You’ve decided to buy a new fitted kitchen! Amazing! There are few home improvement projects as exciting as getting a new kitchen, but before you dive straight in take a look at our 10 top planning tips which will help you get the kitchen of your dreams, in as stress-free a way as possible!

1. Think about how you use the space – Before you even begin speaking to fitted kitchen suppliers you need to really examine how you’ll use your new kitchen. If you’ve recently moved into a new home, live in it for a while before committing to any plans to see what works/doesn’t work. Think about all the functions you need it to fulfil – kitchens tend to be multifunctional these days and are used for entertaining, cooking, homework and even home working. Think about how each section of the kitchen might meet these needs. If you’ve got pets, give a thought to them too – lots of great kitchen designs now feature spaces for pet beds and feeding stations so they can be part of your planning too!
2. Explore all your storage options – The world is awash with clever storage solutions, so make sure you pick the best ones for your space. How can you make the most of corner cupboards? Can tall units be utilised further by adding door racks etc? There are so many clever storage solutions for tidying kitchenware, even bins, however they can add expense to the project so draw up a wish list in order of priority. We can talk you through all the options and our recommendations too when we come out for your free home design visit.
3. Check lead times – Unfortunately many suppliers are still experiencing issues across the global supply chain, so find out where you stand before booking any tradespeople in. Most of our kitchens are available with a three week lead time, but we’ll always be sure to keep you updated on the styles you’re looking at and will be able to give you a firm delivery date as soon as your order is confirmed with the manufacturer.
4. Do your research on suppliers – There are so many kitchen design companies to choose from it can be a bit overwhelming, but it really pays to do your research on who is out there and what they can offer you. It goes without saying that you should take a look at the types of kitchens each supplier offers to make sure they have a good selection of products that suit your brief. The most important thing you can do when researching is to look at reviews or get feedback on people’s experiences. Word of mouth recommendations from friends and family are often really valuable as you can ask lots of questions, and importantly, see the finished article for yourself, but online feedback such as Google Reviews are also a great, unbiased source of information.
5. Get some designs done – Most kitchen suppliers offer a design service, whereby they’ll mock up what your new kitchen could look like based on your ideas and some rough measurements. At Kitchenroom we offer a FREE home design service, where we’ll come to your home, have a chat about your vision for your new fitted kitchen and take measurements for you. We’ll then send you your state of the art Kitchen designs, showing just how your stunning new kitchen could look.
6. Look at samples – If at all possible we highly recommend looking at samples of the kitchen doors and worktops you’re considering in your own home. Looking at showrooms is great as a source of inspiration, but colours and grains look so different in differing lights and environments, so we strongly suggest examining them in the kitchen space in your home. It’s also a good idea to look at them at different times of day too as the light changes as the day goes by. By doing this you can be really confident in your choices. We are always happy to source and leave samples with you to do just this – we know just how big a decision a new kitchen is and want to make sure you are 100% happy before making your selection.
7. Plan each stage of the project and arrange the appropriate trades – Everyone knows that you need a kitchen fitter when purchasing a new fitted kitchen, but there are so many other tradespeople required too before and after the fitting of your kitchen. Depending on how different your new kitchen layout is going to be you may need water pipes moved, electrical work done and walls or ceilings plastered, all of which call for experienced tradespeople. Once you’ve sourced your trades, talk them through your plans and ask them about first and second fix plumbing/electrics and how long they require for each stage. It is also worth asking them about the sequencing of the work, or the order in which things need to be done, for example first fix plumbing and electrics usually need to be done before any plastering work is carried out. The better your understanding of this stage the smoother it will be.
8. Build in contingency in your timings – As much as it is everyone’s intention for everything to run exactly to planned timings, it often doesn’t work out perfectly, so it’s best to pre-empt this. It is best to allow a couple of days between your kitchen being delivered and installation work starting, to allow for any unforeseen delays or issues. Although these are unusual they can happen, especially as we deal with operating in a post-COVID world. Similarly when planning work with trades, issues can arise such as leaks, complicated plumbing or supply issues. If you build in an extra day or two as contingency, these things can be overcome without having a knock on impact to the rest of your project.
9. Build in contingency in your budget – As with contingency time, it is always sensible to have a bit of budget set aside to cover some of those unforeseen or additional costs. The very nature of planning a big project such as a new kitchen means there will be additional costs you hadn’t anticipated either from things not quite going to plan, or additional fixtures and fittings you decide to add in at a late stage. It’s recommended to set aside an additional 5-10% of the total budget as a ‘just in case fund’.
10. Create a temporary kitchen station – There are no two ways about it, having your kitchen out of action for a couple of weeks is an inconvenience to say the least, although the end results makes it all worthwhile! To ease the pain in the interim it really pays to set up a temporary kitchen space so you can still prepare food and drink. If you’re getting a new fridge as part of your kitchen update it makes sense to keep hold of the old one and move it to an easily accessible space. Add a small table with a microwave, washing up bowl, cups, plates, cutlery, tea and coffee and a bin and you’ll have a small workstation to use. We’d also recommend getting yourself a box filled with essentials such as bin bags, cloths, tea towels, kitchen roll and washing up liquid, as well as any other essentials you think you may need to keep everything to hand.

If you’re ready to start planning your new fitted kitchen get in touch with us to arrange your free home design visit. With over 30 different kitchen styles available, we can help you find the perfect one to make your dream a reality. What’s more, with Kitchenroom you can always be assured of:

1. First class personal service from start to finish
2. 18 mm Rigid (assembled) wall and base units with doors already fitted
3. 8 cabinet colour options (so not just white / ivory or oak) to match the colour of the kitchen
4. 2 mm ABS edged cabinets
5. Soft close Blum doors & drawers that come with a lifetime guarantee
6. 25 year guarantee on our units / 10 years on Solid wood kitchens / 7 years on MDF kitchens
7. A typical lead time of 3 – 4 weeks
8. We can supply only or supply and arrange the fit of your new kitchen where we will take care of the whole project from start to finish

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