Thinking about buying a used kitchen?
Buying a used kitchen is a great way of saving money on what can be one of the biggest purchases you will make for your home. The cost of a new kitchen can be eye watering for that designer look you crave. Buying a second hand/used kitchen means you can control your spend without compromising on quality.
Firstly, it’s important to understand that used or second hand doesn’t mean old, dirty, broken or low standard. Often beautiful kitchens are removed ahead of their time from properties that are being extended to give open plan living space, bi-fold doors, etc. or they may have been inherited during a house purchase and are not to the new owners’ taste. This gives a fantastic opportunity to purchase what is often a modern, desirable kitchen which is only a few years old at a fraction of the original RRP. At Rehome, we have sold many used kitchens that have had an original retail value in excess of £50,000!
- Kitchen reconfiguration is much easier than you think. In simple terms most kitchens are boxes in a row and therefore can be moved around to suit a different space.
- To help facilitate reconfiguration and reduce compromise in design it’s best to purchase a kitchen that’s bigger than you need for your space. This will improve your design options and mean that you could also use leftover cabinets to make an island or a peninsular. When I purchased my used kitchen this is exactly what I did – see here
- Likewise, if the used kitchen you like is too small, it may be possible to add additional units. Quite often used kitchens are still current and additional cabinets can be sourced.
High gloss is one of the easiest to match especially if you know the RAL colour. - If you are going for an eclectic or country look, you can make it bigger by adding additional freestanding pieces like a pine dresser or a plate rack (EBay is a great place to source items like this!)
- If you love the door fronts but don’t like the door furniture, see past this and think about new door knobs or handles. Worktops can often really change the look of a kitchen too; for instance, you can add different textures and interest by adding a section of a co-ordinating laminate, granite or even wood.
- If you fancy an ultra-modern look another top tip would be to replace self-coloured kick boards with an aluminium one, this looks great and is relatively cheap to do. We understand that when considering a used kitchen you might have some concerns over the quality. Our advice would be to aim for cabinets that are 18-22MM build quality as they are more rigid and are ideal for the removal and re-installation process.
- If possible, view the kitchens you like the look of before you commit to buy, or use a used kitchen specialist like Rehome as we ensure that all kitchens are surveyed prior to being advertised.
- Small scratches on wooden doors can easily be solved, but other damage like swollen MDF (water damage), lifting or peeling on the door cannot be repaired and kitchens like this should be avoided.
- Recycled, regenerated, pre-loved, second hand or used, however you choose to name these kitchens, they can be the best way to control spend, reduce compromise on quality and give you the ‘feel good’ that you are reusing something and preventing it going into landfill!
Video Player
00:00
01:23
Still unsure? Our experts are happy to help or point you in the right direction.
