Kitchen refurbishment · Scotland
Kitchen refurbishment in the Scottish Borders
Kitchen refurbishment in the Scottish Borders starts with a free visit to measure up, then a written scope and quote before any work begins.
Thinking about kitchen refurbishment in the Scottish Borders?
Some Scottish Borders 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.
If you have bought a house in the Scottish Borders 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.
What does kitchen refurbishment in the Scottish Borders include?
Here is what usually goes into kitchen refurbishment, adjusted to your Scottish Borders kitchen after we have measured it:
- 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 the Scottish Borders?
These guide ranges include VAT at 20% and are adjusted for prices in Scotland. We confirm your price in writing after a free survey visit. Prices in Scotland 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 | £2,400–£5,600 |
| Refresh plus sink, tap, splashback and lightingA full visual refit without moving services | £3,800–£8,500 |
| Partial refit with some new units and appliancesDamaged units swapped, new appliances fitted | £5,600–£13,200 |
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 the Scottish Borders
Across the Scottish Borders you will often find stone mill-town terraces, Victorian villas, farm cottages and post-war council-built houses, and each shapes the kitchen differently. Stone terraces in Hawick and Galashiels often have a small kitchen at the back, while Victorian villas in Peebles and Kelso tend to have larger separate kitchens.
The Scottish Borders generally have soft mains water, though rural homes on private supplies may need testing and filtering. Rural roads and farm tracks can be narrow for delivery lorries, and older town centres may have limited parking, so delivery is planned in advance.
Stone terraces in the mill towns usually have small rooms and thick walls that suit a galley or L-shaped layout. Farm cottages are often off the gas grid, so cooking may be planned around induction, LPG or an oil-fired range.
Rules for kitchen refurbishment in the Scottish Borders
In Scotland, replacing doors, worktops, a sink or light fittings in a house does not normally need a building warrant, and most electrical work in a house does not either, but it must meet the building standards and BS 7671, so ask for an electrical certificate. A listed building may need listed building consent before historic features are removed. Gas hobs are disconnected and reconnected by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Older Borders towns often have conservation areas and listed buildings, so a new external vent or changes to historic features may need consent.
Before you start
- Keep appliances that fit their housings, but check that any new integrated appliance matches the existing gap and door-fixing method.
- Stone worktops are templated once the old tops are off and fitted about one to two weeks later, so plan for a gap without full worktops.
- Check whether the hinges and drawer runners can be reused; worn or mismatched fittings can stop new doors from sitting straight.
- Open the sink cupboard and look for swollen board or staining; water-damaged carcasses should be replaced, not hidden behind new doors.
- If your Scottish Borders kitchen has a tiled splashback, decide early whether it stays; removing old tiles often damages the plaster behind and adds a day of making good.
- Choose handles after the doors and confirm the hole spacing, because drilling new doors for the wrong size of bar handle cannot be undone neatly.
Questions about kitchen refurbishment in the Scottish Borders
How much does kitchen refurbishment cost in the Scottish Borders?
For new doors, worktops and handles on sound units, budget around £2,400 to £5,600 including VAT in the Scottish Borders. That reflects typical costs in Scotland; we confirm the actual figure in writing once we have measured up.
Do you cover the whole of the Scottish Borders?
Yes. We carry out kitchen refurbishment across the Scottish Borders, including Hawick, Galashiels, Peebles and Kelso. Every job starts with a free survey visit and an itemised written quote.
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.
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.
How long will I be without a kitchen during a refurbishment?
Usually two to seven days on site. New doors and handles can often be fitted in a day or two with the kitchen usable between visits. Replacing worktops, the sink and the splashback takes longer, and stone worktops add about one to two weeks between templating and fitting. Ask about a temporary worktop so the sink can stay in use during that gap.
Kitchen refurbishment in towns across the Scottish Borders
Choose a town for local guide prices and postcode coverage:
- Kitchen refurbishment in Hawick
- Kitchen refurbishment in Galashiels
- Kitchen refurbishment in Peebles
- Kitchen refurbishment in Kelso