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Worktops Made Easy!

You’ve spent months planning your dream kitchen. You’ve spent weeks researching your ideal units. You’ve spent ages reading the best appliance reviews and you’ve spent many an hour deliberating in showrooms but one area that can get overlooked or can be a source of confusion is the actual kitchen worktop itself.

For some, the choice of worktop is easy and how to go about getting one cut and installed is straightforward. However, for others, it’s just confusing and another headache in the kitchen planning process.

Together, the experts at Kitchen-Compare and Made To Fit have compiled a few tips to help you along the way and ensure that your final finished kitchen looks the best it possibly can.

1. Know what you want!

This may seem obvious but the more time you spend in the planning stage, the better the result is likely to be and the less likely you are to find yourself 6 months down the line saying “I wish I had thought about……” There are lots of online design and planning tools to help you with your kitchen worktop ideas and designs. However, if you are less technically minded or nervous using these online tools, then just use paper and pencil to sketch out various options and ideas.  Many manufacturers or builders will happily work with you from your own drawings and are generally eager to discuss your worktop needs

If you are not sure what type of worktop you want, steal!! Spend time in showrooms and looking at magazines and websites to get ideas. Build a picture of your ideal kitchen in a scrapbook or on a mood board and make sure you pull out the worktop as one of your key features.

2. Shop around. Choose well. Get it right.

At the one end of the market you can buy worktop “lengths”, which can then be cut onsite and fitted by your builder or kitchen fitter. However, depending on the quality of the builder or fitter, the finish can leave a lot to be desired especially if your kitchen design is more complex and involves tap holes, draining grooves, bespoke and made to fit units.

Shop around. The worktop market has changed a lot over the past year alone. Until very recently for example, it wasn’t possible to order bespoke, made to fit worktops online in the UK, although German customers had been able to do this for many years. Some manufacturers in the UK have now invested in mass-production factory machinery and techniques normally only used for trade which means that for the first time, UK consumers can design and order one-off pieces of the highest manufacturing quality at incredible value. Some online made to fit worktop companies in Germany and the UK also have easy-to-use online planning tools to lay your worktop out to your exact requirements, specifying size, shape, cut-outs and tap holes.

3. Order samples

Take time choosing the exact surface you want; you’ll have to live with it a long time! Think about laminate versus solid surfaces and read up about the differences if you are not sure. Browse styles and colours, make shortlists, order lots of samples – they are often free and nothing beats actually being able to feel and touch the actual material you will be living with. Avoid overtly trending or outrageous colours or styles – think about how you will feel living with that lime green fluorescent worktop in 2 years’ time when “brights” are out of fashion!

4. Ask lots of questions

Make sure you have included everything you will need and that you have a cost estimate in writing. Plan carefully, make sure you have thought of everything and get a written cost estimate. Don’t forget to include VAT where relevant – that can add a nasty surprise otherwise at the end of the day.

Some online companies now guarantee delivery in 2 to 3 weeks whereas other companies may take much longer. Allow for problems – don’t order your new kitchen worktops 4 weeks before Christmas and then cross your fingers!

Make sure you are clear about guarantees in case of problems later. Many quality companies will offer 6 year guarantees but other cheaper “bought by length” worktops may only be guaranteed for a year – if at all.

Made To Fit is a unique online ordering system for bespoke worktops.  Visit www.madetofit.com/promo to design any size and shape with the easy to use tool.  Specify cut-outs and even send us your own drawings. Get an immediate cost, order free samples and pay online. We’ve invested in mass-production factory machinery and techniques normally only used for trade so consumers can design and order one-off pieces of the highest manufacturing quality at incredible value.

  • Hundreds of colours and surfaces
  • Delivered to your door 2-3 weeks later
  • Direct from the German factory
  • 6 year guarantee on every worktop
  • 26th Apr 2016