New Kitchens versus Kitchen Makeover – The pros and cons

It’s finally got to you – the tired looking frontage, the cracked worktop, those yellowing strips of Formica that are coming away from the chipboard drawer fronts - that old kitchen simply has to go! But do you splash out for a completely new kitchen, or go for a refurbishment? Here we take a look at the pros and cons of each, so you can make an informed choice as to which one you go for.

The pros of a new kitchen

Any homeowner dreams of a new kitchen that looks like it stepped straight out of the pages of an interior design magazine. A completely new kitchen could certainly give you that wow factor – as long as you are prepared to pay for it. A new kitchen should be regarded not just as desirable but as a major investment in your home. The kitchen is one of the primary selling points for any home, so a new kitchen will certainly bring some serious added value to your property.

If you are intending to sell your home then a new kitchen could be the thing that secures a swift completion on the deal. A tired looking kitchen will turn prospective buyers away, whereas a new kitchen complete with those clever little design touches is a real ‘come and buy me’ statement to house hunters.

The pros of a kitchen makeover

However, if you don’t have the budget to splash out on a completely new kitchen, then a makeover may by preferable. With a makeover you get to keep the fundamental structure of your kitchen (which is probably still perfectly suitable for your needs) and you merely replace the aesthetics such as cabinet doors, drawers, worktops and accessories. This is a far more cost-effective way of breathing new life into a tired looking kitchen.

There’s also far less waste, so a kitchen makeover is a greener option than a replacement. Refurbishment takes far less time to complete than a rebuild, so you don’t have the inconvenience of cooking your family meals in the middle of a building site for weeks on end, either!

The cons of a new kitchen

There are two big negatives against replacing your entire kitchen from scratch – cost and time. New kitchens aren’t cheap, and even a relatively small designer kitchen could run into many thousands of pounds.

There is also the issue of time – replacing an entire kitchen could mean structural alterations to your house, which in turn could turn your family life upside down for several weeks! Remember when considering this option that it’s not just the cost that can impact on you, but the general upheaval that such a major alteration involves can lead to some serious stresses and strains, especially if the job overruns.

The cons of a kitchen makeover

A refurbishment is more cost effective and quicker than a replacement, but it may not add the same amount of extra value to your home once it has been completed. However, the designer look is far more achievable for those working on a tight budget, and having bespoke doors and worktops made can still create a kitchen with some serious ‘wow factor’ impact, without making as much of an impact on your pocket!

To see some before and after pictures on our kitchen makever page - click here