Budget Kitchen Design and Fitting in Derby
Kitchen budget guide
How to get a good kitchen for the money: what makes up the bill, where savings are safe, where they cost more later, and how to compare quotes properly.
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In this guide
What a kitchen costs
- Fit-only, smaller kitchen: from about £1,500–£2,500
- Supply and fit with all trades: several thousand to tens of thousands
There is no honest single figure for a kitchen, because the same room can be refitted for a modest sum or a large one depending on the choices made. What we can say is this: fitting units you have already bought usually starts from about £1,500 to £2,500 for a smaller kitchen, and a full supply-and-fit project with every trade included runs from several thousand pounds to tens of thousands.
Where your kitchen lands in that range comes down to a handful of decisions: whether the layout stays the same, which units and worktop you choose, how many appliances are integrated, and how much building work the room needs once the old kitchen is out. Every quote we give is written and follows a visit to measure the room, so the figure reflects your kitchen rather than an average.
What makes up the bill
Most kitchen budgets go wrong because something on this list was left out of the sums.
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Units and doors
The carcasses, doors, drawer fronts, end panels, plinths and cornice. The doors and handles decide most of the look; the carcasses and hinges decide how long it lasts.
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Worktops
From laminate, cut on site, to quartz and granite, which are templated and made off site and add a second visit.
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Appliances
Oven, hob, extractor, fridge-freezer and dishwasher, plus the housings to build them into if they are integrated.
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Sink and taps
Easy to overlook when budgeting, and the tap is one of the most used parts of the kitchen.
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Fitting
The joinery: assembling, fixing and levelling the units, fitting worktops, panels and doors.
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Trades
Plumbing, electrics and any gas work, tiling, and plastering where walls are damaged by the strip-out.
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Flooring and decorating
Often bought separately, but part of the real cost of a finished room.
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Removal and disposal
Taking out the old kitchen and getting rid of it.
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Building work
Only if walls come down or the room changes shape: an engineer, a steel beam and building regulations approval.
Where to save
Keep the layout. Leaving the sink, cooker and washing machine where they are is the single biggest saving, because it keeps the plumbing, waste and electrical work small. Moving the sink to another wall or an island brings in more trades, more days and more making good.
Spend on doors, save on carcasses. Most of what people notice in a kitchen is the doors, handles and worktop. Many retailers sell the same carcasses with a choice of door styles, so a budget range with a better door and good handles often looks more expensive than it is.
Choose a laminate worktop. Modern laminates in wood, stone and plain finishes look far better than they used to, are cut on site, and cost much less than stone. If you want stone somewhere, a laminate perimeter with a quartz or timber island puts the money where it shows.
Buy appliances to fit the budget now. Appliances can be replaced individually later without touching the kitchen, as long as the housings are a standard size. A reliable mid-range oven or dishwasher is a sensible place to save.
Tile less. A full-height tiled wall costs more in tiles and tiling than an upstand or a band of tiles behind the hob and sink, and a single sheet splashback behind the hob can do the job of a lot of tiling.
Do the decorating yourself. Painting walls and ceilings after the fit is a job many people can do, and it is one of the few places doing it yourself saves money without risk.
Working to a set budget? Tell us the figure and we will show you what it covers in your room.
Where not to cut corners
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Hinges and drawer runners
These are what you use every day. Soft-close hinges and full-extension runners that still work after years of daily use are worth more than an extra feature you rarely notice.
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Worktop edges and joints
Wherever a worktop is cut, especially around the sink, the edges must be sealed. A badly sealed joint lets water into the core and the worktop swells.
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Levelling and fitting
A cheap kitchen fitted level and square looks and works better than an expensive one fitted badly. Doors only line up if the units underneath are right.
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Extraction
A weak extractor, or one with nowhere to vent, leaves grease and condensation on new units. It is worth getting the right one first time.
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Electrics and gas
New circuits must meet Part P of the Building Regulations, and any gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. These are not places for shortcuts.
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Making good
Damaged plaster, uneven floors and old pipework hidden behind new units become next year’s problem. Deal with them while the room is empty.
Materials for the money
Every part of a kitchen comes in a range of qualities and prices. These are the points that give the most for the money.
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Worktops
Laminate is the most affordable and is cut on site. Solid timber usually sits in the middle and needs oiling. Quartz, granite and solid surface cost more, are templated and made off site, and need a second visit. A laminate run with one stone or timber feature area is a common compromise.
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Doors
Shaker and flat slab doors in painted or matt finishes are available at almost every price point. A plain door in a good finish looks better for longer than a cheap copy of an elaborate one.
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Handles
Handles are cheap to upgrade and change the look of a whole kitchen. Solid bar or cup handles feel better in the hand than thin pressed ones, and they can be changed later without touching the units.
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Sinks and taps
A sound single-bowl sink and a well-made mixer tap cost little extra over the cheapest options and get used more than anything else in the room.
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Splashbacks
Tiles behind the hob and sink, a worktop upstand elsewhere, or a single sheet of glass behind the hob all cost less than tiling whole walls.
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Flooring
Luxury vinyl tile is hard-wearing and copes with water. Whatever you choose, decide early whether it goes in before or after the units, because that changes the fitting.
Fit-only or supply and fit
Fit-only means you buy the kitchen yourself, from Howdens, Wren, Magnet, IKEA, B&Q, Wickes or an independent showroom, and we fit it. It can save money if you find a good price and are happy to manage the order. Before fitting day, check the delivery against the order: a missing panel, a short worktop or a damaged door can hold up the fit while a replacement comes.
Supply and fit means we source the kitchen through our trade partners and handle the ordering and deliveries, so the parts arrive in the order the fit needs them. Either way, the joinery is done by our joiners, and partner electricians, plumbers and tilers from Derbyshire Specialists Group come in at the right stages, on one quote and with one person to deal with. Derbyshire Joinery Specialists was founded by Liam Taylor, who has more than ten years in property and joinery.
If spreading the cost helps, finance is available through Ideal4Finance, subject to status. Our finance page explains how it works.
Comparing kitchen quotes
Two kitchen quotes can be hard to compare because they rarely cover the same things. Before choosing on price, check what each one includes: removing and disposing of the old kitchen, plumbing and electrics, any gas work, tiling, plastering and making good, worktop templating if you are having stone, and fitting the appliances.
Check who does each part of the work and in what order. A low price that leaves you to find and arrange a plumber, an electrician and a tiler yourself can end up costing more, in money and in days without a kitchen, than a quote that covers every trade.
And check that the quote was given after someone measured the room. A price from a plan or a phone call is a guess, and the difference shows up later.
Budgets in Derby homes
In a Victorian or Edwardian terrace, the cheapest good result usually comes from keeping the galley or single-run layout, with the sink by the back wall where the waste already leaves. The money then goes into units, worktops and finishes rather than moving pipes. Opening into the back room makes a bigger difference but brings structural costs, so it is worth pricing both ways.
In a 1930s semi, the same choice comes up: refit the original small kitchen, or take out the wall to the dining room. Refitting the room as it is keeps the budget down; knocking through adds an engineer, a beam, building regulations approval and making good, but gives a room that suits how most families live now.
In newer homes the rooms are usually square with concrete floors, so fitting is more predictable. The budget question there is mostly about specification: how many integrated appliances, which worktop, and whether an island is worth the extra units and services.
Planning the budget, step by step
- Set the total first. Decide the most you want to spend, including a sum held back for surprises, before choosing anything.
- Decide what stays. Keeping the layout, and possibly the existing appliances or flooring, frees money for the parts you will notice.
- Price the essentials. Units, worktop, sink and tap, fitting and trades come first. Appliances, lighting and extras follow.
- Get a measured quote. Have the room measured and get a written quote that lists every trade and what is included.
- Choose where to upgrade. Put any money left over into the doors, handles and worktop, which change the look most.
- Allow for lead times. Order in good time so the fit is not held up waiting for parts, and plan where you will cook while the work is done.
Kitchens for rental property
Landlords want a kitchen that looks good in photographs, survives tenants and is cheap to repair. White or light grey doors in a simple style are easy to match if one is damaged. Laminate worktops are affordable and quick to replace if needed. A hard-wearing floor, a tiled or sheet splashback that wipes clean, and standard-sized freestanding or integrated appliances that can be replaced without altering the units all keep running costs down.
Kitchen budget questions
How much does a new kitchen cost in Derby?
It depends mainly on the size of the room, the units and worktop, the appliances and how much building work is needed. Fit-only for a smaller kitchen, where you have bought the units, usually starts from about £1,500 to £2,500. A full supply-and-fit project with all trades runs from several thousand pounds to tens of thousands. We give a free written quote after measuring.
What is the cheapest way to get a new kitchen?
Keep the existing layout, choose a budget range with good doors and handles, use a laminate worktop and do the decorating yourself. Keeping the sink and appliances where they are saves the most, because it avoids moving pipes, waste and cables.
Is fit-only cheaper than supply and fit?
It can be, if you find a good price on the units and are happy to manage the order and deliveries. Supply and fit costs more in some cases but takes the ordering and any damaged or missing parts off your hands.
Are budget kitchens worth it?
A budget range fitted well usually outperforms an expensive one fitted badly. Put money into hinges, drawer runners, sealed worktop joints and proper fitting, and save on the parts that are easy to change later, such as appliances and decoration.
Can I spread the cost of a new kitchen?
Yes. Finance is available through Ideal4Finance, subject to status. Ask about it when you request your quote.
What should a kitchen quote include?
Removal of the old kitchen, fitting, plumbing, electrics and any gas work, tiling, plastering and making good, worktop templating if needed, and appliance fitting. If a quote leaves any of these out, ask who is doing them and what they will cost.
Keep reading
More on planning a kitchen
Get a written price for your kitchen
Tell us your budget and what you want from the room, and we will come out, measure up and put a written quote in front of you. Call 01332 215505, Monday to Saturday, 7:30am to 6pm.
