What a kitchen costs, and why there is no single answer

Price follows scope, not metres

Two kitchens of the same size can sit far apart in price. The difference is almost never the size — it is the scope: the kitchen alone, the kitchen together with the living space around it, or a renovation that moves walls, plumbing and electrical points.

Which is why talking about price before I have seen the space is guesswork. After a short conversation and a measure-up on site a precise quote is possible, and that is the quote that should hold to the end.

The fronts and the drawers: where the money is

The fronts are the largest surface you see, and the single item that moves the price most. Lacquer, acrylic, formica, polymer, solid wood, veneer and nano are different price worlds — and the most expensive is not always the right one.

As for the drawers: the width, the material, the quality and the warranty are all parameters that move the price.

The worktop and the splashback

The worktop is the second-largest decision. Quartz, porcelain and natural stone differ not only in price but in behaviour: what happens when wine spills, what happens under a hot pan, how much daily cleaning each asks for.

What is not in the joiner’s quote

A joiner’s quote covers the cost of the cabinets. It usually does not cover what sits behind the wall: moving plumbing and electrical points, plasterwork, flooring, paint, and sometimes taking a wall down altogether.

That gap is what surprises people most, and it is the reason to plan before ordering. A plan that already knows where the fridge stands and where the socket goes saves more than it costs.