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Sarah Isbister

Affordable Kitchen Makeover: Renovation Ideas on a Budget

According to a recent article by Checkatrade*, installing a new kitchen, depending on size, could cost an average of £10,550, based on £5,250 for a small kitchen and £28,400 for a large kitchen. This includes updating units, floors, appliances, and installation. This would be wonderful if you had the money allocated to spend, but in the current cost of living crisis, making huge design changes like installing a new kitchen may not be something you can consider at this time. Or can you?


There are lots of ways to be able to achieve a Kitchen makeover on a budget. We’re going to run through just a few that you might want to consider, which could help you achieve your dream kitchen for less.


Don’t replace kitchen units


Kitchen units form, on average, £3,000 of the total £10,550 and with installation on top, a further £3000, this constitutes around 60% of your budget. It doesn’t have to.


You could replace your kitchen doors and leave the unit carcass and end panels as they are. This would be a cheaper alternative and can be a quick fix, but the edges, interior and end panels will still be the same colour and finish that you had in the beginning, just with a new door.

You could paint the kitchen cupboards, again another cheaper alternative. Though, this often comes with a heavy load for you the homeowner to achieve this and can leave streaks and uneven patches.


Both are ways to improve your kitchen on a budget, but spraying units provides a much better coverage, that is more durable and covers cupboard interiors and end panels as well as kitchen cupboard doors.


The paint used by professional spray painters is a different consistency than conventional paint and is mixed with a curing agent to make it more durable. It provides a soft sheen finish and can be used on laminated cupboards, gloss units or wooden panels. You can also choose from hundreds of colours, even colour-matching against existing furniture, which provides more flexibility and choice than the first two options. It also avoids the issue of brush strokes, as it provides a much smoother finish and can be completed within a couple of days at most, in fact most kitchen spraying is completed in the same day.


Overall, spraying your kitchen could save thousands on the price of replacing and yet provide you with the new-look kitchen that you desire.


Finishing the look


Changing handles on a kitchen cupboard, drawer or dresser can completely change the look and feel of the unit. Just take a look at the images below to see how dramatic the change can be. It can truly modernise your space and be completed for a small cost.




We often finish our kitchen spraying by replacing handles, these are always sourced by the customer, and existing holes can be filled before spraying and then new drill holes made, and the handles fitted post spraying too.


Using existing or older furniture to provide an extension of your kitchen


To cut down on the cost of new storage, you might be able to utilise an existing piece. For example, we recently sprayed an old dresser the same colour as a kitchen, extending the look and design into the dining space for little cost.


You may also want to spray existing AGAs to fit into your new design, rather than having to purchase a new one. Again, we recently sprayed this AGA, so it completed the overall kitchen makeover with little effort.



You could also add new shelving to utility areas for example and we could spray these to match the new kitchen colour and style.


Changing backdrops and tiles


Sometimes, changing tiles or backdrops once there has been a colour change in a kitchen can also have a dramatic effect. Here, you can see where the client has applied a new splashback to great effect.





You can add tiles to a small area to provide impact, but at a lower cost than covering the entire area. Just a border can make a big statement. If you have existing tiles, they can be sprayed too, eliminating the hassle of removing tiles and reducing the need for a tiler, therefore providing a more cost-effective solution.





Fitting new worktops


Obviously, the cheapest option, is to stay with the current work surface. Applying different shades to the kitchen units can make the surface look different alongside. You can see in our kitchen visualiser how this works. However, if you want to replace your work surface, there are a few things to consider.


Laminate work surfaces are the best for the budget initially, but they are prone to damage more easily than that of Granite for example. Granite or Quartz are a more expensive option, but they are a lot more durable and easier to clean, so may last longer than a laminate surface and therefore end up being more cost-effective overall. You could also consider solid wooden worktops, but these do require waxing to maintain the desired finish and can be more prone to staining than the likes of Granite or Quartz. So, whilst you are trying to achieve a kitchen makeover on a budget, there may be parts that you choose to invest a bit more in to have greater longevity.


Not forgetting flooring


Our renovation ideas on a budget include being able to update flooring should you choose to. However, if you follow some of the tips we have already shared, there will be little need to change a floor, which could be a huge saving. Unlike replacing cupboards, that will often leave marks or gaps in flooring, spraying will leave the floor unaffected. We protect all areas when spraying and so your flooring could remain part of your new design.


If you do want to change it, the important things to consider are durability and moisture. In a kitchen, spillages happen, and they need to be easy to clean. Some flooring options are more porous than others. Porcelain or ceramic tiles can provide an effective finish that is easy to clean and durable, but if you are like most and occasionally have a little bit of clumsiness in the kitchen, dropping pots and pans, a warning would be that tiles can chip and also very little survives when hitting a ceramic tile. However, they are an option for a low budget averaging around £6 per square metre, but don’t forget installation costs. Consider laying tiles diagonally to create more impact for the same cost.


Wooden flooring is a beautiful finish and with click and lock systems you may even be able to save by installing them yourself. However, just consider the porous nature and remember that wood expands with moisture overtime, so it will need to be looked after. Wider panels can look more modern but also mean you need less to cover the space than thinner panel designs.

It is also important when opting for laminate to consider durability. Yes, we are trying to save for your budget and achieve a kitchen renovation for less, but there is no point if you must replace it again in a few years because the original was not durable enough. Don’t skimp on underlay either with laminate, as it can help extend the life of the laminate.


Vinyl can be a cost-effective alternative with a wide range of choice from £6 to £40 per square metre. It is easy to install, saving on installation costs and quick and easy to maintain. Vinyl can often provide a cheaper alternative to laminate or tiles, but display a similar effect, with many options now mirroring laminate and tiles.


How we can help


If you would like to know more about spraying your kitchen cupboards and units and achieving an affordable kitchen makeover, speak to us. We can discuss with you the best way to achieve your dream kitchen on a budget.


* https://www.checkatrade.com/blog/cost-guides/new-kitchen-cost/

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