RELOCATING A KITCHEN

Q

How easy is it to relocate a kitchen from one room to another?

A

A well-equipped kitchen with a spacious integral dining area is a desirable feature for any home. If your existing kitchen is a bit pokey, it may be possible to relocate it under the same roof without extending. But because kitchens require more service connections than any other room, it’s essential to plan the move carefully.

The first consideration is the size of the new space. If you need to remove walls, then the cost and hassle will be significantly greater. The following factors are key to a successful internal move.

Plumbing

Extending the existing hot and cold water supply pipework to the new kitchen shouldn’t be too taxing. New surface-run pipes can be discreetly boxed in with minimal disruption. Existing radiators in the new space will likely require relocating to create space for the new base units. Alternatively, you could take the opportunity to install a new ‘feature rad’ or even underfloor heating.

Connecting to the existing foul waste system is often the most restrictive factor for a kitchen relocation. If the new room is close to the old kitchen, a toilet, utility, or has a above bathroom above, this is a bonus. Waste pipes serving kitchen sinks commonly project through external walls to a nearby gulley or SVP (Soil and Vent Pipe). The layout of the new kitchen units can then be designed around the positioning of sinks and dishwashers so they’re within reach of existing waste outlets. If there’s no obvious way of connecting to the existing system, seek professional advice for excavating trenches. New underground drainage pipework will significantly add to the cost.

Electrics

Kitchens require a generous number of sockets at worktop level as well as power supplies for extractors, dishwashers, microwaves, fridges and freezers. You will also need a separate 32amp circuit for ovens and electric hobs. Fortunately it’s usually possible to extend existing circuits. If new circuits need to be run from the consumer unit, your electrician should assess whether it has sufficient capacity or will need replacing; a newly enlarged kitchen is likely to put increased demands on the system. Lighting will also require upgrading — for example, new ceiling light recesses.

Gas

If gas cooking is required, existing supply pipes will need professionally re-routing by a ‘Gas Safe’ registered engineer. This is normally straightforward, with pipework usually run externally.

Extraction

Kitchen extractor fans expel stale humid air and cooking smells — commonly fitted within cooker hoods. When the new cooker positioning has been determined, the extractor’s external ducting path can be planned. This may simply involve cutting a small vent through an external wall, or alternatively, running ducting to vent through roof eaves.

Light and glazing

Ensuring sufficient natural light is one of the most challenging design aspects when re-purposing a kitchen. Existing windows might require enlarging or you might envisage bi-fold doors opening up to a garden. If the room is single storey, new roof lights can be a cost-effective means of brightening the space. However, new windows and doors can add significantly to the cost, particularly if new structural openings are required. So this needs careful consideration at the design stage.

Fitted units

Once the new service connections are in place, installing new base and wall units is normally an easy task. Recycling existing carcasses is often possible, but the newly enlarged layout will normally require additional units and new worktops. When fitting kitchens, it greatly helps if the walls and floors are all perfectly level — which of course, is rare. So a certain amount of replastering or floor levelling will be beneficial.

An unexpected cost to consider where kitchens are transplanted to existing additions, such as former storage areas, is the need to reinforce thin external walls with a new fully insulated inner leaf. These will require lining with a new fully insulated inner wall. The floors and ceilings in such areas may also need insulating too.

To finish the job, the new kitchen will need water-resistant floor coverings to be laid. Decorative wall finishes – such as emulsioning and tiling – are fairly easy to plan and cost.

Finally, remember to allow for the cost of redecoration and making good the repurposing of the old kitchen space that’s been vacated.