There is always a large selection of fitted kitchens on the market with companies claiming to be the simplest to use and greatest to fit. What I discovered when I attempted to get my old fitted kitchen removed and a new fitted kitchen put in was that there are so many different things that can effect how a kitchen is installed and the quality of the end finish which can effect how It appears and works, particularly when you come to sell your house.
The main things to watch out for is
• The carcasses on the fitted kitchen you are viewing are decent ones, usually meaning a tight grained MDF, rather than something that looks like its goint to crumble to pieces or for luxury, solid timber (though this is rare and normally only on hand made fitted kitchens) carcasses.
• The next thing you need to look at are whether the fitted kitchen units will look good in the area that you are alloting to them. If you buy a fitted kitchen that is a very dark wood in a confined space it will feel like a dingey hole, which is fine if you are a goth, but otherwise go light.
• Check the handle’s and hinge’s on the door frames, if they are a good standard they will look somewhat heavier than a lower standard fitted kitchen and will open and close well. Check to ensure that the handles are attached well, rather than a few of the ones you can get that are only attached by a simple screw in the centre, if they havent been glued correctly will eventually just unscrew from the unit.
• Make sure there are no spaces between areas of the fitted kitchen such as cookers or sinks as the accumulated of gunk on poorly fitted kitchens can be horrible over time.
• Ensure any fitted products you get are sufficient for your home, consider the area you use at the moment with your fridges, washing machines and dish washers and look at whether you are happy with that area or if you require more or less.
• Think about plates, pans, glasses and cups and if you require more space, and what space you require. If you have costly none stick pans keep them separate from other pans so that the non stick surface doesn’t get scratched. So consider hanging the pans on hooks or making sure you have adequate space to store the pans individually.
Just remember that you pay for what you get! So ensure the people you purchase from have a Excellent reputation and are able to help you out with all of the services you will potentially use including plumber’s, electrician’s and fitter’s. Purchasing from a large wholesaler would not be my first choice, as you are paying for services that are about, moving you through their system as quickly as possible for profit, not individual service, with follow up if you have any issues and if you are finishing a house off, because you are attempting to sell your house you don’t need extra hassle’s, believe me! Other areas you can look at are fitting a wooden staircase or new internal lighting but these are all things for another article