The complete guide to buying a new kitchen

A kitchen project has five separate cost blocks: units and doors, worktops, appliances, trade labour, and making good. A showroom price usually covers the first three. A builder's price usually covers the last two plus fitting. Almost nobody quotes all five, which is why comparing a £12,000 quote with a £19,000 quote tells you nothing until you break them down.

A small fitted kitchen with mid-range units and appliances typically lands at £8,000–£14,000 all in. A family kitchen with quartz worktops and integrated appliances is £15,000–£30,000. Above that you are paying for bespoke joinery, stone and premium appliances rather than more function.

Where the layout changes — moving the sink, hob, or removing a wall — add £1,500–£5,000 before any unit is bought.

A kitchen fit is a sequence, not a single job: strip out, first fix electrics and plumbing, plastering, floor preparation, unit installation, worktop templating (a separate visit, 7–14 days before fitting), second fix, tiling and snagging. Two to four weeks is normal. Anyone promising a week is compressing the drying and templating time that make the finish good.

• Buying units before the room is measured by the fitter who will install them.
• Choosing appliances after the units are designed — housings and cut-outs depend on them.
• Assuming the electrician's work is included in the kitchen company's price.
• Not budgeting for making good: plastering, flooring and decoration after strip-out.
• Ignoring the consumer unit. Many kitchens force an upgrade to meet current wiring regulations.

Spend on the things you touch and see every day — worktops, handles, taps, hinges. Save on the things nobody sees: carcass brand, appliance badge, tile format. Keep drainage where it is and the savings pay for a better worktop.

• Does this price include electrical, plumbing, plastering, tiling and flooring, or only units and fitting?
• Who is responsible for removing and disposing of the old kitchen?
• Is worktop templating and a second fitting visit included?
• What is the appliance supply arrangement and who handles a faulty appliance?
• Will the electrical work be certified and notified under Part P?
• What is the lead time from order to installation, and what happens if a unit arrives damaged?
• Are the carcasses rigid or flat-pack, and what is the hardware guarantee?

• A discount that only applies 'if you sign today'.
• No detailed unit schedule attached to the quotation.
• Trades listed as 'to be arranged by client' after you were told it was a full service.
• Worktop shown as a provisional allowance rather than a measured price.
• No mention of who makes good walls, floors and ceilings after strip-out.