Costs of a Handmade Kitchen and How to Choose a Provider

Costs can vary considerably

 

Without knowing the dimensions of your kitchen or the plans you have, there is no way to estimate how much your kitchen will cost you. Some people pay £5000 for a new kitchen, others pay £30,000, you’d get the same response with this question as you would if you’d asked how long is a piece of string. For those looking for a conservative estimate, find a fitted kitchen with a design similar to the one you want, then double it’s price. The best thing to do, is to set a budget for your build and instead see what you can get for your money. Don’t set your heart on anything until you know it’s a real possibility.

 

Know your options

 

You have two options if you want to create a handmade kitchen. You can either employ a bespoke kitchen design team to take care of every aspect of the design and build, or you can choose to oversee your own design and hire contractors to do the jobs you want done.

 

You would save money by designing the room yourself, but the bespoke kitchen designers may have access to tradesmen at a greatly reduced rate. Really, your choice here depends on how brave you are and how much confidence you have in your abilities as a project manager and designer. If you’d feel better having a company take over the running of the entire project, then do that, but remember that if you are not happy with the design that the company presents you should let them know. If they are as professional as they first appeared, they will offer you an explanation of their choices and look to incorporate more of your ideas.

 

It may not be possible to incorporate everything you want within the dimensions of your kitchen, so be prepared to make some changes if they are necessary. Within these working arrangements, communication is of the utmost importance. You need to know what is going on during every step of the design process and execution to avoid any confusion or upset during the build.

 

Cutting costs

 

If you want to cut down on the costs of a quoted price for your handmade kitchen, speak to them about incorporating some prefabricated elements. You could ask to use fitted cabinet frames with handmade cabinet doors. This could save you quite a bit of money and needn’t detract from the kitchen’s handmade charm. The frames will be hidden from view and except for the possibility of minor size differences are essentially the same as custom made cabinet frames.

 

You could also consider work where you can contribute to the creation of your handmade kitchen. Even the most honest of designers and contractors are looking to make an extra bit of money, so decide if you need everything they’re offering you. Do you need them to paint the kitchen for you? Could you lay the flooring yourself? What can you do to help reduce costs? Only pay for what you truly need.

 

Don’t be swayed by the idea of a built in TV for your kitchen or choose a top of the range eight burner stove, if all you’re going to use it for is heating up the odd tin of beans. Many company’s earn commission on the number of added extras they sell, so be wary of someone who’s a bit too pushy in this area. The cost of a handmade kitchen can easily spiral out of control, so make your decision the final one and stick to your original budget.

 

Just stop for a moment

 

Once you’ve found a design team or tradesmen who you think can deliver what you need, pause for a second. Do you really think they can offer everything they’ve promised within the quoted budget? Have they shown you examples of the work they have produced in the past? Reputable companies will have large portfolios showing you all of their previous work. They should be proud of their past projects and have these portfolios readily available.

 

Be suspicious if all that you are shown are computer animations of graphic representations of past builds. However polished these images appear to be, they are merely indicators of the company’s IT skills, and do not illustrate the abilities of the tradesmen that they employ. There are websites out there to help you too; Rated People.com, Professional Fitters.com, and My Builder.com all provide comprehensive ratings for kitchen fitters across the country.

 

Do the research online

 

Before you pay any money out or sign on any dotted lines, quickly pop online and check out what others have to say about them. Perhaps there’s a reason why they are offering you such a reasonable price. People are always happy to take a moment to let others know about a good job done and in a similar vein are quick to warn others when certain companies have led them astray. So take advantage of these services and after your handmade kitchen is complete, spare a few minutes to rate the company yourself and help any future customers out there.

 

If the company you have found hasn’t been running for very long and you can’t find any recommendations for them, forget about them. With a project of this size you need a company with reputation and skill. Remember that the company isn’t doing you a favour by taking on your requests, you are doing them a favour by choosing their company and providing them with work. So don’t feel obligated to use a company just because they’ve looked over your design.

 

If things don’t end up going to plan, remember your legal rights. If the people you have hired breach the contract you have made with them then contact trading standards. They can help you to sort out any legal disputes or can help you to seek compensation if things go really wrong. Always ensure that you have a contract. A verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.