In a previous article we discussed the options open to you when purchasing your next kitchen. You can:
- buy from a local retailer and have their salesman come to your home (its getting them to leave thats the trouble)
- buy from one of the big DIY outlets
- buy online
You possibly already realise how commission salesmen are normally reluctant to leave until theyve got your order and how buying at the DIY outlets can be a time consuming and tedious task. You possibly didnt realise though that in both cases you often have to wait 4-5 weeks to take delivery of your kitchen. Now thats fairly acceptable for bespoke, hand made kitchen units and worktops, but not for off-the-shelf items.
Ordering your kitchen online
Which leads me on to buying your kitchen online. You may be reading this because youve already tried to buy your kitchen online, but have ended up leaving most websites dazed and confused. Its the numerous options available and the number of individual parts youre required to add to your shopping cart that causes most people to give up out of sheer frustration.
After all, why does every single item need to be picked separately I mean a base cupboard with a door will need hinges, a corner base unit is going to need a corner post. Correct?
My advice then, is to look for
online kitchen suppliers that make the process easy for you. Look for sites with a simple and uncluttered appearance - you want to be able to quickly see which styles of kitchen doors and units are available and to be able to navigate to the correct shop pages quickly.
Often sites will list the different categories on the left hand navigation e.g. kitchen base units, kitchen wall cabinets, kitchen larder cupboards, kitchen work surfaces etc. These links may then take you to further sub categories. However this can still require a significant amount of clicks as you go back and forth between (sub) categories.
Look for simple-to-navigate websites that require less clicks...
However the latest generation
fitted kitchen sites allow you to firstly make your kitchen choice, then to order all the pieces like, kitchen base units, kitchen wall units and kitchen accessories from just one or two pages for that particular kitchen style. So much easier!
Likewise, look for sites that list their prices for the kitchen units complete i.e. the price you see is for the cabinet, the door(s) the hinges, handles and legs (if appropriate). This is a real time-saver, particularly when you consider an average kitchen layout can contain between 10 and 20 units if not more.
Also, if youre not very sure of your kitchen terminology, look for websites with a good Frequently Asked Questions section and Jargon Buster page.
