“Can I afford a new kitchen?”
It is a question that a number of homeowners ask themselves every year. While buying replacement kitchen doors can be achieved without a big cost, replacing your entire kitchen is generally quite expensive.
A new kitchen may require a prolonged period of saving, but there are certain things that you can do which will make the process much easier.
Set Your Overall Budget First
Here at the Kitchen Warehouse, we cannot emphasise this enough. Setting out a defined budget for your new kitchen and working towards that saving goal has several advantages.
Firstly it means that you are far more likely to save on a regular basis because you have a specific goal and aim in mind and secondly it means that whatever you do save will be enough to cover the costs. It is a good idea to leave yourself a bit of wiggle room too so try and go slightly over your savings goal if possible. This just gives you that little bit extra in case you need to pay more money for something you need.
One of the main reasons why kitchen purchases and installations cost far more than expected is because a set budget is not defined at the start.
How To Save When Removing Your Old Kitchen
You do not necessarily need to incur excessive costs when having your old kitchen removed. In fact, you can even make a small amount of money when doing this.
Old kitchen units can fetch a small amount of money if they are still in a decent condition. Even spending a small amount of time renovating them and selling them on can be worthwhile. Tradesmen can also take appliances and other components off your hands for free which is a much more economical alternative than paying for someone to dispose of it for you. Ensure that you arrange for professionals to deal with gas appliances as these are dangerous to disconnect and dispose of by yourself.
How To Budget For Each Section
Remember that research is the key to staying on budget.
Break your new kitchen down into separate sections instead of having an overall figure. So, work out what you need for new kitchen cabinets then move onto tiles, flooring and kitchen accessories then what you need if you are going to be purchasing new kitchen appliances. Keeping everything separate and having separate budgets for each section of the kitchen means that you will know exactly what you will need to save and what you will spend on each part.
Appliances Add Up
Finally, if you are going to be purchasing a new fridge, cooker or even a kettle and toaster then factor this into your budget as well.
If your budget is tight then really think about whether you absolutely need to buy completely new appliances for your kitchen. OK, they might look great but is there anything really wrong with the fridge that you have? Is it something that will suffice while you save and plan for the more pressing items that you need such as cabinets, tiles and installation? Even adding inexpensive handles to your doors can eat away at your budget when handleless kitchen doors will often work out cheaper and look great in most kitchen designs. Make sure that you incorporate your appliances into your budget so that you are not left with any nasty surprises later on.
Budgeting For A New Kitchen
So, what should you budget overall for a new kitchen? We looked at this question previously on this blog to find out the average cost of a new kitchen in the UK. Remember that you should aim to save a little more than this to create a buffer in case you need to pay extra money that you do not anticipate and also to include any accessories and appliances (no matter how big or small) that you require.
Planning for a new kitchen is exciting and even though budgeting and saving can take time and effort the results are worth it in the end. For further information contact us on 01765 640 000 or at contact@kitchenwarehouseltd.com.
