Without adequate research, planning and careful decision-making, it’s very easy to go over budget when building your kitchen. Reinstallation, excess materials, overpriced suppliers and delayed orders can easily burn through your wallet. The end result is a subpar kitchen and insufficient funds to put towards other parts of your home.

By developing a comprehensive strategy, you can decrease the gap between budget and expectation, allowing you to get the look and functionality you want without having to pay for overpriced products. In this guide, we’ll go over what you can expect to pay and how you can save on build costs.

 

 

We’ll also take a look at some budget kitchen components that provide great value for money. So without further ado, here’s how you can build an amazing kitchen without breaking the bank.

What You Can Expect to Pay

Looking ahead, it would be wise to determine the percentage of the value of your overall house that would be most strategic to spend, thus preventing a significant loss if you sell. This is usually around 5% or more. An average sized kitchen fitted with good quality units will set you back around £3000 before worktops and appliances are added into the equation.

Of course, this varies significantly depending on who you choose to supply your materials and equipment, along with your building and installation services. Opting for as much DIY work as possible can save you hundreds, if not thousands in building costs. In total, you can easily pull off an entire budget kitchen for less than £5000.

Buying an Ex-Display Kitchen

Companies like The Kitchen Exchange and The Used Kitchen Company offer kitchen units that have been used as display pieces in shows or expos. These components are all virtually brand new and suffer minimal to zero damage, yet they cost a fraction of their retail price.

This is a great way to save money on both material and installation costs. As long as you measure up and ensure that everything will fit, it’s as simple as sliding in the components. Everything is usually already assembled, which can save you a lot of time on top of money.

Choosing the Right Worktop

After flooring and cabinets, the worktop you opt for will make the biggest difference in the overall look of your kitchen. This is why it’s important to find a quality worktop material that not only looks good, but will last for as long as you need it. Like every kitchen component, ridiculously overpriced, bespoke options do exist. But they’re far from necessary.

Companies like Savoy Timber offer a variety of cheap laminate worktops for kitchens that are both stylish and durable. There are numerous styles, colours, materials and thicknesses to choose from. Numerous payment options and affordable next-day delivery come standard, making Savoy’s laminate worktops some of the best around.

Choosing the Right Cabinets

Even if your budget is below £10K, there are a couple of ways you can approach this, all without skimping on quality. Flat-pack carcasses with chipboard-screwed hinges and front mounted doors are the standard in this price range. However, you can always save more cash and opt for custom door fronts.

Simply pick up some standalone carcasses from an affordable retailer like IKEA and pick up solid wood door fronts from somewhere like Superfront or Shaker Doors Oxford. Bespoke options are available, but expect to shell out a little more. In exchange, the pre-built options will save you a lot of time.

Flooring

Kitchen tiles should be your first choice here – go for muted tones with minimal patterns for an overall cleaner look. However, if that’s beyond your budget, laminate and vinyl are still solid options. They’re affordable, durable and often indistinguishable from the materials they’re mimicking.

Appliances

This really comes down to personal choice, but a couple of well-built, attractive appliances with standout designs will help upgrade the overall look of your kitchen. Companies like Smeg offer a range of brightly colored, fairly affordable retro renditions of modern appliances like the toaster and kettle.

Don’t be afraid to save picking up higher end appliances for later. If your older ones still work, or you can pick up a few (hygienically reasonable) second-hand pieces to keep you going, don’t hesitate to do so.

Knowing what to buy is half the battle. Ensuring that the people you’re working with to build your kitchen are competent and trustworthy is also extremely important. Don’t skimp on poor craftsmanship or untimely builders, as this will only cause more headaches in the future.

Ensure that there is good communication throughout the building process and make sure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to your building plan. This will help plumbers and electricians understand how to make the most effective installation

 

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