Our top tips for getting the kitchen of your dreams
1: Replace or extension?
It’s a big upheaval when you undergo a new kitchen. Ultimately you won’t have a working kitchen for a good week or two while work goes on. So, if you’re considering any other changes to the house such as a back- or side-home extension, or knocking through existing walls then it’s a good idea, if you can, to try to incorporate it into your plans and budget.
2: Do your research
This means going to various showrooms to get ideas and a feel for the kitchen company. Check online reviews (and make sure they look genuine), a lot of big kitchen companies look like they have great offers and deals, but if their kitchen fitters don’t turn up or they do a bad job this will cost you more in the long run.
3: Look to the local, independent kitchen companies
Independent kitchen companies rely on having a good reputation to be a success. They’ll also have good relationships with suppliers (especially if they’ve been established for a long time). This means you’re more likely to get much better customer service. And using a nearby independent business is great for the local economy.
4: Compare your favourite companies
Once you’ve got a good selection of two or three kitchen companies that you’ve researched, book appointments at their showrooms to get a good understanding of who they are and what they can offer. It will be at this point that they may offer to get the measurements of the kitchen space whether it’s by visiting your home or through an architect’s plans (if you’re hoping to extend). You’ll get a good feel about who it is who’d like to work with at this point.
5: Getting plans drawn
A good kitchen company will have a dedicated designer who will work with you throughout the process from start to finish. Make sure you make the most of their expertise. They’re likely to be using software that allows you to get a nice image of what your kitchen will look like, based on the units and colours you’ve chosen. Some designers may charge for the drawings but there are companies that don’t and will only take a deposit once you’re happy with the designs and would like to go ahead with their service.
6: Make sure there is a clear project timeline
Once your kitchen design has been confirmed make sure the company gives you a clear timeline of when the installation process will take place, along with electrics, flooring and delivery of appliances. You don’t want to pass your deposit on to the company and then find out it’s going to be another six months before they start work.
7. Who will be working in your home?
Before you say yes to the kitchen company find out whether they have a team of fitters that are known to them. Some of the bigger companies use a wide pool of traders who may or may not work to the standard you require. It’s a good sign when a kitchen company uses the same team of people to install their kitchens as they’re most likely reliable and work to a high standard.
8. Lay-on or in-frame?
What do you mean? I hear you say. This is designer speak to indicated the type of cabinetry you’d like. With an in-frame kitchen, the door or drawer fronts sit within a frame that is fixed to the carcass. The doors will open via an exposed butt hinge. With a lay on, the whole door sits straight onto the carcass, attached with a modern soft-close hinge. The main difference being is an in-frame is typically handmade and a lay-on is manufactured. Both are very good, but come at a different price point.
9. The benefits of a hand-painted kitchen
This mainly applies to a lay-on style kitchen (with the soft close hinge), if budget allows for you to have your new kitchen hand-painted, it is well worth the money. A good kitchen company will have a reliable painter who will carefully paint your units in your chosen colour (of which the choice is endless). A hand-painted kitchen will have a higher quality finish and will show-up the beautiful texture of the wood of the cabinets. And if you change your mind about the colour you can quickly change your mind.
Independent kitchen company, Park House Kitchens, has been designing and installing kitchens for more than 30 years. It offers handmade and lay-on bespoke kitchens. The team who will be working in your home has been with Park House Kitchens for many years and work to the highest standard. Based in Ockley, at the foot of the Surrey Hills, Park House Kitchens designs beautiful bespoke kitchens for homes in Surrey and Sussex, whether the kitchens are small or large, need extending or are within a listed or awkward shaped home.
For more information call 01306 712353 or email info@phk.co.uk