DIY Pro Saves Nearly £6k On Her Stunning £100 Kitchen Reno Using B&Q Bargains
- Melissa Preston, 44, didn’t want to spend £6,000 to renovate her kitchen professionally
- She managed to pull off the renovation for just £100
- Melissa used budget paint and vinyl from B&Q, and even made a breakfast bar from an old wardrobe
With the average cost of a kitchen renovation in the UK estimated to be £8,000, it’s no surprise many people put them off for years.
But one mum found an incredibly cheap way of totally transforming her tired old kitchen.
Melissa Preston, 44, a mum of two from Northampton, knew that her kitchen would cost £6,000 to renovate professionally - so she decided to take the project on herself.
Melissa, who owns a cleaning company, managed to pull off the renovation for just £100.
She used budget paint and vinyl from B&Q, and even made a breakfast bar from an old wardrobe.
Melissa told money-saving Facebook group DIY On A Budget UK: “My kitchen was looking tired and tatty and didn’t go with the rest of the house.
"I had some of the green paint left from last year when I painted my living room and hallway, so I thought I would use that up and then decided on the colour scheme for the rest from there.
“I decided on painting the units dark grey and had some gold handles spare and used them.
"I wanted to originally get vinyl for the worktops to match the floor but I didn’t find anything that I thought matched so instead I went for a grey-brown wood effect which I feel goes very well.
"As my tiles were very old and I couldn’t afford to get new tiles I started to hunt for stick-on tiles but Ididn’t like the options and the reviews were not great.
“Instead, I found a vinyl that has a tile effect and I fell in love with the pattern and style and colours, as they complement all the colours I’ve used in my house.
"I used an old wardrobe door to make a kitchen breakfast bar and covered this in black vinyl.
“I used V33 paint which was £29, painted the walls in the same colour as the hallway with leftover paint, covered the worktops in vinyl for £30, covered the tiles in vinyl for £30, and made the breakfast bar from an old wardrobe and covered it in vinyl for £10. The paint and vinyl were all from B&Q.
“Then my £100 kitchen makeover was complete! It might not be to everyone’s taste but I love it.
“My top tips are to remember that the hairdryer is your friend when using the DC Fix vinyl.
“Clean, clean and clean a bit more with sugar soap before you even start. This will allow for a better finish and make lighter work in the end.
"Take your time! Remember you will make mistakes and want to throw the towel in. But it will be so worth it once you have finished.
“Remove all sealants and re-seal for a smarter and neater finish.
“I’m so happy with the results as it all blends very well together. I love it!
"If I were to have a whole new kitchen it would have cost me about £6,000!
“I know this rough cost as my neighbour has the same size kitchen and just had hers refitted.
“I feel fantastic about saving such a huge amount as now I can make other home improvements with the savings!”
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, comments: “The fact that Melissa managed to pull off such a drastic transformation for just £100 is mind-blowing.
“It can be hard to imagine renovating even a section of a kitchen for such a small amount, let alone the entire thing, and to such a high standard!
“She’s used my favourite budget material, DC Fix - and a particularly ingenious touch is the breakfast bar made from an old wardrobe.
“It just goes to show that you really can upcycle and repurpose from anything lying around in your home, rather than buying new."
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