Kitchen Renovations - part 1 cook up a bargain

Your dream home has the kitchen from hell, making cooking anything but a pleasure, but the mortgage is not going to stretch to a blow-out kitchen. Or you'd like to upgrade your investment property with a fresh and cheerful kitchen that tenants will care for, without killing your profit margin.

With the advent of modular or flat-pack kitchens, common in Europe and North America, New Zealand homeowners can now get smart style on a budget.

First off the ranks was the Incredible Kitchen Company (also know as More than Kitchens and Kitchen House) who use automated cabinet making techniques to manufacture kitchens quickly and accurately. Costs are dramatically reduced by cabinet components in standardised measurements, a colour palette of 10 Melteca shades, and 10 laminate bench tops, all of which allow low-cost, high-volume production.

A fully installed kitchen starts at as little as $4000 (excluding appliances). The average kitchen of eight to 15 cabinets costs $4700. Customers can customise benchtops, appliances and sinks for a bit more.

Using customers' measurements or house plans, showroom designers help customers assemble and price their kitchen using a computer generated three-dimensional plan. They offer to take out the guess work with a professional check on measurements, advice on building requirements, the placement of electrical and plumbing fittings and a free in-home colour consultation. There's even a service that will remove your old kitchen.

A competent do-it-yourselfer can head down to Placemakers for a flat-pack kitchen they can assemble themselves. While a basic white melamine kitchens starts at around $2850, the company offers a range of more sophisticated finishes such as aluminium edges, glass or tile splashbacks and European-style handles. Again, mixing and matching standardised units (slim bottle racks are a favourite to fill out odd leftover spaces) allows buyers to customise kitchens at an off the shelf price. Prices range from $5000 to $8000 for the top styles. The company can recommend installers if DIY is not your thing.

www.kitchenhouse.co.nz or branches on the North Shore, Penrose, Mount Wellington and Hamilton. www.placemakers.co.nz

Next week: Mid-range kitchens from $12,000.