How to Get the Best Price on a New Kitchen (2026 UK)

The short answer

Keep the existing layout, buy in January, choose IKEA or DIY Kitchens for budget or Howdens for mid-range, do the strip-out and painting yourself, and get three quotes for fitting. That combination alone can save 30–50% compared to a showroom package deal.

The biggest money-saving move: keep the layout

This single decision determines more of your budget than almost anything else. If you keep the sink where it is, the cooker where it is, and the fridge where it is, you avoid moving plumbing and electrical points. That saves £1,000–£3,000 in trades costs.

Moving a gas cooker point costs £150–£300. Moving a sink with associated waste and water supply costs £300–£600. Moving electrical sockets and adding new circuits adds £200–£500. These costs add up fast - and they're on top of the kitchen itself.

If the current layout works and you're just replacing tired units, keeping everything in place is the smartest financial move.

Where to buy: the honest supplier comparison

Kitchen prices vary enormously between suppliers. Before committing to any supplier, it's worth checking independent reviews on Which?to see how real customers rate them. Here's a fair comparison for a typical 10–12 unit kitchen (units only, not including worktops or appliances).

Supplier	Units (10–12)	Quality	Warranty	Best for
IKEA	£2,000–£4,000	Good	25 years	Budget-conscious DIYers
Howdens	£3,500–£7,000	Very good	20 years	Trade-fitted mid-range
Wren	£3,000–£8,000	Good–very good	10 years	Showroom design service
Wickes	£3,000–£6,000	Good	15 years	All-in-one packages
Magnet	£4,000–£8,000	Very good	20 years	Higher-end trade kitchens
DIY Kitchens	£2,500–£5,000	Very good	6 years	Online ordering, great value

Prices based on a medium-sized kitchen with shaker-style doors. Prices for units only - worktops, appliances, and fitting are additional.

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Modern fitted kitchen with shaker-style cabinets

Howdens vs IKEA: the real difference

This is the question everyone asks. Here's the honest answer.

IKEAis cheaper for the units. The METOD range is well-designed and surprisingly durable. The 25-year warranty is genuine. The catch: IKEA kitchens take longer to assemble (they're flat-pack), which means higher fitting costs. Budget an extra £500–£1,000 in labour compared to a pre-assembled kitchen.

Howdensonly sells to trade, but your fitter can order from them (or you can open a trade account - they're relaxed about it). The units are sturdier, come with soft-close, and are delivered assembled. Your fitter can work faster, saving on labour.

For a budget kitchen, IKEA wins on total cost. For a mid-range kitchen, Howdens often works out similar once you factor in the reduced fitting time.

The timing trick nobody tells you

Kitchen suppliers have their biggest sales in January. Wren, Wickes, and Magnet regularly run 50% off deals in the new year. IKEA does a kitchen event in January or February most years.

But it's not just about the units. Kitchen fitters are quieter in winter too. From January to March, you'll get better availability and more competitive quotes. By April, everyone's busy.

The ideal approach: design your kitchen in November, order during the January sales, and have it fitted in February or March.

What you can do yourself (and what you shouldn't)

Safe to DIY:

Strip-out. Ripping out an old kitchen saves £400–£800 in labour. It's messy but straightforward.
Painting. Ceiling and walls above the tiles or splashback. Save £200–£400.
Tiling a splashback. If you're comfortable with adhesive and grout, a simple splashback is manageable.
Assembling flat-pack units. If you bought IKEA, building the carcasses yourself saves your fitter a day or two.

Leave to professionals:

Gas work. Connecting a gas hob or cooker must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. No exceptions. You can verify any engineer on the <a href='https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' className='text-accent-green hover:underline'>Gas Safe Register</a>.
Electrics. New circuits, moving sockets, or anything involving the consumer unit needs a Part P registered electrician.
Plumbing. While a competent DIYer can connect a tap, anything involving waste pipes or the mains stopcock is best left to a plumber.
Worktop templating and fitting. Stone and composite worktops are cut from a template - get this wrong and you've ruined a £2,000 piece of quartz. For any significant kitchen project, the <a href='https://www.fmb.org.uk/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' className='text-accent-green hover:underline'>Federation of Master Builders</a> recommends using a vetted, insured tradesperson.

Kitchen worktop material samples including quartz and granite

Worktop hacks: where to save big

Worktops can eat 15–25% of your kitchen budget. Here's how to keep costs down:

Laminate worktops look much better than they used to. Egger and Duropal do realistic stone-effect laminates for £200–£500 versus £2,000–£4,000 for real quartz.
Solid wood (oak or walnut) costs £300–£700 and looks beautiful - but needs oiling regularly and can't handle hot pans directly.
If you want quartz or granite, buy remnants (offcuts from larger jobs). Fabricators sell these at 30–50% off. Ring around local stone yards.
Avoid integrated sinks if you're on a budget. An undermount or inset sink in a laminate worktop costs far less than one routed into solid surface.

Appliances: the hidden budget trap

It's easy to spend £3,000 on appliances alone. A few ways to keep that under control:

Buy last year's models. When manufacturers release new ranges, old stock gets discounted 20–40%. Websites like ao.com and Currys clear end-of-line stock regularly.

Don't buy integrated everything. A freestanding fridge-freezer costs half the price of an integrated one and is easier to replace. Same with dishwashers.

Skip the range cooker if you're on a budget. A separate oven and hob costs less, gives you more layout flexibility, and is cheaper to repair.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest way to get a new kitchen in the UK?

The cheapest route is to buy flat-pack units from IKEA or a budget supplier, keep the existing layout (avoiding plumbing and electrical changes), and handle the demolition and painting yourself. A basic but decent kitchen can be done for £3,000–£5,000 this way, including fitting.

Is IKEA or Howdens cheaper for a kitchen?

IKEA is generally cheaper for the units themselves. A 10-unit IKEA kitchen costs roughly £2,000–£4,000 versus £3,500–£7,000 from Howdens. However, Howdens units are sturdier and come with soft-close as standard. IKEA kitchens need more assembly time, which increases fitting costs. For a mid-range kitchen, Howdens often works out similar in total when you factor in labour.

When is the best time to buy a kitchen?

January and February are the best months. Kitchen showrooms have their biggest sales in the new year, and fitters are less busy so you can negotiate better labour rates. Avoid booking a kitchen installation in spring or summer when tradespeople are at their busiest and most expensive.

How much does it cost to fit a kitchen in the UK?

Kitchen fitting costs £1,500–£3,500 for a standard kitchen (8–12 units) depending on complexity and location. This covers assembly, installation, worktop fitting, and connecting existing services. It doesn't include plumbing changes, electrical work, tiling, or plastering - those are extra.

See the full kitchen cost breakdown

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How to Get the Best Price on a New Kitchen