25 June 2026

When is your kitchen due for renewal?

Sagging doors, a swollen worktop or connections that no longer match how you cook: the signs your kitchen needs attention — and when replacing fronts still suffices.

As a rule of thumb a kitchen lasts 15 to 20 years — the carcasses usually longer than the looks. The signs that more is going on than a dated colour: hinges that no longer adjust, drawers that catch, a worktop that swells or bulges near the sink, and sealant edges coming loose. That last one deserves urgency: where water soaks behind the counter into the cabinet wall, the damage is bigger than what you see on the outside.

If the carcasses are still good, renewal doesn't have to mean a rebuild. New fronts, handles and a worktop (€ 1,500 to € 6,000) give the kitchen a second life without demolition, and an appliance swap (€ 200 to € 800 per appliance) fixes a broken oven or noisy dishwasher precisely. The kitchen remains largely usable during such jobs.

If several things play up at once — worn cabinets, a layout that no longer matches how you cook, connections in the wrong place — then a complete renovation is the more honest route: € 8,000 to € 25,000, depending on size and finish level. Tackling everything at once works out cheaper than doing a part three times, and you're only without a kitchen once.

Torn between refreshing and replacing? Request quotes and have the condition assessed on site: a good professional tells you honestly when replacing fronts still makes sense and when it would be money wasted. Set the proposals against the price index and choose on reasoning, not just on the amount.