When my partner and I decided to replace our tired galley kitchen with a new Wickes design, I assumed it would be fairly straightforward. We’d start with a bit of measuring, spend an hour or so making colour and unit choices at the showroom, and then after a couple of flat-pack building sessions (one of my specialities), we’d be done. Spoiler alert: I was wrong.
In reality, fitting a kitchen – even a budget-friendly one – requires better-than-average carpentry skills, the right tools, some out-of-the-box thinking and a lot of patience. Don’t get us wrong, the end result is beautiful (we’re still proudly showing it off to visitors a year later). It looks far more expensive than it actually was, fits our space like a glove and has the timeless Shaker look and splash of colour we craved. But that’s not to say we didn’t have a few issues along the way.
Here are all the things we wish we’d known before we started.
Our kitchen choice
As we were on a tight budget, we decided to pick from Wickes’ most affordable Lifestyle Kitchens range. Specifically, the Wickes Ohio kitchen in Sage Green. At the time, it was available in four colours – stone, grey and navy being our other options, though it’s since been extended to nine, such is its popularity.
We felt stone would be too boring, and grey or navy had potential to make our kitchen look dated. Yes, Ohio in Sage Green seemed the perfect fit for our late Victorian house, paired with some equally classic random pattern travertine-effect floor tiles, and juxtaposed with modern finishing touches in gold and white marble.
1. Measure absolutely everything
It sounds obvious, but accurate measurements will make or break your design. We measured the walls and existing units several times before we headed to the store for our design appointment, but made an educated guess at the position of our window and door openings. Things could have gone badly wrong if we hadn’t opted for a simple galley kitchen idea similar to the kitchen it replaced.
If you’re planning wall units or integrated appliances, make sure every dimension is precise – including the width and height of any windows, cooker hood placement (we kept our existing extractor and range cooker to cut costs), and even how far your fridge doors will open. Our integrated fridge freezer housing and 500mm drawer unit to the left of our range cooker just about squeezed in, but with just millimetres to spare.
Top tip: Even if you’re replacing your kitchen like for like, measure again anyway. Even small inaccuracies can throw off the alignment once you start fitting.
2. Take full advantage of the in-store design service
Working with our Wickes designer, Jamie at the Milton Keynes store, one of the best parts of the whole process. He was brilliant from the word go.
We started with a quick showroom tour. We made it clear we were pretty set on the Ohio, so he didn’t waste too much time on showing us more expensive cabinetry, but Jamie did show us a few fittings we weren’t sure would be available in this budget range, such as a pull-out bin unit. He also explained the importance of symmetry in the design, suggesting we flank our range cooker with drawer units for a smarter look.
Jamie really came into his own when it came to actually conjuring up our kitchen plans. The speed at which he brought our design to life was so impressive. We would have been struggling for hours to generate the same design, but his CAD plans were ready in minutes.
Top tip: If possible, stick with the same designer throughout. We decided to make a last-minute amendment – adding in an integrated fridge-freezer unit – when Jamie was on holiday. The extra unit and decor panels needed arrived as expected, but we forgot to factor in the extra handles (more on that later). I suspect that detail wouldn’t have been missed with the amazing Jamie on the case.
3. Ask about discounts
Wickes runs promotions all year round – not just in January. We ordered in mid-August and ended up stacking discounts, saving more than 30% overall.
Ask your designer when the next promotion period is coming up. They’re often happy to tell you honestly whether waiting a week or a month might save you money.
We mostly used our existing appliances, and sourced our integrated fridge freezer, tiles and tap separately. However, our kitchen cabinets, plinths, cornicing, fascias, worktops, handles, integrated waste bins and ceramic sink came in at £3,024, which felt like exceptional value for the quality.
4. You can mix budget units with higher-end details
We chose one of Wickes’ most affordable DIY ranges, which was great for keeping costs down. But we deliberately upgraded some details to give it a more premium look.
Our faux Calcutta Marble laminate worktop has squarer edges than the rounded “bullnose” style of the most affordable options, and it makes all the difference. We also picked ceramic farmhouse sink for £219, rather than a budget stainless steel one.
Combined with Elgin Brushed Brass Square handles from a higher-end range, the kitchen looks more expensive than it actually was.
Incidentally, each Ohio unit comes with standard chrome handles included, which will arrive regardless of whether you upgrade or not. We chose to sell these on eBay to recoup some of the cost of the new ones.
5. But prepare for more measuring
If you’re using non-standard kitchen handles, at least with the Ohio, you’ll need to mark out new holes before drilling them. The supplied markings are set for standard fittings that come with the units.
This wasn’t such a bother on the vertically attached handles, as you’re able to use the pre-marked bottom drill hole and just re-mark the top. But we spent an age measuring and re-measuring to make sure the drawer and dishwasher handles lined up. A small paper template helps, as does a good spirit level.
It’s slow work, but it’s worth doing properly – misaligned handles are surprisingly noticeable, especially on a drawer unit.
6. Be well prepared for your delivery
We ordered our kitchen in mid August 2024, but it wasn’t actually delivered until January 2025. There was a bit of a wait on delivery, plus we needed to factor in time for the room to be gutted, re-plastered, the floor tiled and walls painted. You set your delivery by calling Wickes as soon as you’ve paid for your order, but we’d definitely advise booking in as soon as possible to avoid a long wait, especially during peak times.
On delivery day, everything was well organised – the two-man team were super polite and friendly, and every item was ticked off and checked as they brought it into the house.
But you will need to be prepared for the dimensions of the pieces and how you’ll get them into the house. The 3-metre worktops, for example, wouldn’t fit around corners, so they lived in the hallway until we could cut them down. If your kitchen isn’t directly off a straight hallway or you have tight turns, think carefully about how you’ll manoeuvre large panels and worktops inside.
Another key thing to do is to check every item as soon after delivery day, as you’ll only have a few weeks’ grace period to exchange any damaged or missing parts. The only issue we had was that one extra piece of plinth from a more expensive, darker green kitchen arrived. Other than that, there was nothing missing or damaged.
Tip: Measure your access routes, not just your kitchen. Worktops and tall larder units can be surprisingly awkward to move through standard doorways.
7. The carcasses are relatively easy to build
I love a flatpack, so was more than happy to spend a weekend building carcases. This is simple enough to do. Most units will require just a Phillips and flat-head screwdriver. I’d advice lying the unit pieces on the floor, but put down a sheet first so they don’t get stretched And it’s better if there’s two of you when building the tall cabinets as they are quite heavy to lift.
You will also need to have a good aim when screwing the back panel down, but other than that, it’s a breeze. But that’s not to say there aren’t bigger challenges up ahead.
8. Don’t underestimate decor panels
Decor panels might not sound that exciting, but they make a big difference. These narrow panels go at the ends of units to hide the exposed white carcasses and give the kitchen a properly “built-in” look.
We didn’t order quite enough and later wished we’d added one more where the fridge freezer unit meets the wall. You don’t really notice that it’s not there, but it would have give the whole thing a tiny bit more symmetry.
9. But expect to have to trim them!
The biggest surprise for us when fitting the kitchen? The decor panels are slightly deeper and taller than the carcasses. It’s designed that way, apparently, so you can choose whether you want the panel to sit flush or create a framed “lip” around the doors.
We wanted ours flush, so it looked neater, more modern and less distracting, which meant carefully shaving millimetres off the back. It worked, but it was nerve-wracking – you only really get one go.
Tip: Double-check the front and back before cutting. We almost trimmed the wrong edge once, which would have been an expensive mistake.
10. Wall units take patience (and a steady hand)
Mounting the wall cabinets was by far the hardest part of the build. The brackets that hold them up need to align perfectly with the ones on the back of the unit – and the fixing point sits a few centimetres below the top edge, which is easy to misjudge.
A laser level is invaluable here. Our first attempt ended up about 3–4cm too low, and there’s only so many times you can re-drill a wall.
Tip: If you’re not confident with this stage, it’s worth paying a fitter to install the wall units. The base cabinets are relatively forgiving – the wall ones are not.
11. You’ll probably spend hours tweaking the doors
Once the wall units are in place, you can start attaching your doors, which was where my hubby got a little fixated.
To start, you’ll need to screw the hinge plates into the side of the cabinet, and the hinges to the door itself. The holes for these are pre-drilled, so it’s another simple job.
Next you’ll need to attach the hinge and hinge plates with another two screws. It’s now that the obsessing begins as tightening these two screws and those attaching the hinge plate to the cabinet allow you to align the door perfectly. We were there until the early hours one night trying to get them all just right – and we did feel like we were going a little crazy at one point!
12. You might need a pro to fit the worktops
Given their weight, fitting the worktops is not a one-person job, and all though we did it ourselves, you will need decent tools. We used a circular saw, guide rail and two sets of a-frame saw horses to support both ends of the worktop.
The standard laminate worktops supplied by Wickes are 600mm deep, so you do need to make sure your cabinets (and those pesky fascia panels) are fixed tight against the wall, or you’ll end up with a gap at the back.
We also used a normal drill driver and then a jigsaw to cut out a hole for the inset sink, which again, involves a lotof measuring and patience as you don’t what to make the hole any bigger than it needs to be. If you don’t have the tools or confidence, we’d suggest you fit the units yourself but get a professional carpenter to handle the worktops.
Would we fit our own Wickes kitchen again? Absolutely. Everything feels solid, that beautiful grey-green colour is timeless, and the overall look definitely doesn’t scream weekend DIY project (well, we don’t think so).
All in at under £4,000—including tiles, grout, sealant, and other little extras – our Wickes kitchen has truly transformed our home. And whenever someone admires it or wildly overestimates how much it cost us, it just reinforces how proud we are of the result.
View the original article and our Inspiration here
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