Kitchen Renovation in Dún Laoghaire

Laminate is the budget option and modern laminates are far better than their reputation. Engineered stone/quartz is the mid-to-upper standard — durable and consistent (note some countries now restrict high-silica products). Natural granite and sintered surfaces sit above it; solid timber and stainless serve specific styles. Price the benchtop with cutouts and edge profiles included, as those add meaningfully.

Yes, and it is the single biggest saver. Keeping the sink, stove, and appliance positions avoids rerouting water, waste, gas, and heavy electrical circuits — which means less demolition, fewer trades, and no re-certification of services. Spend the savings on better cabinets and benchtops, which you touch every day.

If the cabinet carcasses are sound and you like the layout, replacing doors, drawer fronts, hardware, and the benchtop delivers most of the visual change for roughly a third to half the cost of a full renovation. It is not worth it when carcasses are water-damaged, the layout fails you daily, or services need rework anyway — then you'd pay twice.

Kitchen projects legitimately need larger deposits than other renovations because cabinetry is manufactured to order — 20-40% at signing is common for supply-and-install packages, though several countries cap contract deposits by law. Make sure the deposit is tied to the cabinet order being placed, and always keep a final 5-10% until installation snags are fixed.

Budget fitted kitchens run roughly €6,000-€15,000, mid-range €15,000-€30,000, and bespoke high-end kitchens €30,000-€80,000. Dublin trades pricing and long fitter lead times push real-world totals toward the upper half of each band.

Showrooms bundle design and installation but their fit price is often 15-25% above an independent fitter doing the same units. If your layout is standard, buying units directly and hiring a recommended fitter plus registered trades saves real money; complex layouts justify the showroom's single point of responsibility.