Kitchen Renovation Cost UK 2026: What You’ll Really Pay

The kitchen is the most expensive room to renovate — and the one where costs spiral fastest. So how much does a kitchen renovation cost in the UK? From £5,000 for a budget refresh to £30,000+ for a high-end transformation. Here’s the honest breakdown.

Typical costs by level

• Budget refresh (paint cabinets, new worktops, keep layout): £5,000–£10,000
• Mid-range renovation (new units, appliances, flooring): £12,000–£20,000
• High-end / bespoke (designer kitchen, structural changes, premium appliances): £25,000–£50,000+
• London: add 20–30%

Where the money goes

• Kitchen units: £3,000–£12,000 — flat-pack (IKEA, Howdens, Wren) £3k–£7k; bespoke £10k+. The biggest single cost in most renovations.
• Worktops: £500–£4,000 — laminate £500–£1,000; solid wood £1,000–£2,000; quartz/granite £2,000–£4,000.
• Appliances: £1,500–£6,000 — oven, hob, extractor, fridge-freezer, dishwasher. Integrated costs more than freestanding.
• Labour: £3,000–£8,000 — fitters, plumbers, electricians, plasterers, tilers. Multi-trade = multi-cost.
• Flooring: £500–£2,000 — see our laminate vs vinyl guide.
• Plumbing & electrics: £1,000–£3,000 — moving the sink or cooker position adds serious cost.
• Plastering, decorating, extras: £1,000–£2,500.

The budget option: paint, don’t replace

If the carcasses are sound, painting kitchen cabinets instead of replacing them saves £3,000–£8,000. See our guides on whether painting cabinets is worth it and how to paint them properly. New handles (£2–£5 each), a new worktop and a fresh splashback complete the transformation for under £2,000 total.

How to control the budget

1. Keep the layout. Moving plumbing, gas and electrics is where £5,000 disappears. Same positions = same pipes.
2. Flat-pack wisely: IKEA and Howdens kitchens are genuinely good now — the difference vs bespoke is mostly in fiddly details, not durability.
3. Appliances: last year’s models. Retailers discount previous-year integrated appliances 20–40%.
4. Worktop choice matters most: the jump from laminate to quartz is £2,000+ — the single biggest material decision.
5. Get 3 quotes from kitchen fitters — labour varies more than materials.
6. 10–15% contingency. Kitchens hide surprises: dodgy wiring, uneven floors, plumbing that needs updating.

How long does it take?

• Refresh (paint, worktops): 1–2 weeks
• Full rip-out and refit: 3–5 weeks
• With structural work (knocking through, steel beams): 6–10 weeks + building control

You’ll be without a kitchen for most of it — set up a temporary kitchen (microwave, slow cooker, washing-up bowl) in another room. Ask any renovator: the novelty wears off by week two.

Does it add value?

A new kitchen typically returns 50–75% of its cost in added property value — it rarely pays for itself directly. The value is in saleability (kitchens sell houses) and your daily quality of life. Don’t spend £30,000 on a kitchen in a £200,000 house expecting £30,000 back. Do spend what makes you happy to cook in it for the next 15 years.

The bottom line

Budget £12,000–£20,000 for a solid mid-range kitchen renovation, keep the layout, choose worktops carefully (it’s the biggest material lever), and hold 15% contingency. If that’s too rich, the paint-and-refresh route delivers 70% of the visual impact for 20% of the cost. Either way, get three quotes and never pay more than 30% upfront.

The one-wall kitchen: small space strategies

Many UK homes — flats, terraces, cottages — have galley or one-wall kitchens under 8 sqm. Renovating small costs less in absolute terms (£8,000–£14,000 for a full refit) but more per square metre — the fixed costs (appliances, plumbing, electrics) don’t shrink with the room. Strategies that work: tall units to the ceiling (dead space above wall units is wasted storage), integrated appliances (visual calm in tight spaces), light colours + reflective splashback (space illusion), and a single deep drawer stack instead of cupboards (accessible storage beats deep dark cupboards).

The best small-kitchen investment: a proper extractor (£200–£400) — cooking smells permeate small homes, and a good extractor is the difference between a kitchen and a bedsit that smells of curry. Second best: under-cabinet lighting (£50–£100) — transforms usability of dark worktops. Both are cheap against the total budget and disproportionately impactful.

Kitchen renovation FAQs

How do I live without a kitchen for weeks? Set up a temporary kitchen elsewhere: microwave, slow cooker (£30 — see our slow cooker recipes), kettle, washing-up bowl. Paper plates for the worst weeks (the planet forgives temporary pragmatism). Budget for more takeaways than planned — add £200–£400 to the project budget for food.

IKEA vs Howdens vs Wren — which? IKEA: cheapest, excellent storage systems (Metod), 25-year guarantee, but you measure and plan (or pay for their service). Howdens: trade-only (via your fitter), solid quality, good prices through fitters’ discounts. Wren: heavy marketing, pushy sales, decent product — negotiate hard, never pay the first price. All three make perfectly good kitchens; the fitter matters more than the brand.

Do I need planning permission? No for internal kitchen refits. Yes (potentially) for extensions or structural changes — and building regulations always apply to structural work, electrics (Part P) and gas. Listed buildings need consent for significant changes.

Gas vs induction hob? Induction wins for most people now: faster, safer, easier to clean, and cheaper to run than gas at current prices. The catch: you may need new pans (test with a magnet — if it sticks, the pan works) and possibly a consumer unit upgrade (£300–£600) for the higher electrical load. Gas loyalists: the future boiler/hob regulations are worth watching.

When should I order appliances? Before finalising unit dimensions — integrated appliances have specific size requirements that dictate cabinet widths. Nothing derails a kitchen project like a dishwasher that’s 5mm too wide for its housing. Measure twice, order once, and have appliances on site before the fitter starts.

Phasing the renovation: spreading the cost

Can’t face £15,000 at once? Phase it. Phase 1 (£1,000–£2,000): paint cabinets, new handles, new worktop — the cosmetic transformation (see painting cabinets). Live with it 1–2 years. Phase 2 (£2,000–£4,000): new appliances as old ones die (buy integrated-ready), new flooring, splashback. Phase 3 (£8,000–£15,000): full rip-out and replacement — but now you know exactly what you want, because you’ve lived with the space.

Why phasing works: you learn the kitchen before committing (the layout you thought you wanted often changes after a year of use), you spread the financial hit, and Phase 1’s transformation is so effective that many people never do Phase 3 — the painted kitchen with new worktop satisfies them for a decade. The trap: phasing badly — don’t install a £2,000 quartz worktop on cabinets you plan to rip out in a year. Phase with the end in mind: each phase should stand alone as a finished kitchen, not a building site awaiting the next phase.