Bought a house, estimated the renovation budget plus 10-15% for inevitable extras, and we set aside 5000 EUR for the kitchen!!!!
That’s how it started... at first, I was in a bit of shock, but we still had time. First step: remove all the walls for a new layout—I need space...
Let’s start with the (according to the agent) move-in ready property. The small kitchen, just under 8 square meters (about 86 square feet), had its 1970s pass-through removed. The wall including the kitchen door is gone! The wall next to the cellar stairs is gone too! Actually, the entire slanted wall, nearly 7 meters (23 feet) high, removed completely...
The window had to go as well since we needed a different working height than the standard 90 cm (35 inches). New screed installed, we switched to underfloor heating, all electrical wiring and water pipes are new.
After almost six months, the realization slowly sank in: the kitchen budget will not exceed 5000 EUR, so we had to look for a used kitchen... something special, but very cheap.
The search criteria: within a 100 km (62 miles) radius, up to 1000 EUR, because I still want new appliances.
That’s how it started... at first, I was in a bit of shock, but we still had time. First step: remove all the walls for a new layout—I need space...
Let’s start with the (according to the agent) move-in ready property. The small kitchen, just under 8 square meters (about 86 square feet), had its 1970s pass-through removed. The wall including the kitchen door is gone! The wall next to the cellar stairs is gone too! Actually, the entire slanted wall, nearly 7 meters (23 feet) high, removed completely...
The window had to go as well since we needed a different working height than the standard 90 cm (35 inches). New screed installed, we switched to underfloor heating, all electrical wiring and water pipes are new.
After almost six months, the realization slowly sank in: the kitchen budget will not exceed 5000 EUR, so we had to look for a used kitchen... something special, but very cheap.
The search criteria: within a 100 km (62 miles) radius, up to 1000 EUR, because I still want new appliances.
C
Costruttrice7 Jul 2021 18:58Chris2511 schrieb:
Yes, the steam oven is on the left, and the oven with pyrolysis and microwave is on the right. That’s exactly how I’m planning it as well! I’ve been to two kitchen showrooms so far, and both tried hard to discourage me from it.
I think, as already mentioned, that the kitchen is much more prominent in today’s typical open-plan layouts. Another reason might be, as also noted, that many people expect the kitchen to last for 20 years and to please them. And finally, as previously pointed out, this is a topic area that certainly isn’t representative of the general population. It’s really just a kitchen-related topic.
Regardless, I wonder why one often reads that "women" choose, use, and clean the kitchen. Here with us, it’s the opposite: since I discovered cooking about five years ago, my other half has not once stood at the stove. In fact, we even had the kitchen designed to meet my requirements regarding countertop height and workflow. For me, it’s a hobby, and it needs to work well and look good. Then it’s okay if it costs something.
Regardless, I wonder why one often reads that "women" choose, use, and clean the kitchen. Here with us, it’s the opposite: since I discovered cooking about five years ago, my other half has not once stood at the stove. In fact, we even had the kitchen designed to meet my requirements regarding countertop height and workflow. For me, it’s a hobby, and it needs to work well and look good. Then it’s okay if it costs something.
C
Chris25117 Jul 2021 19:16Costruttrice schrieb:
This is exactly how I’m planning it too! So far, I’ve visited two kitchen showrooms, and both tried to talk me out of it.In the end, you decide what you want or need, not the kitchen showroom.
By the way, as a man, I was heavily involved in the planning. So it’s not just the wife in the kitchen. We completely ignored the first kitchen offer from Leicht, by the way. The current kitchen cost less than half of that.
Yes, we also have a piece of furniture from Roller...
guckuck2 schrieb:
She earned the kitchen herself. It's staying.My parents are 79 and 84 years old. They had a custom kitchen made by a carpenter, perfectly fitted into the wooden log house they built late in life. The kitchen is probably about 25 years old now. It’s staying as is—no soft-close drawers, the refrigerator hinges have already been replaced twice, the underside of the microwave compartment has softened, drawers have self-cut dividers :-), but not long ago they installed a new dishwasher with a capacity of 45 place settings and a top-quality oven.
hampshire schrieb:
Without addressing or attacking anyone in particular—why is it that so many people have much higher expectations for their kitchen than for the rest of their furnishings? For us, the kitchen holds the relatively highest importance among our furniture.
We have once again chosen white high gloss. The built-in appliance wall will be matte gray with an anti-fingerprint coating (or whatever it’s called). Once installed, it is meant to accompany us for many years.
Our experience over the past 20 years has shown that we have never grown tired of a kitchen, but with other furniture, that has certainly happened.
Therefore, we are also willing to invest more money in the kitchen by our standards, and less so for other furniture.
Yaso2.0 schrieb:
Our experience over the past 20 years has shown that we never get tired of looking at a kitchen, whereas other furniture definitely wears out. For us, it’s been different. In recent years, this is the third planned/purchased kitchen and the fourth overall. Eventually, you just can’t look at the same kitchen anymore, or changes in habits and life circumstances require the kitchen to adapt.
But yes, I would also say that the kitchen holds the highest priority for us. What’s standing around in the living room, to be honest, doesn’t matter much to me.