New kitchen cupboards/kitchen where to begin

You are better off going to one of the larger DIY stores and looking at the kitchen there , you can then either go with them as a complete job, they will come and measure and arrange fitters. Or if you have friends ask around if anyone has any recommendations of a good handyman/ carpenter who would come and do the measuring as well as the fitting. If you want the same configuration of units that you have now , you can check prices of the kitchen at the dig store, they have noticed up saying this kitchen for £ xxx. Even a small kitchen will probably cost in the region of £5,000. We had a medium size one about 10 years ago and it cost us that without the cooker.

Go to a reputable kitchen design & fitting showroom. They will talk through your options, measure up your existing kitchen and, using specialist computer software, design a fitted kitchen to suit your space.

I would find a reputable handyman and let him give you a quote.

People often sell on their kitchens when they have new fitted, so that could be an option, if you didnt mind.
I had new doors and work surfaces done in mine, but the cabinets are still falling apart.
It did smarten it up for a good 15 odd years, though.

Thank you. I really appreciate you taking the time to post. It will be less stressful too i suppose going to professional store

It's an upheaval, isn't it?

Try looking at second hand kitchens you may find something suitable.
New kitchen costs £1000s.
Just measure the walls taking out door areas to get a rough estimate.
Depends where you live but labour costs can be quite high also, electrics, plumber, gas(if needed). Handyman would fit the units but you need someone who could make a good job of fitting the worktop.
Always get several estimates.

Coronation in our area we have this kitchen renovation company that has a very good reputation.
Perhaps you have something similar in your area, or Dream Doors might be able to recommend a company for you?

www.dreamdoors.co.uk/

An installer said they don't remove the old kitchen and if I wanted to take to a tip , I can't leave the units outside uncovered What can I use to cover as i won't immediately be able to take to tip. The alternative is paying hundreds for skip for neighbours to use

I would get a firm in to do it , either one of the national chains eg B & Q or Wickes- more expensive ones are available. You can start by pricing them up in store to get an idea. Or a small local company. They will take care of everything, co-ordinating the various tradesmen and disposing of old units.
Don’t forget to allow space for white goods you want to keep.
A local joiner would probably do a better job but might not co-ordinate the trades and is probably booked up for month ahead anyway.
There are also companies that will just replace the unit doors and worktops if that’s what you want.
All the best.

When we had our new kitchen a few years ago we got a quote and design from Wickes and also an independent family firm. We went with the independent firm and were very happy with the service and result, Wickes tried to pressurise us to have things we didn’t really want and which were more expensive, They would have taken the old kitchen out and disposed of it, I think it is standard practice to do that but my husband did it, advertised it and it was sold and taken away for £300. My husband also took the old wall tiles off to keep costs down.

do not bother with any installer who will not take units away and dispose of them.

Going on how little you say you know. I would go with one of the big DIY stores, whose fitters will provide a comprehensive service. Second hand kitchens and similar are a good money saver, if you know exactly what you are doing, but on your OP you say you do not.

Thanks everyone. This is from a well known store!! I was surprised

Wickes have some very bad reviews for their kitchen fitters, it might be an idea to check the reviews for other DIY stores.

I needed a new gas/electric cooker which didn't fit the space of my old Rayburn so had to make changes. Mice were a problem too. The electrician offered to fit some new floor cupboards and leave the wall ones.
I chose units from Howdens which weren't expensive and i am pleased with my mix and match kitchen. I now have the smooth opening drawers for pans and plates; a spice cupboard and a place for trays and teatowels.
The gap where the pipes mice came in has been sealed off and its all been painted. I am very pleased.

Howdens is really worth considering.

Oopsadaisy1

Wickes have some very bad reviews for their kitchen fitters, it might be an idea to check the reviews for other DIY stores.

DS and DDiL had a new Wickes kitchen and they had no problem at all.

We had ours gutted and completely refitted by an independent company. They took away all the old kitchen and used their regular fitters, electricians and plumbers.

A franchise called Kitchen Magic opened up near me. I just needed new cupboard doors. They were fitted by a carpenter, not a handyman and the job was perfect. I have a large kitchen and it was not as expensive as I thought it might be my units look classy and would sell the house.

Years ago I bought a plug-in electrical gadget from Amazon which has a high-pitched noise which mice and rats hate but cats and dogs cannot hear. I have not seen a mouse here for years.

If you have a Wickes near you, avoid at all costs. Poor workmanship and dreadful customer service.

Before I retired I always asked around for a good plumber, electrician etc. Niw I use CheckATrade or something similar. Get a few people in to price it up.

I would second NotaGran55. We recently used Dream Doors to refit kitchen cupboard doors, including doors on integrated appliances, and trims. They did a brilliant job - all done in a few days. They took all the old doors away and were very clean & tidy. Cost was about £3K for a reasonable sized kitchen with a lot of floor and wall cupboard doors. It feels like a completely new kitchen. I think Dream Doors are a national company so they might have a showroom near you.

I used dream doors, too.