Customer stories
Before & After
Karen heard about Rehome through ITV’s Money Saving Expert, Martin Lewis and was excited to see if we could help her make her kitchen dreams a reality. She told us “A brand-new kitchen was simply out of my budget and sustainability is so important to me that buying a pre-owned kitchen made perfect sense’.
With a substantial renovation underway, affordability without compromising on quality was of paramount importance. “I originally wanted a Clive Christian kitchen, but after looking on the Rehome Website, there was so much choice that I remained totally open-minded. It’s weird because I really thought the only kitchen style I didn’t like was white gloss and modern, but this is exactly what I ended up buying – I fell in love with an absolutely stunning Bulthaup German kitchen, the total opposite of my traditional British vision! It’s a funny story really, but at the time I was binge watching Suits and it reminded me of Harvey’s kitchen – strange how things work out isn’t it.”
It would, in fact, be five more months until Karen would get to lock eyes with the heart of her home. Being a busy manager within professional services, she was giving a presentation to over a thousand people when her kitchen was delivered. A kind neighbour let the Specialist Kitchen Removals team in.
“The team were amazing, everything worked out well and they finished delivering the kitchen within two hours. They meticulously stacked it so it was safely stored until I unwrapped it months later. It was in such good condition that it was so worth the wait.”
We asked Karen what she loves most about her kitchen, this is how she replied. “All the amazing appliances! The Gaggenau appliances alone are worth the cost of the kitchen. I just love the coffee maker, the wine fridge and the Quooker tap that came with it. I didn’t know I needed one of these taps until I had one! Now, boiling the kettle is a thing of the past. I have my cups of tea on tap…literally. I had a chat with my builder before instillation because the kitchen came with two dishwashers and he suggested selling one, but I didn’t see the point of this. If it comes with two then that’s what I’m having. I’m so glad I stuck to my guns because it’s a revelation – who knew dishwashers could make me so happy! The worktops are always empty because there’s no dishes piling up. It just keeps everything nice and tidy – it’s the dream. It’s hard to decide between that and my built-in grill. Being from South Africa, I love a barbecue, but it’s a bit of a faff and our weather is so unpredictable. Now I just put fresh wood chips underneath and its good to go, and it means we can have barbecue all year round without having to worry about inclement British weather spoiling the party. Oh, and I mustn’t forget my oven. I can’t wait to try its rotisserie function. It’s larger than a standard oven so it can fit two twelve tray muffin tins side by side, it’s halved my time preparing for school bake sales. I like to think that if I bought this oven new then the rest of the kitchen was thrown in for free!”
Someone benefiting from the concurrent cupcake cooking is Karen’s five-year-old daughter, Katie. “We camped out in the annex in the garden whilst the work was taking place and Kate loved it, it felt like a sleepover every night, but now she’s even happier in our new kitchen.
It’s so much more sociable. You don’t always want to eat at 5 o’clock yet young children need to. Now with the new bar area, I get to sit with her on the stools or pootle round the kitchen while she eats and we can still be together. The other thing is, I’m not worried about her spilling anything. When you have a five-year-old, it’s a battle to keep everything looking clean, fresh and new, but I’m a lot more relaxed knowing our kitchen is pre-loved, and having two dishwashers can handle whatever we throw at them!”
Karen also upcycled her bar stools “I’m very creative. Buying a used kitchen that’s not designed for your space meant I got to unleash some originality. It was originally L shaped but you’d never tell. The builder matched the gloss on the end cupboard panel perfectly. It even left enough space to have a custom-built wine rack fitted, which is another aspect that makes this kitchen great for socializing. Our sliding doors onto the garden bring the outside in, and we now have an island which is great for parties. At Christmas we used it to display the buffet and everyone just rotated round the kitchen! The room has real wow factor now, and my guests are so shocked that the kitchen is pre-loved, and that the space belongs to a bungalow. It’s just so light and perfect. We’ve moved the couch into the kitchen because we just live in here now!”
“I’m completely addicted to your website and I’ve been broadcasting it to everyone I know. It’s such a clever decision financially, ethically and creatively. In fact, I’ve started looking a for a larder as my next project and I’ve just noticed the Clive Christian wardrobe that you have listed, so I hope to get my bedroom furniture from you guys too"
Keen to share her advice for anyone undertaking a similar renovation, Karen gave us her 5 top tips.
- Find the right Trades people. Get at least three quotes. I was so glad I shopped around because the builder I got was so innovative and happy to work with a pre loved kitchen.
- Make any required replacements during the process or you’ll lose momentum and never get round to it. My oven needed a new knob, I’d ordered the replacement part I needed before the kitchen was delivered!
- Find a storage solution if the right kitchen comes along but you need to wait before you can fit it. It’s worth it.
- Be flexible, you might not know what you’re looking for until you see it. If you keep an open mind, you can make your kitchen truly your own.
- Two dishwashers are a god send, just do it!
We wish Karen and Katie many happy years in their double dishwashing dream kitchen, it looks like they are totally winning at life!
If you would like to know more about buying a used kitchen, please visit our How it works page, or search used and ex display kitchens galore.
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