Cost of a small kitchen

melat0nin

melat0nin

melat0nin

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Location
Edinburgh
Hello all

I'm looking to get a new kitchen fitted and I've had three quotes from who I think are reputable fitters. One is £6,500 and the other two are almost identical at £4,900. I've already turned the first one down as it's way out of budget.

The kitchen is pretty small:

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and here's the rough design that the quotes are based on:

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The three quotes involve parts from Howdens. The third fitter has also quoted for a local supplier of german kitchens (same price) which he says are better quality than Howdens efforts.

The second two fitters are charging £2000 and £2,200 respectively for labour, including everything (remove and dispose of old kitchen, fit units, worktop, tiling, flooring and decorating).

Does this sound reasonable to you, for a kitchen of this size?
 
Hedge said:
Them prices are huge. Maybe take them measurements to http://www.diy-kitchens.com/
Click to expand...

Thanks!

I came across DIY Kitchens before but it seemed like a faff to make sure everything was ordered correctly. I'll take a look again.

What sort of cost do you think would be reasonable?

Edit: just discovered DIY Kitchens have a facility to upload a quote from another outfit (i.e. Howdens) and they'll quote for the equivalent. Fingers crossed...
 
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Id imagine about £1400 for units at the most. Then I think labour for such a simple room really shouldn't be hitting 2.2k.

Although I just realised that was flooring and decorating etc too. So maybe its not all that bad. I'm gonna be in the market for a new kitchen myself this year so fingers crossed its nothing too crazy.
 
Hedge said:
Id imagine about £1400 for units at the most. Then I think labour for such a simple room really shouldn't be hitting 2.2k.

Although I just realised that was flooring and decorating etc too. So maybe its not all that bad. I'm gonna be in the market for a new kitchen myself this year so fingers crossed its nothing too crazy.
Click to expand...

Yeah I think the labour is okay considering it's everything - disposal, fitting, plumbing, some electrical work (changing and adding sockets, and adding under-cabinet lighting), tiling, plastering and painting.

I think the cabinets are too expensive tho. I've submitted the Howdens quote to DIY Kitchens so hopefully that'll come out cheaper.
 
My kitchen is about that size and I was quoted significantly more than your highest quote, both by B&Q and John Lewis. Of course, I live in Aberdeen, so the oil money factor comes into play.
 
I just did a rough equivalent on DIY Kitchens and it came out at £1,800, which taking out the appliances from the Howdens quote (I'm sourcing them) is still £760 cheaper. I've left out one or two bits that I don't understand ("fitter kit") but assuming they don't amount to more than say £100 that's still a saving of over £500...

Hmmm...
 
Quartz said:
My kitchen is about that size and I was quoted significantly more than your highest quote, both by B&Q and John Lewis. Of course, I live in Aberdeen, so the oil money factor comes into play.
Click to expand...

Wow, it's pretty ****** that mere geography is enough to bump up the price, all other things being equal. Did you buy one? If so were you happy with it?
 
melat0nin said:
Wow, it's pretty ****** that mere geography is enough to bump up the price, all other things being equal. Did you buy one? If so were you happy with it?
Click to expand...

Workmen cost a lot of money up here at the time. I didn't buy. Too much money for too little benefit.
 
Thats a lot of cash for the amount of work they are doing. Round these parts a plumber is £18.50 and a joiner is £20.
 
Good grief, melatOnin, that kitchen is incredibly small. How on earth do you manage with it... One couldn't swing a cat in that kitchen.

Just out of curiosity, what is behind the wall on the right of the photo? Would there be any chance of expanding beyond it? Or, come to that, could the kitchen be expanded from the left?

As to the cost; I had my kitchen done out around 4 years ago, and it cost a lot more than you've been quoted, but then it is much bigger. I do think that the quotes you have received, bearing in mind the size of your kitchen, are quite pricey; but then, as someone said, it depends on just how much you intend to renovate it, and, of course, what you want and really need in your kitchen.

Not that I'm an expert by any means on structural design, but it kinda looks as if your kitchen was partitioned off at some time. I could be wrong, I usually am...
 
melat0nin said:
. I've left out one or two bits that I don't understand ("fitter kit")

Hmmm...
Click to expand...

That will be, I imagine things like router bits (each Mitre is meant to be done with a fresh one), Contact adhesive for the worktop end bits, joint filler etc. Sundries really
 
As above I'd go with DIY Kitchens over howdens, solid cabinets (with solid backs) and much better quality. You could also try Wren for cabinets/appliances, same standard of units as DIY but they will also beat whatever DIY quote (plus they make sure all the correct bits are ordered).

As for your labour quotes they do seem expensive, I've just been getting quotes to have my new kitchen installed and for £2000 I'm going to be having the following done (4-5 days work):-

Allowance for a skip
Removal of tiled floor
Removal of a stud partition wall
Removal of exsisting kitchen
All electrics including cables (but not fittings)
Plaster ceiling and any making good to walls (plaster incuded)
Tile the floor (excluding tiles and adesive)
Fit and remaining skirting boards
Fit all kitchen units and appliances (23 cabinets, 7 appliances)
Paint ceiling and walls.
 
Laurie said:
Good grief, melatOnin, that kitchen is incredibly small. How on earth do you manage with it... One couldn't swing a cat in that kitchen.

Just out of curiosity, what is behind the wall on the right of the photo? Would there be any chance of expanding beyond it? Or, come to that, could the kitchen be expanded from the left?

As to the cost; I had my kitchen done out around 4 years ago, and it cost a lot more than you've been quoted, but then it is much bigger. I do think that the quotes you have received, bearing in mind the size of your kitchen, are quite pricey; but then, as someone said, it depends on just how much you intend to renovate it, and, of course, what you want and really need in your kitchen.

Not that I'm an expert by any means on structural design, but it kinda looks as if your kitchen was partitioned off at some time. I could be wrong, I usually am...
Click to expand...

It's a 1 bed flat in an Edinburgh tenement, so the size is actually fairly standard here :)

...and no chance of extension!
 
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GSXRMovistar said:
As above I'd go with DIY Kitchens over howdens, solid cabinets (with solid backs) and much better quality. You could also try Wren for cabinets/appliances, same standard of units as DIY but they will also beat whatever DIY quote (plus they make sure all the correct bits are ordered).

As for your labour quotes they do seem expensive, I've just been getting quotes to have my new kitchen installed and for £2000 I'm going to be having the following done (4-5 days work):-

Allowance for a skip
Removal of tiled floor
Removal of a stud partition wall
Removal of exsisting kitchen
All electrics including cables (but not fittings)
Plaster ceiling and any making good to walls (plaster incuded)
Tile the floor (excluding tiles and adesive)
Fit and remaining skirting boards
Fit all kitchen units and appliances (23 cabinets, 7 appliances)
Paint ceiling and walls.
Click to expand...

Thanks, this is helpful. You are getting a *lot* of labour for your £2000. Maybe there's more competition for fitters where you are?

Just to clarify, the £2000 quote I got includes everything (electrics and plumbing as well as the stuff I initially listed - disposal, fitting, tiling, flooring)

I'm definitely inclined to go wit DIY Kitchens now. I don't like how Howdens aren't up front with the cost; it all seems a bit cloak and dagger to me. The fitter showed me the quote from Howdens, so I know he hasn't marked it up, which is a good sign with respect to him. I just don't fancy paying them £2,900 if I can get the same or better quality for less than £2k!
 
When I have my kitchen done I worked with the fitter to correctly order the kitchen from DIY Kitchens, worked out really well :)
 
Definitely go with DIY-Kitchens.

I've just used them for my kitchen which is quite a bit bigger U-shape kitchen.

Came to £2200 and that was soft close everything with some really expensive slim pull out units that hold spices and sauces in. Bit of luxury but we love it. Take them out and it would have been around £1850ish iirc.

Its not difficult to spec the kitchen yourself, download their planning tools and you can print and cut out bits to space things out. Works well and they have plenty of people available on the phone offering support.
 
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