Why you should never buy a cheap kitchen
Most of us have a tight budget when we need a new kitchen. There’s a strong temptation to choose a cheap kitchen, but that’s a false economy. There’s an old saying “buy cheap, buy twice”, and that’s certainly true of a cheap kitchen.
Budget to avoid a cheap kitchen
Suppose you have a budget of £15,000 for a decent sized, 20 unit kitchen, including worktops, appliances & fitting. That should be enough to get something decent. However, too many people have the wrong priorities. More often than not, people will prioritise buying expensive granite or quartz worktops for £3,000 and expensive Neff, AEG or Siemens appliances for £6,000. Then, once they’ve added in the cost of fitting, they’ll only be left with about £4,000 left for the units.
If you shop around for long enough, you might be able to find 20 units for £4,000. However, it’s unlikely that these will last much longer than a few years before they need replacing. If you want 20, good-quality units, that are built to last, £10,000 – £15,000 would be a more realistic budget.
The thing is, the units are the kitchen’s foundations. The units support the weight of the worktops and most of the appliances. Just as skimping on a building’s foundations is disastrous, skimping on the units is also disastrous.
What’s wrong with a cheap kitchen?
Not all kitchen units are alike. If you buy a cheap kitchen, you’ll get thin 3mm backs, which will soon start to bow under the weight of the worktops and appliances. This contrasts with quality kitchen units. Quality kitchen units will have solid 18mm thick backs that will never bow under the weight of the worktops and appliances.
Similarly, a cheap kitchen will come with low-quality wrapped type doors. The problem with these is it won’t be long before they start to peel and will need replacing within a few years. In contrast, a good quality kitchen will come with high quality painted or lacquered doors that will never peel.
Below are pictures of peeling wrapped doors:
Also, the expensive granite or quartz worktops you paid £3,000 for just a few years ago will probably also need need replacing. This is because when you replace the units, you’ll first need to remove the granite or quartz worktops from the existing units. However, when you do this, there is a high chance the granite or quartz will crack either around the sink, around the hob, or in both places.
You’ll also have to pay to have the kitchen re-fitted again.
This is why buying cheap, low-quality units is usually a false economy.
When it’s OK to buy a cheap kitchen
If you’re a landlord buying a kitchen for a cheap rental property, you’ll probably have to replace it within a few years, anyway. Therefore, buying a a cheap kitchen can make sense.
However, if you’re looking for a kitchen for your own home & want something that’s going to last, buying a cheap kitchen is usually a false economy.
How to get a cheap kitchen that’s built to last
On the other hand, it is possible to find cheap kitchens that are cheap in price but not cheap in terms of quality. Unfortunately, you won’t find these in chain stores like Wren, Magnet or Wickes. You also won’t find them in trade-only suppliers such as Howdens, Magnet Trade or Benchmarx.
You’ll only find these in some independent kitchen showrooms. The problem is finding these showrooms.
How do you find these great value showrooms?
Simple, contact us and we will tell you who they are.
Our service is free.
Our free service recommends the best value kitchen suppliers in your area.
Their kitchens cost similar to the chains and trade-only suppliers, but are higher quality and will last longer.
Showrooms offer free, no-obligation quotes and are within 30 minutes drive.
Read what our customers say about our service below:
“The kitchen your guys came up with is far more competitive than anything I have had quoted so far and the quality is in a different league”
Samantha Michaels, Watford, Herts
“The price was similar to builders merchants & DIY chains, but the kitchen was much better quality”
Andrew Scott, Wivenhoe, Essex
“Lloyd was able to point me to local independent kitchen retailers offering greater quality and value compared to the high street chains”
Mohammed Hashi, Northolt, Middx
“If you’re looking for a good value kitchen supplier, these are the people to speak to first!”
Natalie D R, Stanmore, Middx