I would be lying if I said we didn’t get a lot of raised eyebrows when we say we are replacing the brand new kitchen in our new-build property.
When it comes to buying a brand new home, you would think you have endless options and choices to make when it comes to making your new home personal to you and your style. And whilst some house builders do offer a lot of upgrades, additional extras and general options on the basics, some do not. And unfortunately our house-builder falls into that latter category.
Now call us snobby, but we were so desperate for some upgrades in our kitchen, and yet unfortunately we were told we do not qualify to upgrade anything! We were prepared to spend a little more on different style doors, a higher quality of worktop, a bigger oven. And yet we couldn’t. So, after 3 hours of choosing a kitchen that we didn’t like, weeks of searching for additional units, and trying with all our might to like the options we had, we decided it was best to buy all new.
Read : 6 Things to know before you buy a new build property.
Functionality
Number one reason for installing a new kitchen is functionality. The kitchen in our new property lacked storage and user-friendly space. With a under counter oven, two over counter cupboards and just one draw, it really lacked usable storage we desired for a family home.
Compared to the kitchen we had in a two-bedroom apartment, we were losing 50% of our cupboard space and storage. Despite having more wall and floor space available. We had been given a downsized oven and sink too!
Our new improved kitchen will give us 7 usable cupboards with smart storage solutions, one large pull out larder, 3 plinth draws, 2 narrow spice racks and space for our built in fridge/freezer, washing machine and dishwasher! We have kept all counter space and moved our oven into a tower unit and given ourselves a larger sink. Win Win all round!
Design
As with any part of a home, it can often be to personal taste. So whilst many would love what we choose from the developers, unfortunately it isn’t exactly what we had in mind. We had dreamt for a dark, matt, handle-less kitchen, which was far from the only dark colour ( bluey – purple) high gloss, silver handled, light butcher block design we opted for with the developers.
The newly designed kitchen instead has the look and feel we were looking for. Our new home style is modern retro and we wanted our kitchen to reflect that. With a darker colour palette, including the units and counter top, we’ve achieved the look and feel we were after for our modern new build home.
Long Lasting
When we were choosing our first house ( second property ) we knew we would be in it for a long time. Any property purchase is an investment, but for us, this was especially. We are up sizing, hoping one day to fill the spare rooms with little feet. So, a kitchen that can’t support a family Christmas with a over sized Turkey, and offering plenty of storage and cooking space is vital for many happy years in our new home.
We have come across lots of raised eyebrows when it comes to our kitchen plans – even from the developers themselves. But we are so excited to upgrade and get the kitchen we have always wanted.
Throughout our entire house purchase process we have been making sure we choose what we want for both practicality and style. And that was the same for our kitchen. We knew the functionality would grate very quickly, along with the downgrades on what we had previously. So instead of us waiting to get incredibly frustrated with the kitchen, why not fix it straight away.
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