How to find the best value contemporary kitchens
If you’re looking at contemporary kitchens, you won’t just want sleek lines and elegant designs, but also a decent quality kitchen that’s built to last. On the other hand, you’ll probably also be looking to keep the cost to a minimum. So, is it possible to find contemporary kitchens that are both good quality and inexpensive & if so, where’s the best place to find find them?
Where not to look for contemporary kitchens
Most of us first think of the high Street chains or trade only suppliers. We know they’re the best value because they constantly run expensive advertising campaigns telling us so.
The problem is that although the kitchens the high street chains & trade suppliers sell are cheap, they’re not cheap in the right way. They are cheap in terms of quality but not in terms of price. For example, most contemporary kitchens from the chains & trade only suppliers come with the low quality PET, PVC, vinyl or foil wrapped type doors. The problem with these types of doors is they peel. In contrast, quality contemporary kitchens come with the high quality painted & lacquered type doors that will never peel.
Where to go for contemporary kitchens
The best-value independent kitchen showrooms sell contemporary kitchens that are cheap in the right way. That is, cheap in terms of price but not in terms of quality. So, their kitchens will have the high quality painted & lacquered type doors that will never peel.
Also, their units will be constructed from high density chipboard. High density chipboard will support the weight of the heaviest worktops & will never bow. In contrast, the chains & trade only suppliers use cheaper, low density chipboard. The problem with low density chipboard is it will soon start to bow under the weight of the worktops. The first signs of bowing is usually seen on the backs of the units. Once the backs start to bow, it isn’t usually long before they come away completely, exposing the wall & any pipework behind.
So how is this possible? Simple — It’s all down to overheads. Small showrooms have much lower overheads than the chains. Therefore, they can afford to sell you a kitchen that’s similar in price to the chains but higher quality. Unlike the chains, they don’t have huge superstores to run or multi million pound TV adverts to pay for. So the money can be spent on quality.
Of course, not all independent showrooms are good value & finding the best value ones can be like finding a needle in a haystack! so, how do you find the best value ones? That’s where I come in. For many years, I worked for a distributor that supplied many of the kitchen showrooms around the country. Therefore, I know which showrooms sell what kitchen ranges and how the price and quality of all the ranges compare. So, I know exactly which showrooms to recommend that will offer you the best value kitchen.
How to get contemporary kitchens fitted
Buying contemporary kitchens is one thing, but they still have to be fitted. The chains tend to charge an arm and a leg for this, and there’s a great temptation to hire a local builder, who’ll do the job for a fraction of the price.
The problem is that, while a general builder might do an adequate job, they don’t specialise in kitchens, and certainly not in the particular brand you’re buying. On the other hand, the independent showroom you bought the kitchen from will have fitters who know the brand they are selling inside & out and will fit it in half the time and usually with a far better finish — and at a price similar to the builder, typically about £1,500.
Plus, because you’re using the same company to supply & fit the kitchen, there’s less chance of things going wrong. In contrast, when you use multiple parties to supply your kitchen, there’s a much higher chance of problems arising. Unfortunately, when problems do arise, they’ll often delay completion of the kitchen for weeks, sometimes even months. This can be extremely stressful, especially when one party blames the other & neither party take any responsibility.
Our FREE service recommends the best value kitchen suppliers in your area.
We’ll recommend showrooms whose kitchens cost similar to the chains & trade only suppliers, but are higher quality & will last much longer.
We’ll recommend the best value German kitchen suppliers.
All showrooms offer FREE, no-obligation quotes & are within 30 minutes drive.
But don’t just take our word for it, check out what our customers say below:
“If you’re looking for a good value kitchen supplier, these are the people to speak to first!”
Natalie D R, Stanmore, Middx
“Kitchenfindr recommended a showroom who were better value than most of the other showrooms I’d previously looked at”
Hannah Malone, Esher, Surrey