Not for everyone but big savings to be made
If you are the handy type then a build your own kitchen is a viable option. At Renovation Insider we have made the connections and done the work to explore these ideas so that you can take the lessons and apply to your situation.
BE AWARE
You must be prepared to allow the time and have supporting expertise to lean on if trouble rears its head. DIY kitchen risk reward is not for everyone.
It is essential to understand that not everyone will have the skills and patience to self assemble their own kitchen this is getting into the area of advanced renovation skills. With that said if you are already a tradie or have some quality support local labour for hire or family then this can be a very rewarding path and saves you thousands on a new kitchen. Having the experience of several suppliers in the marketplace and their design and sales process we can vouch for the Semble Flatpack Kitchen. This family owned business started out in the cabinetry game in 1955 and over the years since they have gathered more skills and knowledge than we could ever hope to learn.
Today Semble offer a flatpack service with an all Australian owned, operated business. They insist on using Australian materials with a 9 day turnaround from order to the product being delivered to site.
Not on my own but with a tame chippy good to go!
I know my limitations and with 2 left thumbs I was not prepared to attempt this on my own. I have limitations and wonky cabinetry will not pass several key tests:-
- Ridicule from the missus and your mates! Saving $$ is one thing but you still have to live with the outcome
- It just wont last. Either from frustration or more structural / moisture issues will occur.
- It will forever be compromised in its basic function. Misaligned doors will allow vermin into your cabinets
Nobody wants that. However when Jim Bob (not his real name weekend cashies as part of the witness protection program) volunteered to help out with a kitchen assembly and install I knew the opportunity to garner some experience and save some serious $$ was too good to pass up.
Day 1 Demo
Yep skip the gym and get into some crash bash and smash. It sounds like fun but after 5 min we soon realise that we could make much more mess that we intended. Slow down and we methodically removed the old cabinets. Some assessments made on the fly. DIY kitchen risk reward can have substantial rewards.
1. Floors
Being hardwood timber we had the 2 distinct areas. Worn and weathered section of hardwood boards exposed to kitchen traffic for some 50 years and then the concealed boards since the initial 1970’s build. Confirmed with everyone that a sand and refinish will be acceptable so continue with the original plan.
2. Overall Dimension
Wall dimensions for the new install. Roughly speaking the plumbing and electrical is not moving so a fairly basic check for square and heights we are good to map the overall dimensions.
3. Confirm design and colours
We agonised over months with our kitchen layout, colours and such so we quickly confirmed that our design will work, entered our credit card details and pushed the button.
4. Delivery
Exciting to see the delivery arrive and form spot on the predicted delivery date. Now we are just waiting for a break in the daily grind and installation set for the weekend.
5. Checking off the delivery against the design
Yep it seems all is present and accounted for so lets get cracking. Colour is correct and there seem to be a lot of pieces……….
6. It is great to watch good trade skills in action
I hold the heavy end of bits is necessary and helpful but for the finished result you will need some beautifully detailed oriented people.
- Paint
- Carpentry
- Tiling
- Electrical
- Plumbing
Once we have completed reward your helpers and the Tradies assistant because a great outcome will be a team effort.
To investigate what this could mean for your tired kitchen then why not engage our local Renovation Insider to walk through your specific needs. Appliances, additional trades, demolition (sounds fun) and through to a Refresh of your kitchen.
