Kitchen Renovation Costs in London: What You'll Really Pay from Budget to Bespoke

Budget kitchen (total project cost: £6,000–£14,000): Units and accessories: £2,000–£5,000 (flat-pack carcasses, laminate doors, soft-close hinges, basic internal organisation) Worktop: £200–£500 (laminate, 40mm) Appliances: £1,500–£3,000 (mid-range freestanding or semi-integrated appliances — Bosch/Hotpoint entry range) Fitting (kitchen fitter): £1,200–£2,500 Electrical first-fix: £500–£1,000 Plumbing first-fix: £400–£800 Tiling (splashback): £200–£500 Floor and decoration: £400–£1,000 Total: £6,400–£14,300

Mid-range kitchen (total project cost: £15,000–£30,000): Units and accessories: £5,000–£12,000 (rigid carcasses, painted shaker doors, internal drawer systems, soft-close throughout) Worktop: £800–£2,500 (quartz composite or solid wood) Appliances: £3,000–£7,000 (integrated Bosch/Siemens/Neff full suite) Fitting: £2,000–£3,500 Electrical first-fix: £800–£1,500 Plumbing first-fix: £500–£1,000 Tiling (splashback): £400–£1,200 Floor and decoration: £800–£2,000 Total: £13,300–£30,700

High-specification kitchen (total project cost: £35,000–£70,000): Units and accessories: £12,000–£30,000 (premium rigid or bespoke painted kitchen, full handleless or shaker style, extensive interior organisation) Worktop: £2,500–£8,000 (quartz, granite, or marble) Appliances: £6,000–£20,000 (Miele or equivalent full integration) Fitting: £3,000–£5,000 (premium kitchen company installation) Electrical first-fix: £1,000–£2,500 Plumbing first-fix: £600–£1,500 Structural (if applicable): £3,000–£10,000 Floor and decoration: £1,500–£4,000 Total: £29,600–£81,000

Bespoke handmade kitchen (total project cost: £60,000–£150,000+): Units (bespoke joinery): £25,000–£80,000 (deVOL, Humphrey Munson, Smallbone, or bespoke local joinery — priced per project) Worktop: £4,000–£15,000 (book-matched marble, Dekton slabs, or hand-oiled solid oak) Appliances: £10,000–£50,000 (Gaggenau, Wolf, Sub-Zero, La Cornue range) Fitting and installation: £4,000–£8,000 All associated building work: £5,000–£20,000 Total: £48,000–£173,000+

When a new rear extension is being built specifically to house a larger open-plan kitchen-diner, the kitchen cost and the extension cost interact significantly — and it is important to budget for both from the outset.

Extension cost (without kitchen): A single-storey rear extension of 15–20m² in a standard London terrace (typically £1,500–£2,200 per m² for the build cost, excluding kitchen, flooring, and decoration) will cost £22,500–£44,000 for the structural and building work, before any kitchen, flooring, lighting, or decoration is installed in the new space.

Combined extension + kitchen project: When a rear extension is combined with a new kitchen in a medium-specification project, the combined cost breakdown looks approximately like: Extension build (15m², structure, roof, glazing, electrics, plumbing rough-in): £25,000–£40,000 Kitchen (mid-range units, quartz worktop, integrated appliances): £12,000–£20,000 Flooring (whole ground floor — porcelain tiles or engineered wood): £3,000–£7,000 Decoration and plastering (extension and refurbished existing kitchen area): £2,000–£4,000 Lighting design and fitting (recessed LED throughout extension): £1,500–£3,000 Total combined project: £43,500–£74,000

What the extension builder quotes for (and what they don't): A reputable extension builder will typically quote for: the structural work, roofing, external wall and glazing, internal walls and ceiling, first-fix electrics and plumbing, and plastered and primed surfaces ready for decoration. They will typically NOT include in their standard quotation: the kitchen units and worktop; appliances; lighting fittings; floor finishes; window sills and interior finishes; or final decoration. Homeowners should clarify exactly what is included in the builder's quotation before comparing quotes from different contractors.

Value engineering within the kitchen budget: The most effective ways to reduce the combined kitchen/extension budget without sacrificing quality: Choose rigid flat-pack (IKEA Axstad or Metod) over handmade for the carcasses — the quality of the installation and the worktop are more important to the long-term result than the brand name on the units. Invest in the worktop (the largest visual surface, used daily) and economise on the unit door style. Integrate mid-range appliances (Bosch, Siemens, AEG) rather than premium brands — the performance difference in daily use is smaller than the price difference suggests. Specify LED integrated under-cabinet lighting and recessed ceiling lighting — these are high-impact and relatively low-cost relative to the visual improvement.

A kitchen renovation almost always requires an electrical upgrade — the number and location of socket outlets, the circuits required for modern appliances, and the arrangement of the consumer unit are typically insufficient in a Victorian terrace that has not been recently rewired.

Minimum electrical specification for a modern London kitchen: Minimum 4 double socket outlets above worktop level (code of practice suggests a double outlet every 600mm of worktop length). A dedicated 13A circuit for the fridge-freezer (so that it remains on an RCD-protected circuit even when other kitchen circuits are isolated for maintenance). A dedicated 32A circuit for the electric oven or range cooker (or 30A if a gas range cooker — a dedicated spur for the electric ignition and fan). A dedicated 32A circuit for the induction hob (hob and oven on separate circuits where possible — modern induction hobs can draw up to 7.2kW simultaneously for a 4-zone model at full power). A dedicated 13A or 16A circuit for the dishwasher. A dedicated 13A circuit for the washing machine (if in the kitchen). Lighting circuit: 6 × 10W LED downlights in a standard kitchen extension ceiling — a negligible load relative to appliances but should be on its own circuit for fault isolation.

Consumer unit implications: A Victorian terrace original consumer unit (typically 4–8 way, single-phase, with a mix of rewirable fuses and older MCBs) is almost certainly insufficient for the combined demand of a modern kitchen. A full rewire with a new 18-way consumer unit (split-load, with RCBO protection on all circuits) is the correct approach for a full kitchen renovation. Cost: £600–£1,500 for a new consumer unit and kitchen circuit rewire (less if the existing wiring in the rest of the house is retained; more if a full house rewire is carried out simultaneously). All Part P notifiable electrical work must be certified by a Part P registered electrician (NICEIC or ELECSA registered) or inspected by Building Control.