The average cost of a new kitchen is roughly $21,000 (£8,000), but top of the range kitchens with expensive appliances and hand-made units can easily cost many times that price. The kitchen is the heart of the home and beautiful new units can make a huge difference to the feel of the entire house. If you like the idea of a brand new kitchen but aren’t too keen on the hefty price tag, there are several ways of slashing the cost.
Mix and Match
Most of us buy the entire kitchen – units, doors, worktops and appliances – from the same retailer. It can work out far cheaper to mix and match where you buy from. If you want expensive looking doors, you can economise by purchasing very basic unit carcasses to mount them on, or source your worktop from a separate retailer or even reuse your existing worktop if it is in good enough condition. Carefully cost up what a kitchen would cost from one retailer as a comparison to buying items separately, but remember that one of the benefits of buying separately is that you can achieve a designer, or individual look at a fraction of designer prices. Never accept the first price you are quoted. Sometimes all it takes is to ask politely if there is anything they can do on the price to secure a reduction, or they may be prepared to offer freebies or upgrades to more expensive doors or worktop instead.
Ex-Display Units
Ever wondered what happens to the kitchens which are on display in the DIY stores and kitchen show rooms? Show rooms regularly change the kitchens they have on display to promote their latest products, so are often looking to get rid of ex-display units at around 50% of the price of buying brand new. You have to act quickly if you see an ex-display kitchen which you like as it often won’t stick around for long before other bargain hunters snap it up. Some ex-display kitchens are as good as new and without scratch, but others are dented and bashed about after years in the show room. Always inspect each and every unit before agreeing to buy, but if units are damaged then you have even more leverage to negotiate more of a discount.
Second Hand
Some people change their kitchens every couple of years, and if you scour the free ads pages in the local newspaper or on sites like Gumtree and Ebay, you could come across a bargain kitchen for just a few hundred pounds. Be prepared to go and pick up the kitchen yourself, and you will need to inspect it carefully before handing over cash to the seller. Consider also posting a wanted ad or letting friends know that you are in the market for a kitchen on Facebook or Twitter, and a friend of a friend may just have what you are looking for.
Bankrupt Stock
Many retailers in the kitchen sector have struggled through the recession, and if you hear of a local company which is going out of business then you could have the opportunity to get a brand new, or ex-display kitchen at knock-down prices. Go along to the showroom and make the manager an offer. Be prepared to haggle to achieve a good price, and make their life easier by offering to dismantle the kitchen or take it away immediately. The main disadvantage of buying in this way is that you will not be able to get a refund if you change your mind about the purchase.
Sales and Price Matching
There is no point in paying full price for something you can get at a sale price, so keep an eye on major kitchen retailers to see what products they are discounting and when. Buy when the price drops, even if it means having to store the kitchen units in the garage for a few weeks or months until it is ready to be installed. Several stores also offer competitor price matching promises, so always check if a retailer is prepared to drop prices to beat the competition, or to throw in any extras such as free fitting or an upgrade on worktops.