The Robinsons estimate they saved at least £60,000 by shopping with Rehome and just love to shout about it:
Many of us dream of building our own forever home. Who wouldn’t want to create a high-quality home designed around their lifestyle and needs? With hard work and budget-balancing, it can also be very cost-effective.
When the Robinson family set about building their own home, they let their intuition guide their choices. They would be working from home and wanted a light space that flowed from one room to another. The family ‘live’ in the kitchen, so a south-facing kitchen that caught lots of warm light was top of the list, along with an east-facing living room for evenings.
“We were willing to compromise and make changes for cost’s sake, and we were open to making adjustments.”
The Robinson’s had already been quoted £15,000 by mainstream brand Howdens, however, they couldn’t shake their desire to have something a little more special. Upon hearing a friend had recently purchased a ‘high end’ ex-display kitchen for a fraction of the cost of new, a quick google search later led them to Rehome.
Not wanting to compromise on quality made pre-owned an intriguing option. Before long, the family arranged a viewing on a large Edwin Loxley used kitchen – a brand they knew would normally be way out of their price range. The viewing confirmed that the kitchen had been well cared for, and most importantly gave them the ability to have the kitchen they really wanted at a price they could afford. Delighted, they quickly secured the kitchen with a deposit and started making plans.
Fitting the kitchen
With the help of a talented joiner, the Robinsons worked out how the cabinets would fit into their space. They were happy to let the kitchen lead their design decisions and made some clever changes.
Units from the included dresser were used to create a countertop unit and open shelving space, while other leftover units were used for a separate office and utility, and granite from the island was cut to size. The joiner chose to repair rather than replace a damaged runner because they were such good quality. He also built a matching cabinet from scratch.
Even better, the relatively new dishwasher was included free of charge with the kitchen because it required a repair, and turned out to be a quick DIY fix!
In the end, almost every part of the kitchen was used.
Once installed, a colour change completed the transformation. Farrow & Ball’s Stiffkey Blue and Parma Grey paint colours were sprayed onto the units giving them a fresh new finish. Handles were also swapped for modern cup handles.
‘You would never know it was a used kitchen – only everybody DOES know because I tell them as soon as they come in!
Cost-saving and environmental benefits
So just how much did they save?
The Robinsons joiner estimated an original price of approximately £70,000. They actually paid just £8,999 for a bespoke designer kitchen, including appliances and delivery. That’s an estimated saving of around £60,000…
Repurposing a pre-owned kitchen prevented approx. 4059kg of carbon waste, a leading contributor to climate change. That’s enough to neutralise a family of four’s carbon use for an entire year.
The finished result
Upon completion of the property, the Robinsons hosted a friend for dinner, who remarked on just how comfortable and at ease they seemed in the new kitchen – as if it had been made for them.
“The kitchen and the house is exactly what we wanted, even though we didn’t know it until we had it.”
This families brave self-build paid off and they LOVE their new home. Are you interested in purchasing an approved used or ex display kitchen like the Robinsons? Shop hundreds of luxury kitchens for less.
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