With all the reality TV home renovation shows over recent years, there has been much publicity about “Flat Pack” kitchens, with companies such as IKEA and Bunnings offering customers the ability to build and install their own kitchens at what appears, on the face of it, to be a “Good Deal!”

IKEA have recently advertised their FAKTUM/ABSTRACT kitchen for just under $12,000. The price does not include delivery, appliances, construction or installation. For this price, the customer receives a standard flat packed kitchen in a box which they can build and install themselves and, hopefully make it fit into their existing kitchen space. Unless a special order is placed for custom bench tops (at an additional price) the customer is supplied with pre-cut bench tops in a standard size. The customer is responsible for the gutting and removal of the old kitchen, plumbing and electrical trades. The customer may attempt to install the project themselves or, when faced with the complexity of it all, end up calling a cabinet maker anyway! Most reputable cabinet makers tend to steer clear of these sorts of jobs as they often find themselves installing a product that doesn’t meet their own quality standards.

When you take all the additional costs of a flat pack kitchen into consideration, it is possible for a homeowner to achieve a custom designed and built kitchen in a similar price bracket that includes:

  • Complete customised design and measured to utilise the existing kitchen space to its fullest potential.
  • Greater variety of textures, finishes and colours.
  • Removal of the old kitchen.
  • Project management of all other trades.
  • Custom built kitchen using quality materials.
  • Installation.
  • NO HEADACHES!

All in all, if you are thinking of renovating your kitchen it is worthwhile to leave the stress and inconvenience factor out of the equation and get a quote from a reputable Cabinet Maker who is a Registered Building Practitioner. You may very well be surprised at what you can get for your money.

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