keep it nice but I'm happy with that. It helps that I like the slightly 'bashed around' look so the few knocks it's had so far just add character IMO.

Doozergirl

Have a look at the Used Kitchen Company and the Used Kitchen Exchange online. They sell
Used and ex-displays kitchens.

Also eBay. I once bought a Mereway kitchen that had only been used for a photoshoot, for £500. The quality was phenomenal with lighting inside and glass undersides to cabinets to ambiently light worktops. Not something you find often, but still one of my best bargains.

You're bit looking for an identical match to the kitchen layout you want, you need to arrange the units to fit into yours. Something bigger will help with a bit of flexibility and you can use an online planner to help arrange what is included in the kitchen you spot.

GDB2222

I have replaced the worktops in two kitchens in the last six months. It’s easier than you would think. I haven’t used solid wood, though. A couple of lengths of laminate worktop can be had for £50-100 each.

The main difficulty is the corner join, but there are companies that will supply the worktop pre-cut to size and pre-cut the corner joint. All you have to do is bolt the two parts together and screw it to the carcass. They will even cut holes for the hob and sink.

Our kitchen is now 22 years old, and there’s nothing wrong with the carcasses. The doors are painted, and they can do with a new lick of paint.

GDB2222

https://www.worktop-express.co.uk/

These people are the first that google found. No idea whether they are any good at worktops, but they are obviously good at SEO.

babyblade41

GDB2222 wrote: »

https://www.worktop-express.co.uk/

These people are the first that google found. No idea whether they are any good at worktops, but they are obviously good at SEO.

I have Oak work tops and bought the last lot from worktop express, they, at the time were excellent value.

After having a myriad of surfaces from laminate to granite I actually prefer the oak by far.

Yes they do take some looking after but any damage then sand and oil again.

Within a week of having mine, OH left an indelible marker with the top off causing a massive splodge

I did a quick sand and oiled it up and all done.

I do like the natural aspect of the wood , it gives a warmth to the kitchen.. I also have got some hardwood off cuts of yew and replaced the window cills ..

However I don't like generic kitchens and love the originality of mine so possibly not for everyone

phoebe1989seb

babyblade41 wrote: »

I have Oak work tops and bought the last lot from worktop express, they, at the time were excellent value.

After having a myriad of surfaces from laminate to granite I actually prefer the oak by far.

Yes they do take some looking after but any damage then sand and oil again.

Within a week of having mine, OH left an indelible marker with the top off causing a massive splodge

I did a quick sand and oiled it up and all done.

I do like the natural aspect of the wood , it gives a warmth to the kitchen.. I also have got some hardwood off cuts of yew and replaced the window cills ..

However I don't like generic kitchens and love the originality of mine so possibly not for everyone

We've fitted (ourselves, not a kitchen fitter) three kitchens with teak/iroko worktops and - whilst they require more upkeep than some - we've never found them too much of a pita and having previously had two kitchens with granite, we prefer the look of natural wood.

Our current iroko came from worktop express who were far cheaper than a small independent kitchen retailer we got our previous lot (but not our cabinets) from. I do think the quality is slightly less good though, but like a previous poster, we don't mind an aged look.

We also prefer quirky, non-generic kitchens - and interiors generally - and have bought two of our last three (rigid cabinet) kitchens from an independent showroom that we found on eBay whilst our current cabinets came from Handmade Kitchens Direct. We painted them ourselves and customised by adding vintage cupboards/ones built by DH. We found these suppliers' prices compared favourably with some of the larger retailers selling flatpack units.

eBay is definitely worth perusing for ex display/second hand bargains and small retailers surprisingly selling for less than their larger competitors.......

FreeBear

GDB2222 wrote: »

The main difficulty is the corner join, but there are companies that will supply the worktop pre-cut to size and pre-cut the corner joint.

A properly mitred joint can make or break a kitchen. Just don't use those abominable jointing strips that the likes of MFI used to love...
If your walls are not straight and/or out of square, it is well worth scribing the back of the worktop to get a close fit - If you're tiling or adding an upstand, no need to scribe.