Replacing a kitchen involves a sizeable investment and is often the biggest, single, household purchase a homeowner will make. Rachal Dilekci, sales manager for leading kitchen specialist Moben, offers tips and advice for keeping to a budget:
 
The Good – you’ll be smiling at the end of the day if you work within your budget
 
“One of the best tips when updating your kitchen design is to set a budget and stick to it. It might sound obvious but many people can get carried and have a nasty shock when those final statements come in.
 
“However, just because you have a budget doesn’t mean you have to compromise on style. For example with your worktop, why not consider granite-effect rather than pure granite as this will help to save you hundreds but will still deliver you the effect you’re going for.
 
“If you’re counting the pennies, spending money on the latest must-have eye-catching accessories is also probably not the best use of your funds – it’s essential to get the basics right first. Make sure you choose stylish yet affordable accessories to keep costs down.
 
“The kitchen is the heart of the home, so unless you can afford to update your kitchen every couple of years, resist the temptation to be too flamboyant – the novelty will soon wear off. Choose practical, classic, timeless designs that aren’t likely to date too quickly, it’s important to make choices with longevity in mind.
 
“Obviously the final cost will vary depending on the size of your room, the particular range you choose, the types of features and appliances you have fitted or whether you require any building work. But Moben offers kitchen choices to suit every pocket and all of Moben’s designers are experienced and able to work within set budgets.”
 
The Bad – avoid hiring the cheapest fitter you can, your new striking kitchen might be striking for all the wrong reasons
 
“Time and again we visit homeowners who are nervous about inviting professional kitchen specialists into their home, believing it will cost more or lead to them being pressurised to definitely sign on the dotted line. In reality this is certainly not the case; in fact inviting a specialist such as Moben into your home to plan a kitchen design can often help to reduce rather than increase costs.
 
“Most worrying, many outlets, including some major high street stores, don’t offer a personalised visit at all, preferring to only provide attractive computer-aided designs that don’t take into account how the homeowner wants to use the kitchen, plus they often fail to pick up on basic problem areas such as access, power and storage.
 
“This is where Moben is different. Our designers have been fully trained and talk to homeowners about how they want to use their kitchen and discuss any special requests, so that the best options can be considered.”
 
The Ugly – making changes to your plans
 
“Another great tip to ensure you stay within your budget is: do your research. Thoroughly explore and look into the kitchen design you’re after and make sure you’ve considered all the options before giving the go ahead. Making changes to your kitchen design once work has begun can add hundreds of pounds, even if you’re downgrading as measurements will have been calculated and materials ordered. Be happy with your original kitchen designs and stick to it.”
 
As the UK’s leading kitchen specialist, Moben offers an all-inclusive service from the design and planning right through to the installation of the kitchen, with over 10,000 kitchens completed each year.

Designed to fit into modern lifestyles, and any Moben kitchen, the new Media Centre combines TV, DVD, radio and CD entertainment within one stylish, compact system.

Suitable for even smaller kitchens, the Media Centre can be neatly fitted underneath a wall cabinet and features a 10’’ LCD screen that simply flips down, allowing you to watch TV or a DVD, or alternatively listen to the radio or a CD while you are cooking or preparing food – then simply folds away again when you’re finished.
 
The new Media Centre is sure to be a popular finishing touch to any kitchen, especially as the kitchen has evolved to become a multi-purpose space for the whole family.
 
Rachal Dilekci, Sales Manager for Moben Kitchens, comments:
 
“The kitchen is a central point in the home where all the family convene which is why practicality is so important for making the most of the space available.
 
“It is often the first point of call when family and friends enter the house and the place where all the hustle and bustle takes place. When considering a new kitchen, homeowners are now looking to create a multifunctional space that offers the best environment not to just cook in, but where they can also dine, entertain, work, and generally socialise, all be it over a mug of coffee or a glass of wine.
 
“Moben has noticed a growing demand for open-plan kitchen living areas, with consumers wanting a space that is not only stylish and contemporary but also functional as well, which is why many kitchens now incorporate an array of gadgets and multimedia so everything is close to hand. Digital entertainment systems such as Moben’s new Compact Media Centre are ideal for anyone who enjoys spending time in the kitchen, whether they are cooking, doing their homework away from the main living area or having friends over for dinner, because of the convenience they offer and how they can be ‘hidden’ away when not in use.”
 
Moben is committed to planning a kitchen, which makes the best use of the room available, and the new Media Centre is just one of the many options Moben has to offer for today’s kitchens as part of their personal, all-inclusive service.

Note: Moben will ensure the Media Centre is fitted to the bottom of a cupboard (if required) and a power supply will also be fitted. However, connection to the aerial may need professional installation by a TV installer.

Thanks to Moben and their innovative new StoreMore collection, everyone can now make their kitchen space bigger, whilst also benefiting from their design expertise and wide choice of striking kitchen styles.

StoreMore is an extensive range of new storage solutions designed to maximise the potential of available space, keep everything organised and in its place and what is more, Moben’s expert design team will tailor the solutions to match your individual needs – after all, no two people are the same, and neither are their kitchens.

Attention to detail is paramount and the new StoreMore range of cleverly designed solutions not only provides better access to everything in the kitchen, it also creates more usable space.
 
How? Well, most other major retailers offer the average 450mm deep drawers whilst Moben is proud to be the first kitchen company in the UK to introduce 500mm deep drawers as standard - instantly adding 10% more storage space to any kitchen, guaranteed.
 
Behind Closed Drawers
 
Rachal Dilekci, Sales Manager for Moben Kitchens, comments: “We all want to fit more into our lives and when it comes to kitchens, drawers are the latest way to do just that.
 
“Homeowners are now keen to replace traditional cupboards with two sets of drawers or with bi-fold wall units that open upwards, because this not only creates a stylish look and streamlined finish, it makes the space more practical and ergonomic. Essentially, it means there is a place for everything and everything is in its place.”
 
StoreMore encompasses key ergonomic principles to ensure that every kitchen, large or small, makes the best use of space, with the following storage ideas:

• Bi-fold Wall Units – open upwards and out of the  way in one smooth action
  
• Pull-out and Rotate Larder Units – easy access from every angle
  
• Larder Drawer Unit – a drawer system to store enough cans, jars, packets and bottles to keep you stocked up until next winter
  
• Magic Larder Units – no need to reach into the larder, as the contents  are brought forward when the door is opened
  
• Magic Corner Units – bring everything from the back of the cupboard to the front
  
• Le Mans Corner Units – stylish internal solution for base corner cupboards
  
• Sink-Surround Unit – often a wasted space, this provides storage around the sink itself so cleaning essentials are close to hand
  
• Narrow 150mm Drawers – ideal option to fill in any extra space, great to store cooking ingredients
  
• Small Two-Drawer Unit – perfect solution for smaller kitchens
  
• Internal Drawers – for organizing all your cooking paraphernalia
  
• Internal Drawer Dividers – adaptable stainless steel dividers that can be adjusted to suit your requirements
  
• Internal Cutlery Drawers – cleverly hidden away inside a larger drawer, providing space for all your cutlery
  
• Internal Plate Holders – easy way to stack your plates and makes setting the table effortless
  
• Eco-Bin Unit – being environmentally friendly is easy with this simple way to organize recycling
  

Providing consumers with a ‘one-stop shop’ and available as part of Moben’s personal, all-inclusive service, you can achieve a bigger kitchen with StoreMore, without having to move house.