HELP!!! I need a new kitchen
You may be thinking "where do I start and who do I ask to install my new kitchen?" If you are considering a new kitchen it's a daunting prospect and you've probably been thinking about it for a long time. In this article we will aim to help you with some advice in this difficult and stressful decision and help you take the right steps.
What we have written below comes from our extensive experience in the kitchen industry and some of the scenarios we mention below are first hand experiences from members of our team and from previous customer experiences.
How much will a new kitchen cost?
You're probably thinking that a new kitchen will be a very expensive outlay and yes you're right, it can be extremely expensive but it can also be a surprisingly good price with the right advice and products you could save yourself a lot of money. There are some companies that can get you a kitchen for a ridiculously low price but we know that in this industry you pay for what you get and a cheap kitchen will be a low quality kitchen.
The cost of your new kitchen will be dependant on a number factors including:
- Quality of your units and worktops.
- The amount of units and size of worktop.
- The quality of your appliances such as cooker, hob and fridge freezer.
- The cost of installation.
- Additional electrical work.
- Additional plumbing work.
- Tiling.
Getting the right company to design and install a kitchen needs to be the right choice as the kitchen is such an important part of a home and if you are spending money to refurbish your kitchen you need to be sure it's done right and done well.
Where do I start?
If you are at the stage where you want to get the "new kitchen" ball rolling there are a number of places you can start looking. There a few large kitchen places out there which can give you some great ideas and get you started. It's always a good idea to just go and see some kitchens to begin with, this will point you in the right direction. Unfortunately more often than most these places are extremely generic in their ideas and products, it's the same with most large companies; they can't cater for everyone which means they're not customised or bespoke but by going to one of these places you will get more of an idea of what you want so it's a great first step to get the ball rolling.
The downside of actually commissioning one of the large companies is that the person designing your kitchen may have limited experience and are only going by their basic training and what the kitchen design software they're using is telling them. Also because these companies are so big, customer service isn't very good and you won't get the personal service you deserve. This combined with their generic range will not give you the best results.
With a smaller firm you will have one person to talk to from start to finish where you can develop a rapport with. They will come to you in your home and get a good feel about you, your family and your environment, a large company will need you to go to them and you need to measure your kitchen yourself. Also in these larger companies a person will only come to you once, this is to confirm that your measurements are correct and that the kitchen you have spent so many hours in front of a computer in store with the "new guy" actually fits. More often than most there is a slight error in measurements and this could mean another few hours in store to reconfigure the design. A slight error in measurements can have a big knock on effect on your whole kitchen.
At Expert Crew we come to you and talk to you on a personal level about what YOU REALLY want, not what you have to have because that's all we've got. We have a very experienced kitchen designer who will listen to your needs and suggest lots of great ideas for you too make your kitchen perfect. We have a fully bespoke approach and will ensure that you are happy from start to finish. A majority of our kitchen refurbishment projects are from word of mouth and we aim to keep this up for many years to come.
Who do I get to install my kitchen?
If you go to one of the large companies to install your kitchen you will more often then most get a qualified and competent kitchen installer who is good at what he does. The major downside to getting a kitchen from these big firms is that the installer will most probably only get the designs a few days before the date of the install and may not even look at them until the day of the install. Also the installer has never seen your house before so when he arrives to install your kitchen there will more than likely be something on the designs or that he is unsure about which could lead to confusion. The installer is also very pricey due to the fact that there is certain amount of commission to be paid back to the company from the installation cost.
With the large companies your kitchen will be delivered around a week or two before the installation date which means having a completely packed house for some time and to top it off you are asked to make sure that everything has arrived. This is a big ask as there is no way of really knowing this 100% until you open every box and packet, even if you do go down the delivery note one by one ticking off all the packages that are large, small and sometimes loose. So there may be an error in the kitchen delivery and this won't be apparent until the installer has a look through. If there is an error then a re delivery will need to be arranged which will add to the delay of the kitchen completion.
With The Expert Crew this won't happen. Firstly our kitchen installer is fully briefed in good time so they are fully aware of the job in hand with no surprises on the installation day. All packages and delivery are checked prior to installation and will either arrive with the installer the day of the install or the day before the kitchen is installed.
What if I need new flooring and extra lights to go with my lovely new kitchen?
If your kitchen needs new cupboards, drawers and appliances then the large companies can help you but if you need new tiling, new floor, some electrical work and some additional plumbing work (due to the sink being moved for example) they can't help you. The Expert Crew we have our very own highly skilled team; our carpenters will install the cupboards and drawers, our tilers will tile your walls and floor, our electricians will move/add sockets and add more lights and our plumbers will compete anything related to water eg the sink and dishwasher etc. these additional jobs will be added to the overall quote for your new kitchen so there are no extra costs further down the line which you haven't budgeted for.
Our kitchen designer will talk to you in depth about a potential kitchen reconfiguration. This can mean moving your current layout around to either maximise space or improve fluidity of your kitchen. This can potentially lead onto additional spot lights or moving your lights to work better with your kitchen, lights under your wall mounted cupboards or extra lights around the kitchen in really cool places to give your kitchen a really modern feel. You may also need additional plug sockets strategically placed around the kitchen for your appliances and so you can charge your mobiles and tablets in a convenient way.
What does a kitchen need?
The most important factor of a kitchen are your appliances. You need to ensure that your cooker, oven, microwave, fridge/freezer and dishwasher are positioned well and easily accessible. The positioning of these appliances will govern how your kitchen will be laid out and designed. We mustn't forget your sink and taps and once the appliances and sink have been arranged you can then start thinking about the next factor which is storage.
You need adequate cupboards and draws to store all your cutlery, crockery and food amongst a lot of other things. You will need floor and wall mounted storage facilities which come in a number of different formats and sizes. It is important to maximise your space in your kitchen if you have lots of things to store and the great thing about this is there are some really cool ways to store things. All appliances can be fully integrated into your cupboards for a slick and discreet feel.
The next important factor you must think about is your worktop space. You need adequate space to be able to prepare meals and do things on eg have a cuppa or eat. Worktops are normally positioned on top of your floor mounted cupboards and draws and sometimes double up as a breakfast bar. Worktops come in a number of different materials including wood (which is cheap) and granite (which is expensive). There are some other alternatives such as Quartz which is similar to granite but not as expensive.
List of appliances that a kitchen needs.
- Cooker/hob
- Oven
- Hood/extractor
- Microwave
- Fridge
- Freezer
- Dishwasher
- Kettle
- Toaster
Additional extra appliances a kitchen could have.
- Wine chiller
- Plate warmer
We hope that our guide to a new kitchen was useful and has helped you in some way. Please feel free to contact us for any questions you may have.
The Expert Crew have refurbished and fitted many kitchens and are very proud of our work. We have plenty of happy customers that are always recommending us to friends and family. Please check out some of our previous kitchen projects here or have a read through of our testimonials here. You can also simply fill in our contact form at the bottom of this page for a free no obligation quote where our kitchen designer will come and visit you and have a chat about what you want.
Click here to view our KITCHEN REFURBISHMENT, BESPOKE KITCHEN DESIGN AND INSTALLATION article
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