Fitted Kitchens - A complete buying guide

Adding a new kitchen to your home is an exciting prospect. While many of us start to think about design and décor first, one of the most critical parts of the planning phase is budget. Your finances will determine what type of kitchen you can afford and dictate the choices you make throughout the process.

How much is a new kitchen? It depends on what work you want to complete. Minor adjustments, like new cabinets and worktops, are likely to be much cheaper than a full kitchen extension with updates to all your appliances.

To decide your budget, it’s a good idea to ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you going to strip out your kitchen and start from scratch?
• Do you want brand new kitchen cabinets and worktops?
• Are you planning a kitchen extension?
• Do you need to move the gas or water source?
• Do you want new appliances?
• What type of accessories (like taps, extractor fans and sinks) do you want?
• What type of flooring, doors and lighting do you want?
• Will you fit your new kitchen yourself or hire professional help?
• What other trades (like electricians, plasterers or gas engineers) will you need?
• Do you want other furniture, like dining tables, islands or bar stools in your space?

1. Flatpack

Flatpack fitted kitchens are ideal for those on a budget as they tend to be cheaper than custom options. If you choose to do it yourself, be sure that you’re confident in your construction abilities and that you can put together your new kitchen safely.

It is also worth bearing in mind that flat pack kitchens offer less flexibility for layouts and custom designs. To ensure that everything fits correctly, you’ll need to measure and plan your kitchen very carefully.

The cooking zone
This is likely to include your hob, oven, extractor, and pots and pans storage.

The preparation zone
This may include your refrigerator, preparation worktops, pantry cupboard space, and crockery storage.

The washing-up zone
You may want to include your sink, draining area, dishwasher and cleaning product storage here.

The dining zone
If you are planning a kitchen diner, you may want to include a breakfast bar area, dining table space, bar area, and cups/glasses storage nearby.

It’s usually best to have the cooking, preparation, and washing up zone within easy reach of each other.

Many subscribe to the ‘work triangle’ school of thought when planning kitchens, which suggests that you situate these three zones in a triangle shape to ensure you have unobstructed movement between the three.