42 HOME IMPROVEMENTS


SENIOR LIFESTYLE 15 OCTOBER 2017


Something old, something new: Rehome your old kitchen and bring on the refurb


A


ccording to new research, 69% of homeowners


believe that a new kitchen adds value to a property but,


more importantly, it can also deliver ‘life- affi rming’ rewards by encouraging a more cohesive and harmonious home life. Not surprisingly, with more than a


third of us expected to spend in excess of £25,000 on a new kitchen and 16% more than £50,000, it emphasises the importance of making the right decision, which is possibly why most of us wait until we downsize, or until we can justify spending the cash. Buying a new kitchen may raise some


ethical questions, too. Not many of us will keep a kitchen until it has reached the end of its life, prompting the question: “What happens to the old one?” Just chucking it in a skip gives rise to feelings of guilt and from an environmental point of view it seems an iniquitous end.


However,


internationally


renowned


kitchen designer Diane Berry reveals there is another way to look at buying a new kitchen which is ethical, socially benefi cial, profi table… and promotes kitchen regeneration. Diane says: “My customers come to me


for a beautiful new kitchen — what they really don’t expect is that I recommend the resale of their current one. “This means that customers have the


feel-good factor that someone else will reuse it and they also receive a healthy cash sum towards their new kitchen.” She continues: “In our throwaway choice


society this has widespread


benefi ts and my business partnership with Used Kitchen Exchange, who provide this service to my customers, has achieved a great leap forward in the way people buy a new kitchen within this linear industry.” Helen Lord, founder of Used Kitchen


Exchange and NatWest Everywoman Award winner, confi rms the ethically and fi nancially savvy homeowners’ dilemma. Helen says: “Up and down the country


there are a multitude of beautiful kitchens in homes and showrooms that are no longer wanted. “In the past, these would have been


snapped up by opportunist builders, or doomed to landfi ll. Through this self- evident opportunity, we have opened up a new market.” Helen continues: “Working with homeowners and the UK’s leading


showrooms means we are able to bring some stunning used and ex-display kitchens to market – off ering fantastic savings for ethically and fi nancially motivated buyers.” Now, with its 1,000th kitchen being


sold this year, the equivalent of 10 Premier League football pitches of UK landfi ll have been saved, Used Kitchen Exchange is becoming big news in the kitchen industry through its eco- friendly credentials. Helen says: “Though the idea of selling


or buying a regenerated kitchen may sound complicated, or even daunting, the process couldn’t be simpler. “We have a proven approach which an


delivers end-to-end, hassle-free


service for both sellers and buyers.” Helen highlights this by adding: “While


our service provides an eco-friendly choice, both buyers and sellers can also realise considerable cost benefi ts which is genuinely attractive to a lot of people.” Considering most of us would never


dream of scrapping a used car and would happily buy one, this business idea seems so obvious that it begs the question — why hadn’t we considered it before?


Helen Lord


Used Kitchen Exchange T: 0151 541 9420 usedkitchenexchange.co.uk


Diane Berry


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