The Bowles kitchen buying guide
A plain-English guide to planning a fitted kitchen in Ludlow and south Shropshire - what to think about, what is included, and the questions worth asking before anyone quotes you.
01Supplied & fitted, or fit only?
There are two ways we can help, and knowing which you want makes everything simpler.
Supplied & fitted
We design the kitchen, supply the units, worktops and appliances, and fit the lot. One team, one price, one point of contact from first visit to final handle.
Fit only
Already bought your kitchen, or buying elsewhere? We fit it properly - level, tight and finished - so a good kitchen ends up looking like a great one.
02What a fitted kitchen actually includes
Quotes are easier to compare when you know what should be in them. A full supply-and-fit kitchen normally covers:
- Design and measure - the layout worked around your room, not a showroom template
- Cabinets and carcasses - the boxes your kitchen is built from
- Worktops - measured, cut and joined on site for a seamless run
- Appliance fitting - ovens, hobs, extractors and integrated units
- Sinks, taps and connections - the plumbing side made good
- Finishing - end panels, plinths, cornice, handles and the tidy details
- Making good and clean-up - so it is ready to use, not ready to finish yourself
03Things worth deciding early
A little thinking now saves changes (and cost) later. Before you start, have a view on:
- How you use the room - cooking, family, entertaining, working from the island
- Layout and flow - where the sink, hob and fridge sit in relation to each other
- Storage - drawers vs cupboards, pantry, bins, and the awkward corners
- Worktop material - the look you want against how hard it will be worked
- Handles and finish - handleless and modern, or classic shaker and timeless
- Your budget range - so the design is built around what is realistic from day one
04How our design-to-fit process works
Free design & quote
We visit, measure twice, talk through the design and give you one fixed price in writing.
Made and prepared
Your kitchen is supplied and prepared from solid materials, ready to fit around your dates.
Fitted & finished
We fit it, adjust every door and drawer, tidy up and leave it ready to enjoy.
05Questions to ask any kitchen fitter
Not just us - ask everyone you speak to. The answers tell you a lot:
- Is the price fixed in writing before work starts, or an estimate that can move?
- Are you fully insured?
- Who actually fits it - your own team, or subcontractors you have not met?
- Are worktops joined on site, or delivered pre-cut and hoped to fit?
- What happens if the walls are out of square in an older property?
- Will the site be left clean and tidy at the end of each day?
For the record: at Bowles, the price is fixed in writing before we start, we are fully insured, we fit every kitchen ourselves by hand, and we scribe to the wall so it looks built-in - not bought-in.
Ready when you are
When you would like a real design and a fixed price for your kitchen, we will come out, measure, and put it all in writing. No obligation.
Get a free kitchen design