Is fitting actually included?
Plenty of quotes are supply-only. Before you compare prices, confirm whether installation, plastering, tiling, electrics, plumbing and waste removal are in the figure — or waiting as extras.
Buying a new kitchen is one of the biggest things you’ll do to your home — and one of the easiest to get caught out on. This is the honest, no-jargon guide we wish every homeowner had: what to look out for, how to design a kitchen that works, and what’s actually trending in UK homes right now.
What a new kitchen really costs in the UK — where the money goes, the 5–10% rule, and how to set a budget you can trust.
6 min read · Read guide →The two most popular UK door styles compared — on looks, cost, upkeep and which suits your home.
5 min read · Read guide →A realistic stage-by-stage timeline for a UK kitchen — from first idea to the final wipe-down.
5 min read · Read guide →A plain-English guide to your consumer rights on a major kitchen purchase — contracts, safe payment, faulty work, cancellation and company failure.
7 min read · Read guide →When the big kitchen sales land, whether the deals are genuine, and how to time your purchase to actually save money.
5 min read · Read guide →How to protect your deposit, the warning signs of a dodgy kitchen company, and simple checks that tell you a firm can be trusted.
6 min read · Read guide →None of this means avoid the trade — it means walk in informed. Every great specialist will happily answer all of these.
Plenty of quotes are supply-only. Before you compare prices, confirm whether installation, plastering, tiling, electrics, plumbing and waste removal are in the figure — or waiting as extras.
High-pressure, time-limited pricing is the oldest trick in the showroom. A fair price is still fair next week. Never feel rushed into signing on the first visit.
Ask for a line-by-line breakdown — units, worktops, appliances, handles, delivery and fitting listed separately. A single big number is where margin quietly hides.
Be cautious of big deposits paid in one go. Pay in stages against milestones, and remember card payments over £100 carry Section 75 protection if things go wrong.
Integrated ovens, fridges and dishwashers need the right housing units and door sizes. Get exact makes and models in writing, and check everything is designed to fit together.
Laminate, solid timber, quartz and granite differ hugely in cost, durability and upkeep. Ask which you’re getting, where any joins sit and how they’ll be finished.
Get manufacturing and fitting timescales in writing. A new kitchen is weeks of disruption to the heart of your home — you deserve to know what to expect before you commit.
Ask whether fitters are employed or subcontracted, if you keep one team throughout, and exactly what the guarantee covers months down the line — not just on installation day.
Doors are the face of your kitchen and a big chunk of the cost. The right material depends on your budget, your look, and how hard the kitchen will be used.
A single MDF door wrapped in vinyl foil under heat and vacuum — seamless, often with routed detail and no visible joins.
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MDF doors factory-sprayed and lacquered to a flawless, uniform finish — the modern painted look.
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Doors built from solid, high-quality hardwood — typically ash or oak — usually a timber frame around a centre panel, then painted. The premium, heritage choice, built to last a lifetime.
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A traditional construction where each door and drawer sits inside a solid timber face frame fixed to the cabinet — the hallmark of a handcrafted, heritage kitchen.
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A board (MFC or MDF) cut to size with edging tape applied to the edges — the workhorse of modern handleless and slab kitchens.
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A slab door faced with a high-gloss acrylic sheet for a deep, mirror-like shine.
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Standard ranges often use 18mm doors and drawer fronts; premium ranges step up to 22mm, which feel noticeably more substantial and cast a deeper shadow gap. Thicker isn’t automatically “better”, but it’s a quick tell of where a range sits. One caveat: door thickness says nothing about the carcass behind it — check that too (an 18mm carcass is sturdier than 15mm), along with how consistently the doors and drawers line up.
Your worktop takes the daily beating — heat, knives, spills and elbows. Balance the look you want against how much upkeep you’ll realistically do.
A chipboard core topped with a decorative laminate surface — the most popular worktop in the UK by far.
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Real timber such as oak or walnut, supplied in staves or full boards.
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Ground natural quartz bound with resin into a consistent, non-porous slab.
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Quarried natural stone — each slab one of a kind.
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An ultra-compact surface (e.g. Dekton, Neolith) fired at high temperature for extreme durability.
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An acrylic-mineral composite that’s thermoformed, so joins and sinks can be made seamless.
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The hob is the decision people agonise over most — here’s the honest comparison, plus the appliance details that quietly make or break a kitchen.
Uses an electromagnetic field to heat the pan directly — the glass surface itself stays relatively cool.
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An open flame you control by eye — still many keen cooks’ first choice.
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Electric elements glowing beneath a flat ceramic-glass top.
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Single vs double comes down to how you cook and host. Pyrolytic (self-cleaning) ovens are worth the premium for most. Check the usable capacity in litres, not just the cabinet width.
Ducted extraction vents steam and odours outside and clears the air far better than a recirculating hood, which just filters and returns it. Plan ducting early and size the extractor to your hob.
Integrated full-size (60cm) is the default; slimline (45cm) suits small kitchens, and a few extra place settings make a real difference for families. Look at the noise rating (dB) for open-plan rooms and the drying method — auto-open and zeolite dry best.
Integrated gives the seamless look but less internal space than freestanding for the same width. Decide fridge-to-freezer split by how you shop and cook, and look for frost-free, fast-chill and a good energy rating — it runs 24/7.
A built-in microwave or combination (microwave + oven + grill) at worktop height saves bending and frees a cabinet. Combis are brilliant in smaller kitchens where a second oven won’t fit.
A warming drawer keeps plates and food hot when you’re hosting, and doubles as gentle proving or slow-cooking. It also makes a tidy plinth for a built-in oven or coffee machine above.
A dedicated wine cooler holds bottles at the right temperature; dual-zone models keep reds and whites separately. Built-in versions need ventilation room, so plan the location with your designer.
Instant boiling (and often filtered/chilled/sparkling) water saves a kettle’s worth of worktop and time. Budget for a tank under the sink and a filter you’ll replace periodically — running costs are modest.
A built-in bin system with separated recycling keeps things tidy and is now expected. A waste-disposal unit on the sink is handy but needs the right plumbing and isn’t allowed on every drainage system — check first.
Appliances often outlast the kitchen, so check the energy rating for running costs and compare warranty length — it varies a lot between brands.
One of the most-asked kitchen questions — and the honest answer is “it depends”. Here’s the case both ways.
A sociable, modern choice — if your floor build-up allows a proper waste run with fall, and you keep enough clear worktop either side. Decide hob-versus-sink on the island early; you rarely fit both comfortably. On a concrete slab, get the plumbing feasibility checked before you fall in love with the idea.
The most beautiful kitchen in the world will still frustrate you if the everyday flow is wrong. Nail the practical decisions first and the good looks follow. Here are the ones that matter most.
Keep sink, hob and fridge in an easy loop, and try not to send through-traffic across it. It’s the single biggest driver of how a kitchen feels to cook in.
Ambient from above, task lighting under wall units over your worktops, and a little accent light. One central pendant alone always leaves you working in your own shadow.
Deep pan drawers in your base units beat fixed shelves every time — you see and reach everything without kneeling on the floor to dig to the back.
Count every gadget, then add more than you think you need. Consider pop-up or island sockets so you’re not trailing leads across finished worktops.
Aim for roughly a metre of clear walkway on each side so drawers, the dishwasher and the oven can all open fully without a traffic jam.
A built-in recycling system planned from the start keeps a freestanding bin out of the way — a small detail that makes a daily difference.
Trends are inspiration, not instruction — but knowing what’s current helps you talk to specialists with confidence and spot what you genuinely love.
After years of painted everything, real wood doors are returning fast — oak and ash with the grain on show, for warmth and texture you simply can’t paint on. A natural, tactile look that ages beautifully and feels far more personal.
Stained timber doors are having a moment: smoked oak, rich walnut tones and soft, washed finishes that let the grain read through. It’s the middle ground between a flat painted front and full natural wood — characterful, modern and warm.
Appliance garages with pocket or bi-fold doors that slide right back and tuck away — hiding the coffee station, toaster and everyday clutter behind a clean front, then disappearing while you use them. The tidiest way to keep worktops clear.
Vertical fluting and reeded texture on islands, end panels and tall units adds shadow, craft and a tactile, furniture-like quality — a quiet way to lift a simple kitchen from flat to characterful.
Wall-to-wall open-plan is softening into zoned, “broken-plan” spaces — islands, glazed partitions and subtle level changes that separate cooking, dining and lounging while keeping the light and flow.
Larder and pantry units are back in a big way: a proper home for food, small appliances and everyday clutter that keeps worktops clear and the whole room feeling calm.
Cool greys are fading out. Deep greens, clay, mushroom and warm neutrals lead the way, paired with timber, brass and natural stone for a softer, more personal look.
Most projects go well — but if yours has stalled, gone quiet or gone wrong, you have more power than you think. Here’s a calm, practical path back to control.
Stop relying on phone calls. Put every issue, date and promise into email, and take dated photos of any defects. A clear paper trail is your single strongest asset.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods must be as described, of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose, and work must be done with reasonable care and skill. For faults you can ask for a repair, replacement or price reduction.
Write to the company stating clearly what’s wrong, what you want done, and a reasonable deadline. Stay factual and calm, and give them a fair opportunity to put it right.
Paid by credit card for something over £100? Section 75 makes the card provider jointly liable, so you can claim from them. Debit card — ask your bank about chargeback. On finance — raise it with the finance provider too.
If the retailer is a member, schemes like the KBSA or the Furniture & Home Improvement Ombudsman offer independent dispute resolution. Report rogue traders to Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice consumer helpline (0808 223 1133).
For a disputed quality or fitting issue, an independent kitchen or installation inspector’s report is powerful, impartial evidence if things escalate further.
For unresolved disputes (up to £10,000 in England & Wales), the small claims court is designed to be used without a solicitor. Bring all your evidence and your paper trail.
General guidance for UK homeowners, not legal advice — the bodies and limits referenced apply to England & Wales and can differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland. And remember: matching with vetted specialists from the very start is exactly how matchen. helps you avoid ending up here.
The words you’ll hear in every showroom, in plain English — so nothing gets lost in translation.
Put everything you’ve learned into a design of your own — see your dream kitchen come to life, then match with three local specialists when you’re ready. Free to use, no obligation.
Got a question we haven’t covered? Ask the matchen. team.