Efficient kitchens are a key component of many homeowners’ remodeling plans. The kitchen is often the busiest room in any home and it also has the largest footprint, taking up nearly one-third of your floor space. As such, investing in an efficient kitchen can dramatically increase your living space while saving you time, energy, and money all at once. For more information on how to go about planning for an efficient kitchen design or renovation, continue reading.
What is a Flat Pack Kitchen?
Investing in a flat pack kitchen is one of the best ways to achieve the most out of your space. Flatpack, or ready-to-assemble, kitchens can be easily assembled by any DIY homeowner with some basic home improvement skills and tools. Many flat pack kitchen companies also offer assembly services if you’re someone who doesn’t have these basic skills. Ready-to-assemble cabinets are sold at virtually all home improvement stores as well as through many online retailers.
Many homeowners are curious about what kind of cost savings they’ll see with a flatpack kitchen versus a fully custom assembled cabinet structure. The answer depends on where you live and how much customization options may cost for your specific design needs, but it’s safe to say that homeowners can save up to 50% by purchasing flat pack cabinets versus custom designed.
Depending on the manufacturer, flat-pack kitchens can be modular/off-the-shelf or bespoke. Bunnings, IKEA, Freedom, and Kaboodle are some of Australia’s leading flat-pack kitchen manufacturers. All offer kitchen cabinets and cupboards in a variety of standard sizes that may be built as modular/off the shelf kitchens. Some might be modified with your pick of fixtures or materials. Flatpack kitchen cabinets are custom-made by a number of businesses. Other suppliers may make flat pack kitchen cabinets to order, based on your specifications. A made to measure flat pack kitchen is much more expensive.
Flat Pack Kitchen Prices
A flat-pack kitchen cost is calculated on a per-unit basis, so each drawer, cabinet and cupboard is priced separately. The price range for this type of kitchen ranges from $2000 to $14,000 depending on the manufacturer you choose.
- Depending on the size and features of IKEA flat-pack kitchens, they can cost anywhere from $3000 to $5500.
- Depending on the number of fixtures, Kaboodle flat-pack kitchens range from $3000 to $5000.
- A Bunnings flat-pack kitchen cost ranges from $6,000 to $10,000, depending on size and materials.
The final cost of your flat-pack kitchen may be determined by:
- the number of cabinets and their sizes, as well as the height, width, and depth selected
- The design of your cabinet front doors
- The sort of hardware you choose, such as hinges, drawer runners, and handles
The cost of building a kitchen is based on the materials used and labour employed. Other components, such as flooring and lighting are not included in these prices. Custom kitchens typically range from $15,000 to $50,000 on average (without installation costs).
Flat Pack Kitchen Installation Cost
If you want your flat-pack kitchen to be professionally installed, expect to pay approximately $2800 on average. You’ll also need a plumber and electrician to connect your kitchen, which may set you back around $800 each. It’s important to have a general idea of how the installation may proceed, so follow these tips.
Draw up a plan: Determine the size of the kitchen and which elements may be installed first to ensure that the components fit together properly. Online planners may help you visualize how the area may appear with a variety of configurations.
Prepare kitchen: Before installing a flat pack kitchen, find out where the studs are in the walls and contact a plumber or electrician to perform any necessary repairs.
Measure it up: To guarantee that the elements fit properly without any holes, make sure to use a laser level and a tape measure. Install marks on the walls where particular features or materials are required.
Why Choose Flat Pack Kitchens?
Flat-pack kitchens are quicker to install and cost considerably less than a custom kitchen. A flat pack kitchen may help you save anywhere from 20% to 50% on a custom kitchen depending on the size and quality of the kitchen you select.
Flat-pack kitchens are often avoided by house renovators because they’re concerned about poor construction and a limited design palette, but these appliances have made significant progress in recent years.
Flat-pack kitchens now allow for a greater degree of customization, so you can choose from a variety of cabinet facings, countertop materials, and cabinet hardware and materials. Pull-out pantries and under-cabinet lighting are among the latest customisation options. The best thing to search for in terms of durability is a strong back carcass construction, which indicates higher-quality cabinets.
Benefits of Flat-Pack Kitchens
They are very budget-friendly, meaning they only cost a tiny fraction of a custom-built kitchen and usually can be installed by the homeowner. Even though the cabinet sizes can vary, having the kitchen installed is usually easy and could only take a few hours up to one or two days to fully install. Usually, installation doesn’t require experience or professional tools. When we look at the flat-pack kitchen cost, it could be easy to compare it with bad quality craftsmanship, but, flat-pack kitchens are built to last with the materials being able to hold up quite well to around 10 years. Most importantly, every flat-pack kitchen installed comes with a warranty.
When considering a kitchen renovation, it is important to note that the cost of these appliances varies depending on the size, materials and specifications. If you want to install a kitchen with your own hands, we recommend that you read about the flat-pack kitchen installation cost first.
Flat-Pack Kitchen Cost Australia
When it comes to the cost of Australian flat-pack kitchens, Australia is one of the most expensive countries in which to purchase an IKEA kitchen. The average cost for a basic IKEA kitchen starts at around $1300 AUD and only goes up from here. This does not include installation costs or appliances, just the kitchen cabinets themselves.
Flat-pack kitchen costs are considerably smaller than a custom-built kitchen because they are usually made overseas and shipped to you fully assembled. You could have no problem finding any flat pack kitchen cabinet suppliers online today so contact several companies to get quotes before making your final decision on who may provide your flat pack kitchen cabinets.
Remember that all prices quoted here are for estimation purposes only, always request an official written quote from each supplier before proceeding with your cabinet purchase.
Flat Pack Kitchen Costs in IKEA Australia
The IKEA kitchen line is extremely popular among flat-pack kitchens since they are inexpensive, long-lasting, attractive, and useful. Their website includes a simple kitchen cost calculator where you can input your cabinets and drop them into place.
For a real-world example, here’s how much a family in Redfern, Sydney spent for a mid-range L-shaped kitchen with IKEA cabinetry:
- IKEA’s Utrusta kitchen cabinets, $4300.
- The price for a top-of-the-line benchtop with Caesarstone quartz, $3619 including labour and materials
- 60cm by 60cm ceramic flooring tiles, $4375 including material and labour cost
- Splashback $600
- Pendants and LED downlights, $1000
The IKEA kitchen drawers are made of sturdy metal and have a soft-closing feature, as well as good Blum hinges. They also include a variety of contemporary benchtop and splashback materials, as well as a variety of cabinet facing colours to select from.
The IKEA kitchen design is limited to basic shapes, so if you have an odd area such as a corner pantry, there may not be a solution. Typically, an IKEA kitchen designer can assist you in devising a solution. You can find comparable kitchens for around the same price and with similar features at other stores like Bunnings. Make your selection carefully to ensure that it is well suited to your needs.
How to Modernize Kitchen Renovation Costs?
During a major home renovation project, many things could go wrong and if they do and are not properly dealt with, they could cause even more damage to other parts of the house or leave you with an unfinished project. Many people set out with grand plans for their kitchens but may lose interest after finding out how much time and money it takes to remodel. Remodelling one’s kitchen can be quite a daunting task as there are so many details to consider. You may need to think about everything from the cabinets, appliances and flooring to countertops, faucets and lighting. Many people simply do not have enough time or patience to manage every detail involved in a kitchen renovation project by themselves which is why they hire home renovation experts.
Home renovators could be quite costly if you choose quality materials and top of the line modern appliances for your new look. There are many factors that influence how much remodelling a kitchen costs, such as:
Size: A larger kitchen may require more materials and labour hours which means it may cost you more money than a smaller Kitchen would. The square footage of your existing Kitchen may very well be around the same square footage as a newly designed kitchen, but sometimes there’s just more space to work with.
Flooring: The flooring of your kitchen may greatly affect the total cost of remodelling as tile or hardwood floors can be quite expensive. You can save money by choosing linoleum or laminate floorings which are less expensive and, in some cases, you can install them yourself if you have experience working with these materials.
Priorities: If you want a granite countertop and stainless steel appliances for your new Kitchen then it may be way out of your price range unless you do without some other features in the kitchen. Prioritize which features are essential for you so that when it comes time to shop around for contractors, you know what is important in terms of quality and price.
Priority #1, Good Kitchen Base Cabinet Layout
One of the most common renovations is to change the layout of your kitchen so you can maximize the space and make it look bigger. When you choose a new layout, it’s an opportunity for you to add features that may improve the function and aesthetics of your kitchen. Installing a larger island countertop may provide more space for food preparation, storing appliances or even conversing while cooking together.
If installing a larger Island isn’t possible then adding movable kitchen islands could be another option. Adding pantry storage cabinets in various locations throughout your Kitchen could help solve all your storage problems. Another way to increase storage space in a small kitchen is by adding pullout shelves below upper cabinets which are very affordable.
Priority #2, More Kitchen Bench Tops
If you have a large family, then adding more countertop space for food preparation is an absolute necessity. If you are the only one who cooks, then having just enough counter space to prepare food would be fine. There are many ways to increase your countertop space without breaking the bank. Installing larger islands or using movable islands as mentioned above could help tremendously.
Another option if you don’t want to remodel your kitchen but still need more counter space is installing folding table-legs on top of your existing counters which can be stored away when not in use.
Priority #3 Better Kitchen Appliances or a Custom Kitchen
When it comes time to choose appliances, size matters. If you have a smaller kitchen, choosing appropriately sized appliances may help your kitchen look much bigger and less crowded. You can save money by purchasing EnergyStar appliances as they are typically more affordable than their counterparts yet still provide all of the same features and capabilities. The colour and finish of Appliances is another area where you may be able to save some money if you choose black instead of stainless steel.