Some people have always been enthusiastic, and maybe even obsessed, by the interiors and the design of the spaces within their home. But with the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns came weeks of staying inside and having time to contemplate how we use the spaces in our spaces as well as if we even like our homes.
The months of staying at home even encouraged some people to be more drastic than just repainting some walls to refresh life and instead they started looking for a new home in a new location. But that time also encouraged more people to look online for inspiration on how to reinvent their home style and find bargains to freshen up rooms on a budget.
So many people fell out of love with their kitchens that, combined with advances in special paint for kitchen surfaces, social media platforms and YouTube became saturated with stories of how someone updated their kitchen for a few hundred pounds. Others spent a bit more by investing in specialist spray-paint companies to put new life into tired kitchens and some bought new doors and worktops as one of the other budget-conscious ways to bring the space back to life because buying a new kitchen can be a costly option.
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If you don't fancy getting the paint brushes out or having your kitchen spray-tanned maybe you yearn for a designer kitchen. But if your buying budget doesn't match your high-end expectations then maybe the thought of a kitchen worth tens of thousands will have to be put to bed.
Perhaps there is another option – buying someone else's kitchen. You might be a bit sniffy about buying someone else's cast-offs and you wouldn't be alone in feeling this way. Why take on units that have been bashed, appliances that might not work, and worktops that have worked hard?
But this is not the idea of taking on a kitchen that has seen better days or been living in a messy student house for years. Just because someone doesn't want it anymore doesn't mean you should dismiss it as a way to get designer luxury at a bargain price. But there are pitfalls to look out for and things to consider before going down the second-hand kitchen route.
Despite initial reservations one woman in Cardiff can't recommend it highly enough and proclaims she is never going to buy a new kitchen again. She is keen to spread her knowledge and experiences to anyone thinking of doing the same.
Alexandra Turton and her husband had just purchased a new home in their dream location but it was a hefty period property renovation project that was desperate for a new rear extension to create a kitchen diner and a utility room to the side. But with the build costs mounting the idea of a designer kitchen was looking unobtainable.
Alexandra said: "The original kitchen was two metres by two metres and housed in a ropey-looking lean-to that was falling down. Sadly there was zero that could be salvaged from the original kitchen. The plus side of the house was it had a massive garden meaning a large extension was possible.
"Simply filling it with a kitchen, even a basic one, was going to cost a lot – particularly with the size of the island we wanted. We priced up solid surfaces and the island alone was going to cost in excess of £5,000 but compromising on quality wasn’t an option for us – we felt the renovation was to such a good standard that we didn't want to ruin it by putting in a sub-par kitchen.
"Also I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and I'm really clumsy so we needed items that were up to the job – quality appliances and premium surfaces. So we started to look at some other options."
But spending a valued budget on someone else's unwanted kitchen did not necessarily come to Alexandra's mind immediately until she came across a specialist second-hand kitchen website that intrigued her as the standard of the designer kitchens on offer and the price overcame any initial reservations. She said: "To be honest the kitchen was such a good price that I had very few worries. We worked out that even if we only used two of the appliances that came with the kitchen we'd have covered the cost of buying the whole thing – complete no-brainer. The photographs were really clear so our expectations of the kitchen's condition were correct. It was in superb condition and immaculately clean."
But based on Alexandra's experience there are certain aspects of second-hand designer kitchen buying to consider. Do some rummaging around online until you find what you want rather than go for the first reasonable kitchen you see and buy it just because of the price – if you're not in a desperate rush and can wait then hold out for one that you love.
Alexandra said: "My absolute must was a large island with solid surfaces. I was pretty flexible and open-minded about everything else. I love to cook and wanted the practicality and flexibility of an island large enough for a number of people to eat whilst I was cooking.
"A separate utility area was also essential. I spend most of my time in the kitchen and hate listening to a washing machine. Outside of those two things we were willing to consider our options. This flexibility meant we were able to consider a number of potential kitchens."
Alexandra kept looking and found a kitchen that could potentially be the designer addition she was looking for – and it came with a sprinkling of fame too. She said: "The quality and scale of the kitchen really came across in the photos of it in the seller's home.
"The kitchen was initially used as a set kitchen on the BBC Drama series Mistresses. It was then installed in a beautiful barn conversion just outside of Bristol. It was handmade in a local joinery and custom-sprayed. I knew we could definitely do something with the bones of the kitchen but we weren't 100% sure what at the time we bought it."
Do keep to your budget as you might want to do what Alexandra and her husband decided to do with their second-hand kitchen and change some of the surfaces and add slices of luxury such as tiles or extra accessories or furniture – so your overall kitchen make-over budget should include the flexibility to do this and consider interior design elements to the project. Alexandra said: "Price was definitely a major consideration. I have champagne taste and whilst we didn't have a set budget for this project any money saved could be put towards buying some lovely furniture for the rest of the renovation."
Communication with the seller, via the specialist site, needs to be clear and this includes all the measurements of all units as well as what is actually included in the sale as it might not be what you see in the photographs. Alexandra said: "The dishwasher, American fridge-freezer, microwave, and hob came with the used kitchen. The seller kept his beautiful Wolf oven as it was too heavy to move so I bought a Neff oven from John Lewis. The appliances that were included with the kitchen would've cost around £5,000 to buy on their own and are all great brands like Miele and Neff."
The kitchen – which included all the appliances, except the cooker, as well as drawers and internal fixtures and fittings like waste bins, plinths, sink and taps, pantry cupboard, island, worktop, and even the bar stools – came to £2,250. And Alexandra has more advice about the purchase saying those pursuing the route should buy it all as a complete kitchen and take all that is on offer, even if you don't think you need it all, because it gives you the option to repurpose items and offers flexibility if something doesn't fit or you need to change the design. In Alexandra's case the leftover kitchen units were used in the utility room.
The couple have upgraded some elements of the kitchen to their personal taste, such as the sink and tap as well as the door handles while the bar stools were sold on and new ones purchased but these were budget extras that, apart from the cooker, weren't necessary other than to bring their taste to the space. One area where they decided to spend a bit more budget was getting the wood doors replaced by new pink doors to bring the pastel concept to its maximum visual impact and this cost an extra £900.
When the purchase was complete John hired a van and went and picked the kitchen up himself. Luckily the seller's builders helped him load the kitchen. And this is where Alexandra said a reliable and good carpenter and joiner needs to come into the transformation story – someone who can install the kitchen but can also cut things to size to persuade the old kitchen to fit into the new space and come up with solutions for any problems.
And in this aspect of the project some might say Alexandra is very lucky. She said: "This is where marrying a carpenter definitely paid off. John was able to change the layout and ensure we made the most of the fixtures. We ensured we used all of the pull-out bins and racking as these really make the kitchen function well."
But if you don't have a partner skilled in carpentry then asking for recommendations for someone to employ to fit the kitchen is advisable before the purchase so they can see what the project entails. Now the kitchen is complete with added flooring, tiles, and accessories it's even appeared in an interior magazine and Alexandra doesn't care who knows it is second-hand. She said: "I tell everybody. Some people can be a little snobby about pre-owned items but I am not one of them I love that we have a kitchen we're so pleased with that cost a fraction of a new one.
"I love nice things, who doesn't, but I never like paying full price if I can help it. I buy a lot of vintage and pre-owned designer furniture on the internet and so it made perfect sense to me to try and do the same with our kitchen."
The kitchen has been rehomed and finessed with bespoke design additions to how the couple want it to look and function and there was even enough left over after the kitchen and the utility room to upgrade their rental property and Alexandra couldn't be more pleased. She said: "I have so many favourite features – each for different reasons. My current favourite is the pantry.
"It’s such a useful space and holds all my day-to-day items and hides away all my small kitchen appliances – cluttered countertops irritate me so it's great to shut the doors on it when we have company. The drawers beneath provide really accessible storage for all my plates and so on.
"As the pantry is so useful – the doors are often open so John suggested giving the pantry a mini-renovation of its own. He edged the white shelves and drawers in oak and tiled the rear of the shelves which made a massive difference.
"I know this is going to sound cheesy but every morning when I go down to my kitchen it makes me smile. It's so serene without being too boring and has so much room that it never looks too cluttered. I just love it."
For further information about second hand kitchens go to Used Kitchen Exchange. Of course if you need to do any structural or electrical work, or have to move the plumbing, this should be factored into the budget cost. The choice of kitchens for sale include ex-display and approved used kitchens and single items such as islands and dressers. And be sure not to miss the best dream homes in Wales, auction properties, renovation stories, and interiors – join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter sent to your inbox twice a week.
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