The kitchen is a key room, especially when you come to sell, so is yours up to scratch?

Julia Gray reports FITTING a new kitchen is usually an expensive, lengthy and disruptive business, so it’s essential to get it right. A nice kitchen will add value to your home and make it more sellable – it’s a key room for buyers – and while you don’t want to blow your budget, a new kitchen is a really worthwhile investment.

If you’re starting from scratch, the first step is to get ideas from the internet, showrooms, brochures and magazines about the sort of kitchen you want.

Kitchen-diners (usually with doors out to the garden) are really popular because they’re family friendly and fantastic for entertaining, but creating one often involves knocking two or more rooms together and/or building an extension, which obviously increases the cost.

Sometimes there’s little you can do with a kitchen other than have the same layout, but the layout can often be improved and the experts at doing this are kitchen and interior designers.

Many kitchen retailers offer a design service, so try a few to see what ideas they come up with. It is, of course, possible to devise a new layout yourself, but the experts may think of solutions you haven’t.

You or the designer will have to consider things such as the water and gas supply, drainage, electrical sockets and switches, windows and doors, etc – making changes to these is often necessary but can be expensive.

Takeaway kitchen units are usually cheaper than ones you have to order and if you’re in a hurry, they’re really the only option.

Some come complete with doors and handles, while others are just the carcase – you buy the extras separately, giving you more flexibility. Depending on the size and shape of your kitchen, takeaway units may not be ideal because they’re a standard size and not made to fit the space.

Unless you’re a really experienced DIYer, I wouldn’t recommend fitting a kitchen yourself because it’s often harder than you think, especially if the room’s not square or you’re changing the layout.

Many kitchen companies often a fitting service, although this can be expensive and you may prefer to use a builder or carpenter instead.

The builder should have access to other tradespeople, such as plumbers and electricians, or you can use your own – the key thing if you do is to get the order of works right.

Just remember that if the work involved falls under building regulations and the tradesperson doesn’t belong to a competent person scheme, you’ll have to get their work checked by your local council’s building control department.

Product of the week

THE new HVLP400 power paint sprayer (£109.95, amazon.co.uk ) from Black & Decker is a really easy way to get a great finish – and a lot quicker than with a paintbrush or roller.

The well-thought-out features include a Smart- Select spray tip, which you rotate to select a horizontal, vertical or round spray pattern; a side-access paint tank for easy refilling; and a flow-control knob (and flow indicator) to set and repeat the paint flow.

You also get equipment so you can easily thin the liquid you’re spraying, if necessary. Best of all, the motor sits on the floor (it’s connected to the handheld pistol unit via a really long hose), meaning you don’t have to cart it around.

The HVLP400 is particularly useful for intricate things, such as fireplaces, radiators and louvre doors, which are time-consuming and fiddly to paint conventionally, as well as covering large areas, such as walls and floors, quickly.

You can also use it outdoors – now’s the perfect time to recoat your garden fence, decking and shed before the weather turns. With this sprayer, you’ll be done in no time.

How to…

IF you’re fitting a new kitchen, you need to be able to see what you’re doing inside the units. A good option is a drill-driver or electric screwdriver with a built-in work light, which many have these days, but a standalone work light is brighter and more versatile.

Bosch’s PML LI cordless work light (£34.89, amazon.co.uk ) is excellent. It’s lightweight and compact, has a powerful beam and a flexible neck, and comes with lots of useful accessories. It’s also rechargeable (one charge lasts a long time) and although you don’t get the (lithium-ion) battery and (quick) charger with the light, it’s compatible with those for the Bosch Power4All range, so one fits all.