Where To splash Out And Where To Save On Your New Kitchen

Did you know, a new kitchen can cost more than £15,000? Once you add up the price of cabinets, appliances, worktops, tiles and addition work such as plumbing and electrics, it’s easy to see why. 

Of course, many of us don’t really have this level of budget to spend on one room. Planning wisely and targeting your spending on the essential areas will help you keep costs under control. This can help your new kitchen cost stay inside the £4,000 to £10,000 average. But what are the essential areas of the kitchen? Where should you splash your cash and where should you aim to save? Here’s some handy tips. 

Cabinets 

Over a third of your new kitchen budget is likely to go on your cabinets. Cutting your costs too much here can leave you with a kitchen that doesn’t last. So, it’s worth spending a little more if you need to replace your cabinets. 

If your carcasses are sound, then you can get away with just changing the doors. But if you really need new cabinets, consider fitting just base units and sticking with simple shelving on the walls. This could halve your costs. 

To save even more money, it’s worth getting quotes from local fitters rather than simply going with the fitters offered to you by the kitchen company. In some cases, this can save you £1,000 to £2,000.

If you’ve got your heart set on a high-end kitchen but the price tag is too much, consider shopping for a pre-loved or ex-display kitchen instead. There are a number of reputable companies who specialise in selling these. Often, they’ll quality check the kitchens and offer fitting services too, saving you any headaches. 

If you want an island, you can lower costs by keeping it simple. Not having a hob or sink in your island means there’ll be no hefty electrical and plumbing costs. 

Appliances

Appliances are another area of the kitchen that’s costly. Typically, we spend around 15% of our budget on appliances, so it’s not a small sum. Although it’s not wise to skimp on this part of your kitchen either, you can’t simply assume that the higher the price, the better the product. 

With some high-end appliance brands, you’ll typically pay more just for the name and the eye-catching design. Instead, focus your attention on the sizing, energy efficiency and the practicality of each appliance. 

For instance, a designer fridge-freezer may look attractive but that’s no good if the compartments aren’t roomy enough. Similarly, a range cooker is a big investment in itself but you also need to factor in whether it needs a specialist installation and whether you also need a flue fitting. Some also need to be on all the time, so you also need to factor in the running costs. 

Always check recent reviews for the quality and dependability of appliances you’re considering, to be sure you’re spending your money wisely. 

Worktops

It’s possible to save money on your worktop. Although, you still need to make sure you pick something that’s durable and easy to maintain as this area of your kitchen is exposed to a lot of manual activity. You need to bear in mind that materials such as laminate can chip and scratch and wood can easily get damaged without a lot of care. 

Quartz and granite are two of the most hard wearing options but they’re not the cheapest. So, to save money, it’s worth shopping around. Don’t limit yourself to kitchen and DIY retailers as you can usually buy worktops straight from the manufacturer, helping you to cut out the middleman. 

Going for a slightly thinner quartz worktop of 20mm over a 30mm version can save you around £150 per metre. Keeping designs simple, so fitting is cheaper, is another way to make worktops more cost-effective. 

Flooring 

Kitchen flooring doesn’t need to be expensive either. This is one area where you can often achieve a stylish look using more affordable products. And you don’t necessarily need to compromise on durability.  

For instance, you could use a stone effect tile rather than natural flagstones. Or you could choose a wood effect vinyl or ceramic tile instead of going for a solid wood floor. Solid wood floors can cost between £100 and £200 per m², engineered wood flooring is a little less at £40 to £70 per m² and wood-effect tiles are typically priced between £20 and £50m². All are durable and stylish options that achieve similar results but the material costs are significantly different, especially when you’re covering a large area. 

Splashbacks

Splashbacks are a great place to save money when you’re fitting a new kitchen. If you’re tiling your splashbacks, then shop around or wait for the sales to get the look you want for less. 

You could also consider sticking with white tiles. These are timeless, so you won’t need to change them in a hurry and they usually cost less than on-trend designs. Typically, you’ll only pay between £10 and £15 per m². 

Using a herringbone, vertical or stacked tiling pattern and colourful grout and attractive edging strips can make them look more expensive or fashionable. If you only need one or two rows of tiles, then you can probably lay these yourself, saving you some extra costs.

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