Buying A Kitchen

Buying a kitchen involves decisions about your budget, the room, the products and the people carrying out the work. Getting those decisions agreed before you order makes the project easier to manage and helps you understand what you are paying for.

This guide explains the main stages of buying a new fitted kitchen. Use it as your starting point, then follow our more detailed guides when you are ready to compare retailers, furniture, appliances or worktops.

Decide what your new kitchen needs to change

Begin with your existing kitchen. What makes cooking or clearing up harder than it should be? You might lack preparation space, struggle to reach pans or find that open appliance doors block the walkway.

Write down your priorities before collecting ideas. Separate changes you need from extras you would enjoy. Explain who uses the room, how you shop and cook, and whether it needs to accommodate dining, homework or entertaining.

A few reference images can help communicate your taste. Add a sentence explaining what you like in each one, such as the storage arrangement or the colour combination. Your designer can then adapt those ideas to your home.

Set a budget for the complete project

Work out what you can spend on the finished kitchen, including the work needed to get it installed. Furniture prices alone will not tell you the total.

Include appliances, worktops, fitting, delivery and removal of the old kitchen. Depending on the project, you may also need plumbing, electrical work, extraction ducting, flooring, plastering and decorating. Ask which costs are fixed and which are provisional.

Keep a contingency for problems discovered when the old kitchen is removed. The amount should reflect the property and planned work; discuss it with the people assessing the room.

If the first proposal exceeds your budget, ask the designer to explain which choices contribute most to the cost. Simplifying a decorative detail or removing an optional appliance may be more useful than reducing essential installation work. Our article on hidden renovation costs explains expenses that can be missed at this stage.

Choose the level of service you need

Decide how much of the project you want to organise yourself. You might need furniture supply only, design and supply, or a retailer who also arranges fitting and coordinates other trades.

Ask who will measure the room, check the specification and manage deliveries. If you appoint your own fitter, involve them before the kitchen is ordered so they can review the plan and installation requirements.

Compare suppliers using the same brief and a realistic overall budget. Our guide to choosing a kitchen retailer explains how to assess the service, quotation and aftercare offered.

Agree a workable layout

The layout should make everyday tasks comfortable and leave room for doors, drawers and people to move. Ask your designer to show how the room works when the dishwasher is open or someone is sitting at the counter.

A site survey helps identify dimensions, wall conditions and services that affect the design. If an extension or structural work is involved, agree when measurements will be checked again and who confirms the room is ready.

Select the main appliances early enough for their dimensions and service requirements to be incorporated. An island with a sink or hob has different installation implications from one used only for preparation and storage.

This stage is about confirming a layout that can be installed. Use our existing layout and island planning articles for more detailed design advice.

Finalise your furniture and product choices

Once the layout is agreed, compare the cabinet construction, storage fittings and door finishes. Look at physical samples and test working displays where possible.

Give the designer exact appliance model numbers, including anything you intend to keep. Confirm the chosen sink, tap and worktop are compatible. Lighting positions and extraction requirements should also be agreed before the relevant installation work starts.

Ask what needs to be decided before the furniture order and what can wait until worktop templating. Keep a written specification rather than relying on a computer visualisation alone.

Our furniture and accessories guide explains the checks to make on cabinets and fittings. The appliance and worktop guides provide more detailed product comparisons.

Check the order and payment arrangements

Before committing, review the final drawings and itemised quotation together. Confirm the products, quantities, finishes and work included, together with exclusions and provisional allowances.

Check the payment stages and when each amount becomes due. Ask what happens if you request a change, a delivery is delayed or an item arrives damaged. Payment terms vary between businesses, so have the actual arrangements recorded in writing.

Confirm who is responsible for checking dimensions and product compatibility before orders are placed. Keep the agreed specification, drawings and terms in one place where everyone involved can refer to them.

Plan for delivery and installation

Ask for a schedule covering manufacture, delivery, room preparation, cabinet fitting and final connections. These stages have different lead times, and the schedule should reflect your actual products and project.

Many bespoke worktops are templated after base cabinets have been fitted and secured. Ask whether this creates a gap before the sink and hob can be connected, and what temporary facilities will be available.

Agree delivery access, storage space for components and protection for the rest of your home. Discuss how you will manage meals and washing up while the kitchen is out of use.

Our kitchen installation timeline article explains the stages in more detail. Confirm dates with your own supplier and installer rather than treating a general timeline as a booking commitment.

Check the completed kitchen and keep the paperwork

Arrange a handover with the retailer or installer. Open doors and drawers, inspect the agreed finishes and ask for appliance and control demonstrations. Record outstanding items and agree who will address them and when.

Keep invoices, warranties, appliance information, care instructions and any applicable installation certificates. Find out who to contact for a furniture adjustment, appliance fault or worktop issue.

Start with a local kitchen specialist

Take your brief and budget to a local My Kitchen Specialist retailer. You can discuss the service you need, see products and explore a design that suits your home. Find a Specialist will help you locate your local options.