The kitchen is the heart of the home – or so the old saying goes. With open-plan kitchen/diners very much on trend, it’s probably the room where we spend most of our time (when we are not asleep).
A great kitchen can do more than just transform your space, it can add value to your home too.
Upgrading your kitchen, however, is a big task. From the design through to arranging for the various tradespeople to be on site at the right time can be very daunting. It therefore pays to engage the services of a kitchen design and fitting company. They will work with you on the design, ensuring your new kitchen works for you. Their fitters will be skilled in many tasks, including tiling, carpentry, plumbing, flooring and decorating – all you will need to do is make the occasional cup of tea!
Montagu Property Services has over 40 years’ experience in kitchen fitting in London. All kitchen installation projects are completed to the highest quality using the very best materials. Right from your first contact with us, you will be appointed a dedicated project manager who will liaise with you from start to finish, ensuring that you get your dream kitchen fitted, completed on time and within budget.
What to consider when upgrading your kitchen
If you are thinking of upgrading your kitchen, there’s much to think about before you even start work.
- What style of kitchen do you want? Shaker, contemporary, industrial, country cottage with a butler sink and a range cooker, high gloss minimalistic? Do you want tiled walls, coloured Perspex splashbacks, painted? Then there’s the worktops – wooden, concrete, granite, or laminated? Do you want integrated appliances?With so many styles to choose from, we suggest that you do your homework before you even think of talking to a kitchen design and fitting company. Visit some kitchen showrooms, as well as buying some glossy interior magazines for inspiration and to see what’s in style and what suits your style. Create a mood board with pictures from the magazine and colour swatches etc.
- Think about what you need your kitchen to do for you:
- How much storage space do you need?
- What equipment will you need?
- Where will your white goods go?
- What type of oven do you require? Free-standing cooker, an integrated eye-level oven and separate hob? A range cooker? During this decision, check what utilities you have coming into your house. If you want a gas hob but are not connected to the mains gas supply, getting connected could be costly.
- What type of kitchen do you want – a cook’s kitchen, an entertaining kitchen, a sociable kitchen, a family kitchen…?
- Do other household activities take place in your kitchen such as homework, paperwork, dining etc.?
- Do you need more worktop space than your current kitchen?
- Even think about what you dislike about your current kitchen to ensure that that these points are not repeated in your new kitchen.
- How many electrical sockets will you need? Ensure that you have enough electrical sockets installed not only for your white goods, but for kettles, coffee machines, microwaves, cake mixers, juicers, phone chargers etc.
- What sort of flooring do you want? Tiling, such as porcelain, ceramic or terracotta, can be cold on bare feet, but can give you so much choice on patterns and style. Vinyl flooring can look stylish and is warmer to the touch, and again provides a wide range of choice.
- Lighting. You will require task lighting to ensure that the light is directed onto work surfaces where you will be preparing food, drinks etc. You will also need secondary lighting over areas such as a breakfast bar or dining table – this is where you can have fun with your lighting choices.
- Budget. How much do you have to spend on your new kitchen? The cost of your kitchen will not only depend on the quality of materials used, but labour costs also. A small galley kitchen could cost upwards of £1,000 whereas a fully fitted kitchen with island unit could cost anything from £10,000 upwards. However, if you are fitting the kitchen yourself, you can save money by shopping around (see below).
- Heavy Lifting. If you need to knock through to another room to make a large open-plan kitchen/dining room, you will need to consult with a structural engineer to ensure that the wall you propose to knock down is not a supporting wall – if so, you will need to factor in the cost of an RSJ into your budget
Once you have considered the above, it’s time to either engage the services of a kitchen design and fitting service in London, or be your own project manager.
Note: If you are having a gas-fired oven or hob fitted, check that the company you use is Gas Safe registered.
Upgrading your kitchen on a budget
Not everyone has the money to undertake a complete kitchen remodelling and redesign. However, there are some great ways to update your kitchen without breaking the bank.
- Paint your existing kitchen units. There are some great paints on the market that can be used on fitted kitchen units made from wood, MDF and melamine. With just a couple of coats of primer and paint, you will have a brand-new kitchen.
- Install a new worktop. A new worktop can have a big impact on the look of your kitchen. There are companies that can provide a granite worktop to slot over your existing worktop at a fraction of the price of an entire one.
- Change your kitchen cabinet handles – a different choice of handles can completely transform the style of your kitchen.
- Update items like kettles, toasters, microwaves, storage jars and window dressings to a bright or bold colour.
- Change your taps. Replace your old chrome taps with black or copper ones to give a more contemporary feel, or choose ones with ceramic handles for a country cottage look.
- If your heart is stuck on new kitchen units, check online auction sites for second-hand units for sale, or visit kitchen showrooms that are selling ex-display units.
Contact the kitchen fitting experts
Whether you need a complete kitchen remodel, or a few updates to worktops or tiling, we can handle it all – from start to finish. We have a team of kitchen fitters, tilers, Gas Safe engineers, and plumbers in London, all qualified to provide you with the kitchen of your dreams.
Our kitchen fitting services include:
- Design
- Installation. Our kitchen installation process includes:
- Careful disconnection of all furniture and accessories that may disrupt the kitchen renovation process. If ovens and central heating boilers need disconnecting, our Gas Safe engineers will safely handle this part of the service.
- Storing or disposing of any unnecessary accessories or items
- Tidy removal of existing tiles on the walls or floor
- Removal of old plaster and plasterboard
- All necessary plumbing, electrical and gas work
- Remedial work such as dry-lining or plastering, replacing tiles or wall boards
- Floor and wall tiling
- Fitting of old or new kitchen furniture and accessories
- Plumbing
- Clearing
- Project management
Whether your dream is to have a large kitchen island, a separate utility room, or plenty of worktop space for cooking your own bake-off creations, now is the time to get in touch with the experts in kitchen installation in London. Call us on 0207 723 5463 between 8am and 6pm, or email us at info@montagupropertyservices.com and we will be more than happy to discuss your dream kitchen with you.
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