We won’t talk about where to buy the cheapest kitchen furniture! We will share how to buy a good and high-quality kitchen at a lower price.
People often try to save on fittings, retractable structures and filling, abandoning various organizers, modern opening and storage systems. But they don’t skimp on expensive facades. It cannot be otherwise, an amateur will say, because this is the “face” of the kitchen space, demonstrating the solidity and prestige of the owners. This may be true, but only at first glance. In fact, after just a few weeks, the owner of a new kitchen set stops paying attention to its appearance, but slamming doors, ill-thought-out ergonomics and functionality, incorrectly located shelves and cutlery constantly getting lost in drawers begin to “catch” the eye and irritate the owner. That is why, when purchasing a new kitchen, first of all you should think about comfort and convenience, and secondly - about pathos.
General recommendations
1. Most manufacturers calculate the cost per linear meter of each set, and this is what customers focus on when choosing. Keep in mind that this price includes the cheapest “filling” of cabinets and fittings. If you want to install closers on the doors, and include a dish drainer and bottle holder in the contents, the cost will immediately jump up. Compare prices for the final configurations that interest you.
2. Use any online planner to draw your ideal custom kitchen design. Don't look at the budget, let this really be the headset of your dreams. If the cost of the “ideal” does not match the real possibilities, think about what you can sacrifice by making the project cheaper? Observe yourself from the outside while cooking: what items do you use most often? How many storage systems do you need for your artillery of plates and cutlery? What is more important to you: spectacular facades or ergonomics of the workplace?
3. If you have the maximum price for a set, choose a kitchen that costs 80-85% of it. The remaining amount will go towards delivery and assembly (and this is on average 7-10% of the final cost in the market), as well as unforeseen minor expenses.
How to save on standard heights (number of inset shelves).
The main characteristic of a shelf is not its height, but the number of compartments. If there is an equal number of compartments, choose the smaller of the standard heights.
| Height | 600 | 720 | 900 | 1060 |
| Branches | 2 | 3 | ||
Every month we are visited by at least one client who prefers 1020 mm shelves (instead of 900), because 1020 is more spacious. How is this “no”? That's a difference of 12 centimeters!
Now watch your hands:
| Cabinet with 2 inset shelves high | 900 mm | 1020 mm |
| Minus the thickness of the chipboard, has a height of 1 compartment | 28 cm | 32 cm |
But 95% of the items that may end up on a kitchen shelf are below 25 cm. In addition, the height of the compartment at the tables is 34 cm: if you come across an oversized bottle, move it down.
Conclusion: the notorious difference of 12 centimeters and 15-30 thousand will most likely be filled with air.
Appearance bonuses:
- Height 860 mm: the fronts of the top row are equal to the height of the bottom row;
- High shelves with three-meter ceilings.
Cons to appearance:
- The shelves are noticeably higher than the tables: the kitchen has a shifted center of gravity, it looks like it hangs overhead;
- Shelves below 600 mm: only those justified by design, otherwise they will look scanty.
Biggest mistake: the kitchen has a ceiling.
- The space above the kitchen may be needed for sockets/ventilation duct;
- Dust will get in anyway, but it will be much more difficult to get it out;
- Improvement in appearance is doubtful.
Savings: from 5-7,000 to 30-40,000 rubles.
Don't be fooled by big discounts
4. Many “experts” recommend purchasing headsets at retail sample sales. Indeed, you can get a discount of -50% or 60% on a kitchen from the exhibition. But I will warn you against such purchases. If we are talking about a headset in the middle price category (and especially “economy”), then its body in 99% of cases will be made of laminated chipboard. There is nothing critical about this - the material has long established itself as practical and at the same time inexpensive. The main disadvantage of laminated boards is their instability to frequent assembly. In places where the fittings are attached, chips may crumble, which means the structure will lose its original reliability.
5. Sellers often offer discounts and promotions for custom kitchens. Be careful: the “reduced” price may be a marketing ploy. In any case, estimate the final cost of your project.
Reduced cost due to MDF sidewalls.
We are talking about areas of the body visible on the sides of the hood, column or end table. They are often asked to be made the same as doors - in vain.
Chipboard
Enamel
If the color scheme of the kitchen is well chosen, the cabinets, together with the cornice and plinth, form the background, emphasize the color of the facades, and tie in with the color of the countertop. And if all the furniture is the color of the facades, then the apron becomes the background, then its selection will have to be approached with extreme care.
Biggest mistake: painted base.
Savings: if you have a column - 20,000 easily.
Simplify
7. The simpler the layout and filling, the cheaper the kitchen will be. The most affordable option is a direct headset. The corner one will cost more, but it will be more functional and roomy.
8. The upper tier of a set with hinged facades will cost much less than horizontal doors with folding upward mechanisms. The same does not apply to the lower tier, if you compare the hinged facades and drawers. Although, it should be noted, the latter are much more spacious and convenient when it comes to storing dishes.
9. Play with the width and placement of cabinets. A module with one hinged door costs less than one with two. A 60 cm wide module costs less than two 30 cm modules. Perhaps by combining or swapping several elements, you will get an option that is optimal in terms of ergonomics and cost.
10. We should also talk about wall cabinets. Many manufacturers offer to make them “into the ceiling”. Yes, this is an excellent solution - in essence, you get a mezzanine where you can put away everything that you don’t want to keep at hand. It will be especially relevant for small spaces, where in the kitchen every centimeter of space counts. At the same time, standard height cabinets will cost you 15-20% less.
11. Wall-mounted structures with blind doors are often replaced today with shelving shelves. A good opportunity to save money and a great decorative touch.
12. If we are talking about an L-shaped kitchen, replace the corner pentagonal element with two regular ones connected at an angle of 90 degrees.
13. An element often used in sets is an end module with open shelves or a facade beveled at 45 degrees. Radial systems will cost significantly more than direct ones.
Comparison of costs of different projects
An important decision will be to compare the cost options for kitchens in different furniture manufacturers. Advertising is advertising, but you can always get reliable information specifically about your kitchen only on an individual basis. This is due to the fact that each individual room may have its own nuances. This also applies to the preferences of the customer himself, his view of the project, what details he wants the kitchen to be filled with.
What you need to save on kitchen furniture by comparing prices from different companies:
- Have a clear idea of the future headset.
- You already have some kind of preliminary calculation, a drawing, or at least a sketch.
- A list of basic materials and fittings has already been compiled (it is usually called a “specification” by furniture makers).
- Make calculations in different companies.
- Please study catalogs and price lists. Compare prices even for individual items.
- Take an interest and read the quality certificates for the products.
Since each furniture manufacturer can use different materials, you also need to clarify who manufactures and supplies chipboard, edges, and fittings to the company’s warehouse. For example, if you see that drawer guides are offered by the Austrian brand “BLUM”, then you can rest assured that the specialists are competent. The products of this company are in the category of the highest quality and high-quality materials.
Save on facades and countertops
14. The most budget option is blank facades, smooth and without milling.
15. Doors made of laminated chipboard will be the cheapest. Calculate several options, because you can combine: the lower tier is made of chipboard in plastic, the upper one is made of MDF with enamel, etc.
16. PVC film can be a worthy alternative to expensive coatings (acrylic or enamel). Yes, it won’t give “that same” mirror effect, but it will look respectable.
17. Facades made of solid wood and MDF with veneer are practically indistinguishable in appearance. Only you (and your budget) will know the difference.
18. Let's talk separately about glasses. As a rule, inexpensive headsets do not have them, so we will talk about the middle price category. Manufacturers today offer the classic transparent version, as well as tinted glass and lacobel (painted on one side). Transparent will be cheaper, but the contents of the module will always be visible. The matte surface will “mask” the mess.
19. Kitchen modules from budget sets do not have a solid countertop - each element has its own. There is an opinion that this is inconvenient, and water gets into the cracks between the modules. But it is enough to install special “connectors”, and the problem will be solved.
20. A budget option for a solid table top is 26 mm thick chipboard, covered with a moisture-resistant film. A little more expensive, but more practical and much more presentable.
We reduce the cost of the kitchen by using retractable grids.
The bottle holder wonderfully fills separately located 15 centimeters: for example, it separates the refrigerator from the hob in a small kitchen. But the independent value of the bottle holder is debatable. If it can be combined with some drawers, feel free to combine it.
Savings: 4-8,000 rubles.
The same applies to other complex content: before installing a dispenser or carousel, make sure that you really need them.
Savings: 30-60,000 rubles.
Choose fittings wisely
21. Even at the design stage, select 2-3 drawers that you will open and close most often. The fittings on them should be the most reliable. You can save some money on rarely used boxes.
22. Equip metal boxes (expensive guides on drawers) in the deepest compartments - in them you will store heavy pots, pans, etc. For low drawers, ordinary roller guides are also suitable.
23. Separately, it is worth mentioning the roof rails and handles. If German or Italian fittings do not fit into the budget, replace them with Russian analog ones. A galvanic protective coating is required! Chinese pens painted with paint fade, scratch and peel over time.
How to reduce the cost of a kitchen by enlarging elements.
Older people are often afraid of large boxes. It also happens that the principle of fine division is specially chosen for a sketch, usually to match the old familiar kitchen.
However, combining small modules into large ones not only gives a stylish look, but saves money and space.
The method makes sense when using high-quality fittings and closers. When using cheap fittings, small boxes are actually more reliable; Without closers, the savings will be insignificant.
Savings: 15-60,000 rubles.
Content
- Kitchen planning
- Facades
- Tabletops
- Filling and accessories
- Number of drawers and cabinets
- Filling sections
- Opening mechanisms
- Drawer systems
- Kitchen appliances
- A few more ways to save
Many buyers want to save money when buying a kitchen.
Cheap furniture is not necessarily worse than expensive furniture: even with a limited budget, you can order a reliable, comfortable and beautiful kitchen if you choose the right one. The total price of the headset and set of equipment depends on the layout, materials, fittings, decor and other factors. Let's look at several parameters that can reduce or increase the cost.
Self-installation of the oven
Installing the oven is simple, even without overalls you can do it)
It is worth knowing that installing the oven, regardless of whether it is built-in or not, comes down to placing it in the finished niche, screwing in 4 screws and connecting it to the outlet. The cost of such a service ranges from 1,800 to 3,400 rubles .
Installing an oven is a trivial matter and this ignorance can cost you up to 3000 rubles.
Of course, it's not a matter of whipping out a screwdriver and doing it yourself. However, this knowledge can be useful at the stage of agreeing on the price of installing household appliances.
Attention. For ovens with a power cord without a plug, the appliance must be installed by a qualified installer. The installation of the device itself must be confirmed by a signature and seal on the warranty grid. Otherwise you may lose your warranty. For devices with a regular plug, you can easily connect the device yourself.
Wire basket instead of plastic shelf
Wire basket instead of plastic for 3/4 turntable
A small, but nevertheless price-detailing type of shelf that can be made of plastic or wire
Wire shelf - the decision depends on what you are going to store there.
Openwork, that is, wire shelves, are cheaper. If you plan to store pots in a corner cabinet, this is not a problem.
Paint instead of tiles
When kitchen furniture is still in good condition, painting it will definitely be a more economical option. There are many paints on the market that will allow you to do this quickly, professionally and cheaply. The cabinets will look like new.
You can paint not only furniture, but also the wall tiles above the kitchen countertop. Removing old tiles and installing new ones is a very expensive part of the renovation. A budget solution is to paint the existing tiles with a special paint.
If painting the tiles is not an option, instead of laying even tiles, which is always a rather expensive solution, you can simply paint the wall with a suitable paint. Modern paints intended for the kitchen are resistant to abrasion, water and grease.
At the same time, their use is cheap and quick; you can always decorate your walls with wallpaper. Those designed for the kitchen are waterproof and easy to keep clean.
Handles that pull a wallet
Contractors often buy kitchen accessories, including handles, where they are closer or more convenient, and not necessarily cheaper - you pay in the end.
The easiest way to save on little things. Ask your contractor about the cost of handles and see if you can buy them yourself for less.
One pen costs about 270 – 700 rubles. That is why you should pay attention to the price of the pens and, if necessary, order them yourself via the Internet. Depending on the number of pens, you can save quite a lot of money.
Facades without handles
If you care about the kitchen effect without protruding handles, you can use recessed handles. This hidden handle can be used with any type of fronts, and you can enjoy a handle-free kitchen at a good price.
General information
Quite well-known in his circles, expert manager of the company Arthur Guchigov recommends that you all save significantly, and
For this, he advises buying only high-quality products, but only those made from inexpensive materials:
- For example, Melia kitchen models are the most popular in Europe, but the facade is made of melamine under a cheap glossy varnish and its cost is 50% cheaper than acrylic or solid wood, but it looks identical.
- You can save a significant amount if you purchase blank facades rather than those equipped with glass.
- When purchasing factory products, you can order model options that will consist of different materials.
- It will be useful for buyers to know that hinged facades are much cheaper than their retractable counterparts.
A few more ways to save
- Consider unplanned expenses. When calculating your budget, allow up to 20% for unexpected expenses. This will help you stay within the target amount.
- Take advantage of sales and discounts. Kitchen furniture showrooms may sell exhibition samples, and there are often promotions for individual materials or fittings. Such promotions are a good way to inexpensively buy high-quality kitchens from ready-made samples or to order.
- Choose simple interior styles. Expensive parts increase the price of the kitchen, which is why, for example, classic carved furniture is usually expensive. Modernism or minimalism, on the contrary, allows you to get by with simple, smooth facades without unnecessary decor.
- Seek help from professionals. The designer can not only draw up a project, but also suggest where you can save money when ordering a kitchen. During a consultation in the salon, you can also ask the designer other questions about kitchen furniture and see the materials in person.
We have reviewed a number of recommendations that can be used when choosing furniture of different styles and configurations. You can reduce the cost of a headset in different ways: choose the ones that suit you, taking into account the size of your family, cooking habits, kitchen area and other parameters.
Useful tips
Note to the hostess
- You should always choose a standard door size, because other options can significantly increase the cost of the kitchen unit as a whole.
- Choose one large, standard-sized cabinet instead of two small ones.
- You should avoid unnecessary inserts, angular objects, and bends to make the project cheaper
- It is best to buy household appliances in specialized stores, and not buy them in the same furniture showroom as the set.
- Before you buy a new set, you should make the correct calculations and abandon wall-mounted cabinets without losing space for storing items, but this will help significantly save money from the family budget.
In the end, I would like to give a few examples from the experience of craftsmen in purchasing kitchen sets - countertops must be made of a homogeneous material, and not covered with a material such as laminate. As practice has shown, over time, the stickers on the ends begin to lag as a result of temperature changes, and it would be great if there was a solid wood underneath them, not MDF. The quality of the fittings is no less important. There will be no exception when the handle on the cabinet broke, which required updating the entire set on the headset, because there were no analogues in the store. Such expenses, although small, still leave their mark.
Kitchen appliances
- Hood. Instead of a standard dome, you can order a built-in model. Hoods of this type are cheaper and do not take up much space.
- Plate. For a family of 1-3 people who rarely cook, you can choose a hob with two rather than four burners. Such models save space and budget.
- Dishwasher. Technological models with reduced noise levels and a large range of programs are expensive. At the same time, for many buyers, the functionality of standard dishwashers, which are much cheaper, is quite enough. If you don’t have a lot of dirty dishes, you can choose a compact machine designed for 4-6 sets. It will help both save your budget and reduce water consumption.
- Fridge. To harmoniously fit appliances into the kitchen space, built-in models are chosen. However, such options cost more than usual, and you will also have to spend money on an additional building and facade. A regular freestanding refrigerator is much cheaper.
