The truth is, buying your next kitchen needn’t be the complicated and time consuming task some would have you believe. All you need is an accurate kitchen plan and to know a little kitchen terminology so you know what to ask for.  Both of which you can get for free at a site like www.simplekitchendesign.co.uk

In a previous article we talked about the options open to you when buying a new kitchen. You can:

1. Buy from a local showroom and have their salesman come to your house (it’s getting them to leave that’s the problem)
2. Buy from one of the big DIY outlets
3. Buy online

You probably already know how commission salesmen are often reluctant to leave until they’ve got your order and how buying at the DIY outlets can be a very time consuming and tedious task. You maybe didn’t realise though that in both cases you often have to wait 5-6 weeks to receive your kitchen. Now that’s perfectly acceptable for bespoke, made-to-measure kitchen cabinets and worktops, but not for off-the-shelf items.

Buying your kitchen online

Which leads me on to buying your kitchen online. You may be reading this because you’ve already tried to buy your kitchen online, but have ended up leaving most sites dazed and confused. It’s the numerous options available and the number of individual components you’re expected to add to your cart that causes most people to give up out of sheer frustration.

After all, why does every individual item need to be entered separately – I mean a base unit with a door is going to need hinges, a corner base unit is going to need a corner post. Right?

My recommendation then, is to seek out online kitchen suppliers that make the process easy for you. Look for sites with a clear and uncluttered appearance - you want to be able to quickly see which styles of kitchen doors and cabinets are available and to be able to navigate to the appropriate shop pages quickly.

Often sites will list the different categories on the left hand navigation e.g. kitchen base units, kitchen wall units, kitchen larder units, kitchen worktops etc.  These links may then take you to further sub categories. However this can still require a large number of clicks as you to-and-fro between (sub) categories.

Look for easy-to-navigate sites that require less clicks...

However the latest generation fitted kitchen sites allow you to firstly make your kitchen selection, then to order all the components like, kitchen base units, kitchen wall units and kitchen accessories from just one or two pages for that specific kitchen style. Much easier!

Likewise, look for sites that list their prices for the kitchen units ‘complete’ i.e. the price you see is for the cabinet, the door(s) the hinges, handles and legs (if appropriate). This is a huge timesaver, especially when you consider an average kitchen plan can contain between 10 and 20 cabinets or more.

Also, if you’re not too sure of your kitchen terminology, look for sites with a good FAQ section and ‘Jargon Buster’ page.