As I’m sure most of you who read my blogs will realise, my other half and I are a fairly busy couple that like to get out and about, generally just finding things to do that doesn’t involve sitting in at home – this is saved for our lazy Sunday evening’s! However doing all of the above comes with a price tag, or two and as we all know, these soon add up. Although very good at finding options available to us with little or no expense there are occasions where we wish to treat ourselves even with the price tag that is attached. No doubt I am not alone in this. Most of us have a variable amount of disposable income that we choose to allocate as and where we see fit. It is this disposable income that allows for us to buy new things and venture out. However, given the current economic climate those that are fortunate to have a form of income let alone that of a disposable nature are finding that it is fast becoming stretched with thanks to a variety of reasons. It is common that most of us have a budget that we need to try to restrict ourselves too. So when you need a new kitchen worktop, how can you make sure that your budget doesn’t spiral towards and through your upper limit?
Firstly and probably one of the most obvious yet hardest ways of being able to keep within budget is to make a decision on what you class as an essential and as a luxury. It is easy to get caught up with kitchen design and all the magnificent things that are available to you and before you know it you are transported to a time where your worktop is full with drainage grooves, sink cut –outs and hot rods and your budget is unnecessarily long gone. All of these additions look absolutely beautiful but when push comes to shove I would personally put this on the luxury side of things. If you find yourself with surplus cash towards the end of your project then these are amendments that can be made.
If it is essential that you would like parts of the bespoke service then opt for a more cost effective stave option. If the timber and its stave design is most important to you then it may be that the bespoke work is temporarily put on hold.
Another way of keeping costs down is to have a look at the alternative stave options available. Our Wide Block Oak Worktops are our most cost effective option so if you are working to a tight budget this could be an option better suited to you. On from this, we have our Traditional Plank stave design. This sits in the middle of our price range and allows you to have a superior product cost effectively. Lastly we have our Super Stave worktops. This is our most premium product and therefore the costs, although reasonable, can reflect this.
If you are looking at our End Grain worktops, then it is best to be aware that the thicker the end grain the higher the costs. As standard they are around 60mm thick so unless it is absolutely essential that it is thicker this could be something to bear in mind when allocating your budget.
Another fantastic way of keeping costs down is to keep a close eye on our clearance section. From time to time we have a clearance event where we sell items that we have just run out of room to store. Around half the goods are ex display or items that were made specifically for shows that we have attended or for photo-shoots. This is a brilliant way of purchasing those bespoke items without spending the original cost. Further information can be found on our website.
Ultimately, if you have a budget and are not certain of what can be achieved with this then you can speak with ourselves in the office, in confidence and with discretion, and we can advise what options are available to you.
Rightly or wrongly, the way I perceive things is that we are all entitled to treat ourselves to the things that we would like. It is up to us to decide how we would like to spend our disposable income where applicable and if the things that we would like fit inside our budget then why shouldn’t we treat ourselves? I do, however, also believe that given the current economic climate that it is important that a practical budget be defined and kept. Ideally, your budget and your design requirements need to work coherently alongside each other rather than clash.
There is nothing worse than buying something that you then feel guilty for and although it is easier said than done all you need to do is keep the above in mind and you will be able to enter a new kitchen with content rather than worry.
“It is the things we work hardest for that
will reward us the most…”
