When you decide to renovate your community kitchen, you might feel some pressure to gather quotes for the materials and the design, so that you can demonstrate the correct level of due diligence to any financial masters.

However, that is not the right way to approach a kitchen refurbishment project. You will be able to save money and still get the right kitchen if you apply your tender process to the installation, and not to the purchase of the kitchen material itself. Here is why:-

You should choose a kitchen that suits your requirements, and not simply base it on costs

If you are choosing a new kitchen, then your community will have specific requirements that the current kitchen is not meeting. Among those will likely be durability and hygiene, as well as things like visual appeal and technical specifications. Unless the new kitchen meets durability, aesthetics, and hygiene standards, there is no point in installing it.

If you choose based on price, rather than on merit, you will not get the kitchen you need. You will likely install a kitchen that isn’t much better than the one you have, and that doesn’t last. You will be buying cheaper materials than you require, with less potential for a design that fits your purposes. Not only will the renovation be pointless, but it will probably deteriorate quickly, meaning you will need yet another new kitchen before long.

So, how should you approach costings when you need to show due diligence?

Why you should tender for the remedial installation works, instead of for the kitchen itself

If you will need a third party to execute the remedial installation works, because you are not in a position to do this yourselves, then that is a far more appropriate job to put out to tender. Whether with minor works builders or installation companies, you can establish any remedial work required for your kitchen as well as an estimated cost for installation. Unlike with the kitchen material itself, the requirements will be broadly the same, so price becomes a relevant factor and proves you have acted to compare costs of the major part of your renovation project.

A quick note about ‘flat-pack’ kitchens:

Another reason some people are tempted by cheaper kitchens is that some are self-assembly units, and they see an opportunity to save on installation costs as well as the materials themselves.

Be warned, the materials (e.g. MDF and vinyl-wrapped doors) deteriorate very quickly, and the heavy use of a community kitchen means a flat pack kitchen will soon be unfit for use, as well as very unhygienic.

For a ‘semi-commercial’ environment like yours, Steelplan’s recommendation is that you choose the kitchen material that you wish to implement and therefore select your company provider on the merits of its product provided, and then tender the remedial works. We believe a powder-coated mild steel carcass and stainless-steel worktop provides a kitchen that is easy to clean and that lasts for decades.

For a free consultation on the design that will give you the kitchen you need, get in touch with the experts at Steelplan. We can help you plan and visualise your renovation, and help you choose the perfect specifications for your community. Call 0844 809 9186 or email [email protected].