About 10 years ago we had a complete kitchen refurb and foolishly chose high gloss doors. They're really high maintenance, really difficult to keep looking pristine. Saw ad on telly for Kitchen Magic kitchen make overs..they'll replace all the doors and it will cost a fraction of the price of a complete refurb. We got a quote today...our kitchen isn't that big but we do have quite a few doors to replace. I was ready to spend a couple of K and would've gone up to 2.5k...I was quoted an eyewatering 6.5k for the basic option. OMG!!! I feared it would be out of my price range, but I was utterly flabberghasted! Seriously about 10 years back we had a complete refurb including appliances and it cost about 12k....they wanted 6.5k just to replace the doors! Gutted! As soon as the guy gave us the quote I just said sorry but that's waaaaaaay out of my price range, sorry to have wasted your time!
Pass the smelling salts!!!!
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Toril
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When I moved here in 2009, I inherited a pine kitchen. The style of the units is actually really nice, but pine reminded of the 70s. I got a quote to replace all the units, the dark green work surfaces and the stainless steel sink and was told it would be between £12k and £18k. 
I put up with it until 2019 and then decided I wanted a change. I got someone in who replaced the work surfaces with beige flecked ones. He also replaced the sink with a black one which is so easy to keep clean, believe it or not, and it matches my oven and hob. A few weeks later, I sugar soaped the units and painted them matt cream and replaced the handles. The kitchen looks totally different and even the postman commented on how nice it looks.
Total cost for the work surfaces, sink, and labour was about £1300. The paint for the units was £26.
I put up with it until 2019 and then decided I wanted a change. I got someone in who replaced the work surfaces with beige flecked ones. He also replaced the sink with a black one which is so easy to keep clean, believe it or not, and it matches my oven and hob. A few weeks later, I sugar soaped the units and painted them matt cream and replaced the handles. The kitchen looks totally different and even the postman commented on how nice it looks.
Total cost for the work surfaces, sink, and labour was about £1300. The paint for the units was £26.Oh well, I can't say I'm not disappointed, but the cupboard doors we've got are modern and I like the colour...I'll just have to pull my socks up a bit with the cleaning. I know these companies that advertise on mainstream tv are usually overpriced, but with that quote in mind I can't think that I'll find one that's within my price range. I was tossing up between getting the kitchen done and getting a proper shower fitted...and I'm sure that won't cost thousands. Need a week to get over the shock of that ludicrous quote, then I'll start seeking out showers
Twilight
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We had Dream Doors do our kitchen facelift, they were reasonable & I know a couple of people who've used them & are just as happy.
I looked up this company, and they actually have a store/workshop in my home town, so I'm tempted to give them a call. The that worries me is that as ridiculous as that quote kitchen magic gave me, I can't imagine that another company would quote me a cheaper price that would fit into my budget - That would be £4k cheaper. Suppose there's no harm getting a quote from them, but I would still feel awkward and embarrassed. The diy route would probably be most affordable but I don't have the know how, or know anyone who does either!
We changed the doors and worktops in our kitchen about four years ago. We did it ourselves for less than £500. We only have a small kitchen.I don’t think we would have tackled a bigger one as it was hard work and we were in our 70’s.
loveallthingsitalian
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Perhaps if you phoned and asked for a rough ball price for x number of units that would let you know if you are being realistic rather than get them to call out (blame covid!). No matter what kitchen people quote by the time you have added the extra bits which make the difference suddenly the quote has doubled!
I know it doesn’t apply to your units Merry but ive alway been a great fan of paint to update things. I was up cycling 50 years ago when we were broke long before it became trendy and still do it today.
Good idea..might do that! Can't really paint them as they're made from high gloss material. If they were wooden then I'd certainly go down that route!
Toril
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My units were pine which the previous house owners had varnished, so the surface was shiny, I cleaned them with sugar soap wipes and then lightly sanded them by hand before painting them.
If your units are shiny melamine, or similar, then maybe using a sander on the doors would give a roughened surface before painting? The paint I used was applied with a brush and it self levels and leaves not brush marks.
The paint that I used was from this company.
frenchicpaint.co.uk
It might be worth emailing them to see if their paint couid be used on your type of surface. I did my kitchen using one tester pot (which was far bigger than normal tester pots) and one tin. I bought these in my local craft shop, but I then ordered another tin in matt black, direct from the company. I used it to up-cycle a unit for my lounge and am delighted with the result.
If your units are shiny melamine, or similar, then maybe using a sander on the doors would give a roughened surface before painting? The paint I used was applied with a brush and it self levels and leaves not brush marks.
The paint that I used was from this company.
Frenchic Paint | Award-Winning Eco-Friendly Chalk Paint
Shop for beautiful chalk paints, finishes & waxes at Frenchic Paint. Our stunning eco-friendly range of colours & finishes are perfect for homes, gardens & more!
frenchicpaint.co.uk
It might be worth emailing them to see if their paint couid be used on your type of surface. I did my kitchen using one tester pot (which was far bigger than normal tester pots) and one tin. I bought these in my local craft shop, but I then ordered another tin in matt black, direct from the company. I used it to up-cycle a unit for my lounge and am delighted with the result.
There's no way I'm gonna try and do a diy job on them, even though it would work out cheaper. I'll just shop around until I find an affordable solution that somebody else can do. It's not desparate as the doors in the kitchen are still modern and look ok (when clean), it's just they're mega high maintenance. I can live with them a bit longer even though I'd rather not. Gonna contact dream doors on Monday and see what they can offer us!
Well, I got in touch with Dream Doors and told the guy on the phone what I needed and asked me whether he could give me a ballpark figure - I was able to give him a lot of info 'cause I still had the drawing and plan left by the Kitchen Magic guy. He said it would be around £3.5 -£4k. I suspected that this would be the case, as ridiculous as the £6.5k quote was, I couldn't imagine that I'd get a quote that was £4.5k less. So that's that for the moment!
Craftalot
Indigenouscommunities
It's a lot, for just new doors. You could employ a cleaner for 20 minutes a day three or four days a week for a good few years with the sole job of wiping the marks off those doors for that!
I have a cupboard full of stuff which looked nice at the time, but proved impossible to either clean, or keep looking nice without a load of work. Now I look for things that (a) come apart easily to clean, (b) go in the dishwasher and (c) don't have any nooks and crannies or other fussy details which trap dirt and are a bugger to clean. I remember my mother doing the same sort of thing and wondering why she always seemed to go for plain, functional things instead of decorative items...
loveallthingsitalian
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Is it an age thing when functional cleaning trumps style because although I’ve always been a bit like that I’m now obsessed with looking at every nook and cranny assessing how difficult it is to clean before I even start on what it looks like. As for functions on machines the fewer the better. Washing machines with 20 programmes yet I use the same 2 all the time with a third once in a blue moon yet it seems to be non branded questionable quality which don’t have unnecessary bells and whistles.
Boy, I wish we'd adopted that stance before we went ahead with it, but we'd lived with scuffy old kitchen units for years, with loose doors, broken drawer fronts etc, so when we decided to spend big on a complete refurb, we excitedly just picked out what we liked the look of at time, and it didn't even cross our minds that a high gloss finish would be so high maintenance, and how every finger print would show up, and that the slightest spill or splash would involve cleaning the entire door or drawer because wiping just the stain off would leave an obvious mark. Lesson learned the hard way..but hey, it is what it is!
iloveshopping
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I reckon there are cheaper options. If yr doors are standard then you can order from Wicked and just change them yourselves or if you want them fitting wait until they have a promotion
Don't have the know how, nor do I know anyone who has the know how, and then trying to find a tradesman who'll fit them...etc etc. I'm not sure whether they're standard..possibly, possibly not. A lot of homework to be done!
Vienna
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B and Q online website have almost 1200 kitchen doors to choose from. They deliver and all you need to do is to measure your existing doors and then search for the same sizes and choose which you like and can afford.
If you go onto the internet and look for joiners or kitchen fitters in your area or sites such as Trust a Trader and get 2 or 3 estimates for fitting the new doors, If your kitchen cupboard carcasses are in good condition then changing doors and/or worktops can give you a new kitchen.
Self employed one man businesses are often looking for such kinds of jobs. They can`t do great big building jobs because they don`t have the man power so this kind of work is their bread and butter.
If you get a free paper in your area then look in the small ads for a joiner or kitchen fitter, yellow pages online, or a simple websearch for "Joiner/kitchen fitter in X wherever you live" and ring a few.
If you go onto the internet and look for joiners or kitchen fitters in your area or sites such as Trust a Trader and get 2 or 3 estimates for fitting the new doors, If your kitchen cupboard carcasses are in good condition then changing doors and/or worktops can give you a new kitchen.
Self employed one man businesses are often looking for such kinds of jobs. They can`t do great big building jobs because they don`t have the man power so this kind of work is their bread and butter.
If you get a free paper in your area then look in the small ads for a joiner or kitchen fitter, yellow pages online, or a simple websearch for "Joiner/kitchen fitter in X wherever you live" and ring a few.
Well a little update - I was chatting to a work colleague about this and she said, that she's got high gloss kitchen doors herself and that she keeps them looking pristine with this simple glass cleaner she buys from Savers chemist for £1, I said next time I'm that way I'll go in and buy it. Next day she brought one in for me. It's called Insette window and glass cleaner..it's in a massive can..and I'll have to say it works a flippin' treat!..just spray and wipe...cleans all the muck off in seconds and leaves no smears!
