Having Your Dream Kitchen in the Real World

Buying a kitchen is the third most expensive purchase you'll make (after a house and car). In a bid to reduce the cost, hundreds of people plan and install their own kitchen each year. This needn't be a major headache - follow these hints and tips to ease the stress and enable you to enjoy the fruits of your work for years to come.

The first part of this two part series contains hints and tips on measuring and planning your ideal kitchen. Part 2 will cover budget, work surfaces, accessories, delivery and installation.

Measurements

• Take all measurements in millimeters.
• Measure floor to ceiling, all walls (measure above skirting and halfway up the wall as most walls aren't straight!).
• You will also want to measure windows, doors, serving hatches, plugs, sockets - and their distance from the floor and nearest wall/door frame etc.

Planning your layout

• Decide where you want units and what style of cabinet - and if you can realistically afford it and actually create it (see 'planning nightmares' below)!
• Do you value drawer or cupboard space - or a combination of each? This dictates which units to go for and the price.
• Wall units are usually matched in size to base units, creating symmetry - this is worth remembering if you want glass doors, as they usually only come in certain sizes.
• Corner units usually quote dimensions bigger than the actual unit - this allows for doors to open properly and ensures they match up to adjacent units - so pay careful attention to their measurements.
• Check dimensions on the sink you want; most stainless steel sinks will fit in a 600mm cabinet (as only the bowl part needs to be in the unit) however a ceramic sink needs a 1000mm sink will need a 1000mm unit and if going for a separate bowl and drainer you will need extra room for the extra set of plumbing (as they both need plumbing!).
• Decide whether you want flat packed units or ready assembled - they may cost more but will save you heaps of time.

Planning appliances

• Decide whether you want built in appliances - as they will need a decorative door or a 600mm unit to sit in.
• Fridge/freezer tower units have doors in a 50/50 or 60/40 split - which also dictates the size of fridge/freezer compartments.
• When ordering ovens and appliances, ensure you've ordered correctly - built in ovens and appliances usually need a unit to sit in or a door, whereas built under just need a plinth across the front.
• It's also worth checking that your double oven is two oven compartments - rather than just a single oven and separate grill compartment.
• If you want a 5 or 6 ring or wok hob, check you can actually use the other rings if you're using a large saucepan or wok.

Planning Nightmares

• Corner angled sinks and appliances. This will give you a headache over worktop joins and if you're planning an angled cooker - the possibility of having to build a false wall.
• Island sinks and appliances - you'll probably need to dig a trench for plumbing or gas pipes.
• Diagonal units - these take up masses of room, as they need to be pulled forward to match the adjoining runs of units.
• If you want an old style Belfast/Butler ceramic sink, check first as these will need a particular size unit to sit on - which may not be available in the range you want.

These helpful hints should mean you will now be in a position to decide on your budget, accessories, worksurfaces and decor - then onto buying and installing your new kitchen. This will be covered in Part 2.

Sarah PJ White is a freelance writer and life coach who specialises in self help and general interest articles. To find out more about the author, please visit her website at http://www.sarahpjwhite.com