DIY Couple Quoted £30k For Modern Kitchen Build Their Own For £5k

23 July 2020 at 0:00 pm

Beverley-Anne Hodge, 47, and her husband Graham, 53, were quoted £30k for a new kitchen
The couple embraced a lockdown challenge and built the kitchen themselves using IKEA materials
The entire project ended up costing less than £5k

If you’ve always dreamed of a stunning modern kitchen but could never face spending a fortune on the materials and labour, take inspiration from this amazing DIY couple.

Beverley-Anne Hodge, 47, a skin specialist who owns her own clinic, decided to overhaul her kitchen using IKEA materials alongside her husband Graham, 53.

The couple, who live in Southampton and have two grown-up girls between them, were quoted up to £30k to update their 90s-style kitchen from brands including Howdens, Wickes and B&Q, but decided to do it themselves, saving over £25k in the process.

The couple bought flat pack materials from IKEA and decided to install it all themselves to save on the cost of the project.

Beverley-Anne told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: "We were considering changing our 90s kitchen for some time and as always, work always seemed to get in the way.

"We began with some interim research, alternative designs and numerous quotations ranging from £12k to £30K.

“All the companies came out to measure up the kitchen. I explained what I wanted and where I wanted it.

"The boiler was the biggest concern as I wanted it enclosed.

“We had eventually decided upon a suitable kitchen for our needs for us to tackle at some point in the near future.

"We decided to purchase our flat-pack kitchen from IKEA in the end, a huge saving compared to others and with a quality that is just as good.

"We placed our order and subsequently had to wait for some eight weeks for delivery. I had booked time out of my working schedule to begin work on the kitchen.

"Suddenly we found ourselves in lockdown and this gave us the perfect opportunity to get on with it in a relaxed manner.

“We planned for all the accessories required and it seemed during lockdown we had no trouble sourcing and obtaining what we needed online.

"As advised, the kitchen arrived in all its glory and all flat packed, weighing over 1,000 kilos. Of course, we had to accommodate so many packages, I wonder now how we actually did it.

"Our existing kitchen was very dated in terms of the sink, fittings, appliances... you name it, it all had to go.

"Thankfully my husband is an electro-mechanical engineer and one of his hobbies is DIY… win-win!

"There was a great deal of preparation to do, including upgrading plumbing, heavy load wiring, adding additional 230V outlets, moving outlets, plastering, painting, papering, trims and more.

"The day finally came when just a blank canvas of a kitchen remained. So the build began.

"I must say that the quality of the IKEA cabinets and timbers are of an exceptionally robust quality and we were pleasantly surprised considering the price of just £4.9k, including all appliances and worktops.”

Beverley-Anne and Graham were absolutely delighted with the stylish finish of their kitchen and felt a sense of pride that they had managed to do it all themselves during the lockdown.

"For those who would long for a beautiful kitchen, the thought is often discarded because of installation costs,” Beverley-Anne adds.

“Our advice is to do it yourself, or at least try - it really isn’t that difficult to assemble the cabinets.

"Most modern kitchens now use a rail system which mounts to the wall and each cabinet is simply hooked into place - yes, it is that simple.

"I can understand the need for electricians and plumbers, however, our existing kitchen was in poor condition and not everyone will have the same issues.

"That said, we saved at least £6k by taking on the challenge ourselves and due to lockdown we had it pretty much completed within three weeks.

"For people who simply want to refresh their kitchen, I would recommend simply changing the doors and the counter surface.

“Laminated particleboard is not expensive at all and makes for a super job.

"|t will give you a great sense of pride and satisfaction that you did it all yourself!"

Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, comments: “The transition from Beverley-Anne and Graham’s dated 90s kitchen to this sleek modern space is simply amazing - the room is unrecognisable!

“It can be daunting to think about redesigning and building a whole kitchen yourself, but the savings speak for themselves - by opting for a flat-pack IKEA kitchen and building it themselves, the couple have saved a fortune and created a stylish space they’ll always take pride in!"

What to read next?