Weigh Up the Pro & Cons of Both Kitchen Options
Everyone reaches a point when they realise their kitchen no longer works for them. In most cases, it’s outdated, tired looking or has simply become damaged through wear and tear over the years. The end conclusion tends to be – a new kitchen is needed.
The key consideration however is which route to take – a brand new fully fitted kitchen or a kitchen makeover? Here’s a few key points to consider before making that all important decision:
Existing Space
Unless you are building an extension or plan to take down some walls, the available square footage of your kitchen won’t change.
With a brand new kitchen you have the opportunity to strip out all of the old cabinets and look at the space with a fresh pair of eyes whilst with a kitchen makeover, the cabinets will most likely stay as is and be upgraded with better, newer doors, drawers, worktops, hardware and mechanisms.
At the end of the day, you need to decide if the existing kitchen layout still works and just needs some simple tweaks and improvements to make it look and work better. If not, you may have to consider a completely new design that adds space and improved usability to the kitchen as well as a brand new look.
Upgrades
Most modern kitchens now come with a whole range of cool features and space saving ideas. Whether its pull out larders, pull down wall cabinets, easy access corner units or built in appliances.
A completely new kitchen gives you endless options if making wholesale changes is your preferred route however, if you just need a few improvements to certain parts of the kitchen, you can always insert one or two new cabinets into the existing layout and leave the rest of the units in place.
Some features such as soft closing drawers and doors are readily available in kitchen makeovers so small improvements like this do not require a completely new kitchen fitted.
Cost
One of the most obvious comparisons between a brand new fully fitted kitchen and a kitchen makeover is the cost. Modern brand new kitchens are not cheap and you can easily expect to pay several thousand pounds alone just for the cabinets – that’s before you add worktops, hardware and fitting!
A kitchen makeover will cost the fraction of a new kitchen and give a look that is just as eye-catching and transform the entire space. New doors, drawers, hardware and worktop overlays will make any tired old kitchen look a million dollars without the high price tag.
Stress & Hassle
Ask anyone who’s had a brand new fully fitted kitchen installed and they’ll tell you it’s very stressful. Having a team of contractors dismantle the old kitchen involves noise, mess and disruption, not to mention having nowhere to cook or prepare food. You could easily go several days without a kitchen, possibly longer if there’s specialist electrical or plumbing work involved, plus the time it will take a company to template and supply a new worktop. Days can easily turn into weeks.
A kitchen transformation on the other hand can take a matter of days and in most cases, you won’t even need to empty to cupboards, meaning you can still have a fairly useable kitchen whilst the work is going on. There’s less mess, less stress and far less hassle that way.
Time & Speed
If you want your new kitchen quickly, a kitchen makeover has to be the route to take.
A brand new fully fitted kitchen involves going to showrooms to choose a new style, having a designer take measurements and then sit with you for several hours to decide the new layout and specification. Just this process alone can take days to complete. Then once you’ve finally settled on your new kitchen, you may have to wait several weeks for it to be made and delivered and hope that there’s a suitable date available to have it installed.
A kitchen makeover tends to happen far quicker. Only the doors order may take a little while as they are made-to-measure but once the materials are manufactured and ready, the process will be much quicker.
Mess
Having a new kitchen installed is messy. No matter how hard you try to prevent the build up of dirt and dust, contractors always find a way to make and leave a mess behind. And eventually that dirt and dust finds its way through the rest of the house!
A kitchen makeover is a far less destructive process so the likelihood of creating a mess is reduced for obvious reasons.
Conclusions
So ultimately the choice is yours. There’s obvious pros and cons for both routes and you need to decide what your priorities are before pressing ahead.
If budgets are tight, time is short and your needs are more cosmetic, a kitchen transformation is undoubtedly the best route to take.
If money is no object, you have the time, patience and willingness to create your dream kitchen then of course, go shopping and get the best possible brand new kitchen you can find.