NO MESS, NO RUBBLE
Fast and clean
What is a kitchen makeover without building work?
A kitchen makeover without building work completely renews the look of the kitchen by working over the structure that’s already there, instead of stripping it out. Rather than ripping out the units and hacking off the tiles, the doors and drawer fronts get replaced, the worktop is changed, the tiles are covered with paint or vinyl and a new floor goes over the existing one. The carcasses, the plumbing and the wiring stay where they are, which is exactly what makes a conventional renovation expensive and slow. The result looks very much like a new kitchen, but in days rather than weeks and with no rubble down the hallway.
Our solutions
Ways to renew your kitchen without building work
Not every kitchen needs the same thing. These are the solutions we use, on their own or combined, depending on the state of yours and the change you’re after.
Doors and drawer fronts
We replace doors and fronts keeping the existing carcasses. It's the change that transforms a kitchen most and gives the best result for the money.
Worktop and sink
We fit a new worktop over the existing units, with the sink and taps you choose. Without touching the main plumbing.
Paint and vinyl over tiles
Specialist enamels and vinyl sheet that cover the existing tiling, splashback included, without taking off a single tile.
Vinyl or laminate flooring
Floors laid straight over the existing one. Water-resistant, easy to clean and fitted in a day.
Handles, taps and details
We change handles, taps, plinths and trims. They're small pieces that, well chosen, completely change how the whole thing reads.
Appliances and lighting
We swap appliances for others of the same dimensions and renew the task lighting under the wall units.
With or without building work: which suits you
Neither option is better than the other: it depends on the real state of your kitchen and on what you need to change. Here's the honest comparison, so you decide on the merits and not on price.
A new-looking kitchen, using the existing carcasses.
- Timescale Between 2 and 5 days of fitting.
- Rubble and dust Virtually none: nothing gets broken up.
- Using the kitchen It stays usable for almost the whole process.
- What changes Doors, worktop, wall finishes, floor and taps.
- When it's worth it If the carcasses are sound and the layout works for you.
A genuinely new kitchen, inside as well.
- Timescale Between two and three weeks.
- Rubble and dust Yes: the kitchen is stripped out and waste taken away.
- Using the kitchen It's out of action while the work goes on.
- What changes Carcasses, plumbing, electrics and layout as well.
- When it's worth it If you want to open it up to the living room or the units are damaged.
Not sure which? On the visit we check the state of the carcasses and the services and tell you which of the two genuinely suits you, at no obligation.
Straight talking
When a kitchen makeover isn't the answer
It isn’t always the best option, and we’d rather tell you before starting. If the carcasses have swollen with damp or fall apart when you touch them, if you want to change the layout or move the sink, if the wiring can’t cope with today’s appliances or if there’s a leak behind the tiling, renewing only what’s visible is papering over the problem. In those cases we’ll tell you on the visit and propose a conventional renovation, even though it’s a smaller sale for us. We’d rather have a kitchen that lasts twenty years than one that looks good in the photo.
A quote made for you
How much does a kitchen makeover cost?
No two kitchens are alike, so there’s no single price. What we can tell you is that a makeover without building work comes out considerably cheaper than a full renovation, because you save the strip-out, the demolition and the waste removal. This is what makes the difference in your quote:
That’s why we don’t publish fixed rates: every case is different and we’d rather see it before giving a figure. Write or call us and we’ll arrange a no-obligation visit, with a detailed quote broken down line by line, free of charge.
How a makeover runs
A makeover has to be fast and clean, and that only happens with method. This is how we work from start to finish, so you always know what's happening in your home.
Visit and measuring the kitchen
We check the state of the carcasses, take exact measurements of doors and worktop and look over the services. No obligation and no cost.
Choosing finishes and quoting
You choose materials, colours and handles with our advice and get a fixed quote, line by line and with the manufacturing lead time included.
Fitted in a few days
Once the material is made, we fit it protecting the area and leaving the house tidy every day. The kitchen stays usable for almost the whole process.
Handover and written guarantee
We go over every door and every trim with you, explain how to look after it and hand over the guarantee on materials and fitting.
Kitchen makeovers, before and after
This is what the change looks like on a kitchen makeover. These examples show the kind of result we achieve; once we have photos of your own projects, we’ll add them here.
Frequently asked questions about kitchen makeovers
Here are the questions we get asked most before taking the plunge. If you still have one, write to us and we’ll help, at no obligation.
It depends on how many things you decide to change, the number of units and the materials you choose. What’s certain is that it comes out cheaper than a full renovation, because you save the strip-out and the rubble. We don’t publish fixed rates because every kitchen is different: get in touch and we’ll arrange a no-obligation visit to give you a detailed, itemised quote.
By keeping the carcasses and replacing only what you see: doors and fronts, handles, worktop and wall finishes. Carcasses are usually still in good shape long after the doors have dated, so making use of them is the most cost-effective way to get a new kitchen.
Over the existing tiling you can use specialist tile paint, vinyl sheet, panels or microcement. On the splashback between the units, which takes the most splashes and heat, we use tougher materials and reinforced sealing.
Yes. The worktop is replaced over the existing units without touching the main plumbing, using the openings for the sink and the hob. It’s one of the changes that renews a kitchen most and it’s normally done in a day.
Two to five days in most cases, against the two or three weeks of a full renovation. The timescale depends above all on the lead times for making the doors and the worktop, which we confirm in the quote.
As it doesn’t change the layout or touch anything structural, a minor works notification is usually enough, and in many municipalities not even that. We’ll confirm what your case needs and handle the paperwork if it’s required.
We give a written guarantee on materials and workmanship. If a door comes loose or a fault in the fitting shows up, we put it right at no cost.
When the carcasses are damaged, when you want to change the layout or open the kitchen up to the living room, or when the wiring and plumbing can no longer cope. In those cases a makeover would only delay the problem, and we’ll tell you so on the visit.