London extension and refurbishment blog

What is the best kitchen for a rental property?

By February 19, 2014 No Comments
As a company that specialises in refurbishing flats and houses we’re often asked what kitchen we would recommend for a rental property. Many of our clients are refurbishing their flats or houses with a view to renting them out and the rental value of a property is, at least to some extent, dependent upon the look, feel, quality and comfort level the flat or house offers. A modern kitchen is a central part of the look and feel of any property and so it is vital, in order to get the best rental for a property, to install a quality kitchen commensurate with the property.

 

So what do we recommend? Although we install many types of kitchens we install more Howden’s kitchens than any other brand. This is because they offer a level of quality that is found in kitchens that cost 3 or 4 times their price. There are however a few draw backs, they do not have lots of glossy brochures (just a few fairly functional ones) or extensive show rooms (although you can look at small in branch displays) and they do not sell to the public, but this is presumably how they keep their prices down. They also do not have a huge range of natural stone work tops or the full ranges of branded appliances, but these can easily enough be sourced from other suppliers.

We like Howdens kitchens because the units come ready made and they’re well made. Not having to build the units from flat packs saves time and money when installing the kitchen. The units also have an in built run at the back for pipes, this saves any cutting up units to accommodate pipes. The doors use Blum hinges which allow door adjustment after the door has been fitted and the range offered is pretty good.

Some alternatives to Howden’s kitchens that you might consider for a rental property include Ikea, Magnet or John Lewis.

If you are considering fitting a kitchen or refurbishing a rental flat have a look at our blog post on ‘What is the cost of a London flat refurbishment?’, or you may find this post interesting ‘How we can help with your London flat refurbishment’ or for a few tips on flat refurbishment see our post 10 tips for a London flat refurbishment’ or finally give us a call for an estimate.