Kitchen: DIY or hire a professional?

Kitchens need to be functional and comfortable to work in so if your kitchen is no longer meeting your needs, a new one could be one of the best decisions you could make for your home.
Your next decision then will no doubt be whether you should attempt to design and fit your new kitchen yourself or whether you would be better to call in the professionals.

DIY kitchen fit or professional fit?

Some people opt to fit their own kitchen and if you are a handy type with a good practical knowledge of general building and maintenance skills, you should be able to fit your own kitchen. But either way, installing a new kitchen means

• Careful planning, sizing and measuring
• Demolition of existing kitchen and the removal of unwanted materials
• Preparation of walls, floors, any plumbing or electrical upgrades
• Fitting of new units and appliances
• Final check on completion that everything is safe, fully functional and in good working order

The entire job can be expected to take around 5 to 8 weeks from go to whoa, but give yourself a flexible window on time to allow for possible delays with deliveries and the tradespeople you will need whether you do it yourself or not, like the plumber and the electrician.

The DIY kitchen

There are lots of options here as many kitchen companies can supply full kitchen kits for those who wish to do their own kitchen upgrade. The kits contain everything the home handyperson needs to fully install a brand new kitchen and they have several styles and colours to choose from.
The downside is that you are restricted to the colours, styles and materials supplied by the company and they may not be exactly what you have in mind.
If you plan to build your kitchen from scratch to your own design you will need to be very accurate with your plans and measurements as a small error in the planning stages could transpire into a big problem during construction.

Professionally fitted kitchens

These may cost you more but you can be sure in the knowledge that the finished product will meet your expectations, plus you can leave all the hard work to the fitter. Kitchen companies can design your kitchen to suit your budget and allow you to have some input in the planning stages. Many carry a range of appliances and accessories too and these can be incorporated into your new kitchen package. For convenience, this is often the best choice and the peace of mind is worth the extra expense.