Kitchen dilemma. Will I won’t I ?

Yes, it would have to be done on the understanding that the company weren't responsible for any damage, but a skilled fitter should be able to get a worktop off without too much damage. When I was considering keeping mine (I went into this thinking I would just get the cabinets painted and maybe a new worktop!) they said that any damage could be hidden by an upriser, which seems to be some sort of trim that would fit between the worktop and the bottom of the tiles.

I suppose the chances of breaking tiles is quite high.
They won't want to risk being responsible I suppose.

Why won't they let you keep your tiles? My lot were quite keen on the idea, and suggested ways to do so if the new worktop didn't quite match to the base of the tiles etc, but in the end I thought the chances were that at least some would get chipped or cracked when the worktops came out, so am going for a smooth splashback instead (no grout to clean).

I'm going with a local company though, and I suppose they can make up their own policies - maybe the big ones have to stick to the ones determined by Head Office. If you want to go ahead, maybe try a small company if you haven't done so already?

I've thought about it and had several quotes but but I want to keep the current tiles and they have all said that's not possible, and one company wouldn't even quote. So I'm making do with what I have and saving money.

It was getting the small matching appliances that made me feel guilty. Indeed, I only actually replaced any of these with black ones, when I could find one of my g.children etc needing the one I was replacing!!! Fortunately, with three g.children at Uni and a fourth one in her own small flat - I managed to 're-home!' many of these items.

Thanks for the advice, Franbern. I have a large larder cupboard (not part of the fitted kitchen) that I plan to have converted later to make it more accessible, and I'll consider a pull-out option when I do. That is not for now though - I have other things I need doing round the house, but it is on the list .

It would be nice to have all matching appliances, but I can't bring myself to just dispose of a working cooker, washer/dryer and freezer just because they are the 'wrong' colour, so I'll replace them as they conk out with ones that match. I will be getting a new (integrated) fridge, dishwasher and microwave though, as they were ready for replacement anyway.

doodledog Think carefully of the design INSIDE your cupboards. And have as many drawers as you can.My great joys in my new kitchen is my flor to ceiling pull out Larder, and the small under-the-counter one, also pull out. Also the wonderful corner kidney shaped pullouts that I have that takes all my cans, etc. These, along with the drawers mean that I can easily access everything without hving to try to get down onto my knees to look.
My big extravagence when having my new kitchen last year, was my boiling water tap.. Love this and cannot imagine being without it now.

My 8 ft x 10 ft (approx) kitchen last year cost me close on eighteen grand. All new applicances except washing machine/tumble dryer and dishwasher. Did include granite worktops.

I think the OP has left the thread, Daz. I am going ahead with mine, but it will be a complete refit. I have chosen the cupboards, the worktops and the splashback, and am waiting for the shop to get samples of the handles I've chosen so I can make a final decision. I am getting a new sink, fridge and dishwasher, and am currently deciding on whether to get a tap with a hose or without. They say they can do it before Christmas, so it's all systems go .

I once painted my kitchen cupboards and it made a huge difference. If unable to do it yourself, you can maybe find someone to paint them?

Yes, it keeps going up and up. The expensive bits are the extras such as trims and splashbacks, and handles can be really pricy too.

Three years ago a new kitchen cost us £13,000, but we did not buy new appliances.

Thank you GSS. Sadly £12k won't go far now, but I am enjoying looking at brochures. There will be no major building work, but I am looking forward to having a brighter and more modern kitchen - I'm sure it will give me pleasure every day too . Yours sounds lovely - choosing the accents is as much fun as the more major stuff.

Good luck, Doodledog, have great fun choosing. We took down the wall between the kitchen and dining room and ripped out the 1970s kitchen to replace with a Howden mid-range one and it still gives me pleasure every day. The cost eight years ago was around £12000, work done by local small builder and his team, and it was worth every penny (a lot less than it would be now). And because I was ahead of my time and chose grey with turquoise accents, it still looks modern! Go for it!

karmalady Some people have enough to spend and have a safety net, others can only afford the safety net

Just that, really. Only OP knows how much she has saved.

Have you come to a decision, OP?

I am going to have a complete refit. I started off thinking about just a re spray, then changing the doors, but I’d still have the things that annoy me and would have spent £££, so I am going the whole hog and getting it done properly. I’ll keep the flooring for now, but everything else is going. Now I’ve made the decision it is a relief.

The thing is karmalady I met so many people who in your situation would not have used their savings because they were being kept for a ' rainy day' instead they would have scrimped and cut back on food and heating to pay for what you paid for from income.

The people I was meeting were putting off necessary house repairs, living in houses where the front door did not shut properly and could not be locked, another had rotten windows that were letting in rain, yet they would not touch their savings to do very necessary repairs because they were being kept for this mythical rainy day,

I would put off getting the kitchen done in the OP situation. A lot can be done to `upgrade` by de-cluttering and painting the surrounds

M0nica

doodledog As i have said before more old people die, often in cold damp houses, let alone with updated kitchens, but with their savings untouched because they keep put off spending it in case they need the money later. Spend it while you can enjoy the fruits of what you have acquired by your own hard work. As you say, no pockets in a shroud.

tue enough but just one example, my neighbour had a bad stroke and his savings are dwindling fast, so he has had to go into a care home not of his choosing.

Savings allow choice, the `what if` situation, quite similar to the insurances that people buy. It cost me several £k to arrange a nice funeral and send-off plus a memorial tree for my husband, who died very suddenly while out. I could not have arranged all that so quickly without savings

Some people have enough to spend and have a safety net, others can only afford the safety net

Hetty58

I recently viewed a house that still had the original 1930's shiny cupboards with chrome handles. It showed no wear and looked bang up to date for any retro lovers like me. In fact, I think that kitchen is worth quite a bit. So, wait long enough and it can be back in fashion.

We viewed a bungalow with an immaculate dark midnight blue, shiny Formica kitchen; the Estate Agent said it would need to be replaced.
I loved the kitchen, liked the bungalow but the location was wrong.

doodledog As i have said before more old people die, often in cold damp houses, let alone with updated kitchens, but with their savings untouched because they keep put off spending it in case they need the money later. Spend it while you can enjoy the fruits of what you have acquired by your own hard work. As you say, no pockets in a shroud.

But mine has other issues - I don't care about fashion .

I recently viewed a house that still had the original 1930's shiny cupboards with chrome handles. It showed no wear and looked bang up to date for any retro lovers like me. In fact, I think that kitchen is worth quite a bit. So, wait long enough and it can be back in fashion.

The trouble is that we can't say what we would do with the OP's kitchen as we haven't seen it.

The thread is not about my kitchen, but as we don't know many details about the OP's situation I am happy to outline my own situation in case it helps. A simple coat of paint will not solve my problems. My kitchen is perfectly functional, but there are issues with it that I would like to correct. I can afford to do so, but it would mean dipping into my savings, and I would like to keep those in case something more important than a kitchen becomes necessary down the line. At present we live on our pensions (both occupational ones and my husband's State Pension - I don't get mine yet), and this would be the first time we'd dipped into savings since my occupational pension kicked in - they were depleted before that as I chose to leave work early and lived on savings for a year or two.

However, I realise that I can't have my cake and eat it. Is it better to hoard my savings and live with an annoying kitchen knowing that there are no pockets in a shroud, or is it more sensible to spend some of them (I would still have a cushion against disaster) and be happier with something I use every day?

That is my dilemma, and I think it is also what the OP is wanting to work through, but many replies have concentrated on what people have done/would do with their own kitchens, which is not what she was asking.

Initially I would have the walls painted and generally add more colour eg gadgets, mugs, tea towels etc to distract from 'tired looking'. Then see how I felt.

If the OP’er is NOT going to sell, then I agree with you M0nica that the horded cash by some seniors can be put to good use so they have WARMTH and COMFORT and a pleasant home where family/friends can come and visit.

I did a 75% upgrade on my condo four years ago - just to enjoy it myself since this is my last home. Still things I want to do here.
I’m not moving anymore!
USA Gundy