Kitchen refurbishment · Northern Ireland
Kitchen refurbishment in County Down
Our kitchen refurbishment work covers the whole of County Down, including Bangor, County Down, Castlereagh and Newtownards.
Thinking about kitchen refurbishment in County Down?
If you have bought a house in County Down with a dated kitchen that still works, refreshing the doors, worktop and sink is often the quickest way to make it feel like your own.
Some County Down households want a new look but cannot face two weeks without a kitchen; a refurbishment keeps the services in place and shortens the time the room is out of use.
What does kitchen refurbishment in County Down include?
Every kitchen is different, so we confirm the scope in writing. Most jobs of this kind include:
- Free survey visit to check every carcass for water damage, level and fixings
- New doors, drawer fronts, end panels and plinths fitted to the existing units
- Old worktops removed and new laminate, wood or stone worktops fitted
- New handles drilled and fitted, with hinges and drawer runners adjusted or replaced
- Sink and tap replaced on the existing supplies and waste
- Tiled, glass or panel splashback fitted once the new worktops are in
- Under-cabinet and ceiling lighting updated by an electrician and tested to BS 7671
- Damaged units or tired appliances swapped where the rest of the kitchen is sound
How much does kitchen refurbishment cost in County Down?
Typical kitchen refurbishment prices for homes in County Down, including VAT and adjusted for Northern Ireland. Your own figure depends on the size of the kitchen, the layout and what is moving. Prices in Northern Ireland usually come in below the national guide, as labour rates are lower than in the South East.
| Typical project | Guide price |
|---|---|
| New doors, worktops and handles on sound unitsCarcasses kept, everything you see replaced | £2,200–£5,300 |
| Refresh plus sink, tap, splashback and lightingA full visual refit without moving services | £3,500–£7,900 |
| Partial refit with some new units and appliancesDamaged units swapped, new appliances fitted | £5,300–£12,300 |
Guide ranges assume the existing layout and services stay in place with laminate or wood worktops; stone worktops, moved services, new circuits, flooring and plastering are priced as separate lines. Prices include VAT at 20%.
Kitchens in homes across County Down
The housing mix across County Down includes Victorian seaside villas, red-brick terraces, rural bungalows and new-build estates, so no two kitchen fits are quite alike. Victorian villas in the seaside towns often have a separate kitchen and old scullery, while newer estate houses tend to have an open-plan kitchen-diner.
Most of County Down has soft mains water, so limescale is less of a concern and taps, sinks and boiling water taps stay cleaner. Country lanes in the Mournes and on the Ards Peninsula can be narrow for lorries, and seaside flats may have no lift, so access is checked early.
Joining a villa kitchen and old scullery into one room is a common project, and removing a load-bearing wall needs building control approval. Newer estate homes around Newtownards and Banbridge more often need a straight replacement with integrated appliances, an island or peninsula and better lighting.
Rules for kitchen refurbishment in County Down
In Northern Ireland, a kitchen refurbishment needs no planning permission or building control application, although a listed building may need listed building consent before historic features are removed. There is no Part P-style notification for domestic electrics, but new lighting and sockets should be installed and tested to BS 7671 and certified. A gas hob must be reconnected by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Many older towns and villages in County Down have conservation areas or listed buildings, where a new external vent or changes to historic features may need consent.
Before you start
- Open the sink cupboard and look for swollen board or staining; water-damaged carcasses should be replaced, not hidden behind new doors.
- If several units are damaged, the layout no longer suits you or services need moving, a full new kitchen may be better value.
- Keep appliances that fit their housings, but check that any new integrated appliance matches the existing gap and door-fixing method.
- Check whether the hinges and drawer runners can be reused; worn or mismatched fittings can stop new doors from sitting straight.
- Photograph the inside of a few cupboards, including the hinges and drawer boxes, so replacement doors and fronts can be matched to your existing carcasses.
- Collect appliance model numbers before the survey so housing sizes and door-fixing kits can be checked against anything you plan to keep or replace.
Questions about kitchen refurbishment in County Down
How much does kitchen refurbishment cost in County Down?
Guide prices in County Down are about £2,200 to £5,300 including VAT for new doors, worktops and handles on sound units. The final price depends on the size of the kitchen and what is moving, and is set out in an itemised written quote.
Do you cover the whole of County Down?
Yes. We carry out kitchen refurbishment across County Down, including Bangor, County Down, Castlereagh, Newtownards and Banbridge. Every job starts with a free survey visit and an itemised written quote.
How do you check whether my kitchen units are sound?
At the survey we check the carcasses one by one. We look for swollen or flaking board around the sink, dishwasher and kettle area, staining from old leaks, sagging shelves, damaged hinge holes, loose wall fixings and units that have dropped out of level. Sound carcasses are kept, and damaged ones are listed on the quote as replacements so nothing is left to chance later.
Can I keep my existing appliances during a refurbishment?
Usually, yes. Built-in ovens, hobs and integrated appliances can stay if they work well and suit the existing housings. If you replace one, the new appliance must match the housing dimensions and door-fixing method, and a larger oven or an induction hob may need a new cooker circuit. We check model numbers and sizes at the survey, before you buy anything.
Will a refurbished kitchen look like a new one?
It can come very close, because doors, worktops, handles and the splashback make up most of what you see. The differences show inside the cupboards and in the layout, which stays the same. Matching new end panels, plinths and cornice to the doors matters, because old panels left in place give the age of the kitchen away.
Kitchen refurbishment in towns across County Down
Choose a town for local guide prices and postcode coverage:
- Kitchen refurbishment in Bangor, County Down
- Kitchen refurbishment in Castlereagh
- Kitchen refurbishment in Newtownards
- Kitchen refurbishment in Banbridge
- Kitchen refurbishment in Downpatrick
- Kitchen refurbishment in Newry