The Ethical Guide to buying a New Kitchen

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Buying a new kitchen is always an enjoyable milestone, and the chances are if you have been dreaming about this all-important family space, you have been saving like crazy to make it happen.

We don’t just replace old kitchens which are falling apart either- often kitchens are ‘inherited’ during a house move and we just don’t like them or we choose to extend rather than move home. Both these scenarios give us the opportunity to completely change the space to suit our taste and to work better for our family lifestyle.

This means that your current kitchen may just become redundant, so to speak. If this is the case the chances are that it is still in really good condition and the thought of replacing it gives rise to a very real ethical question – ‘what do you do with this used kitchen?’ – being too good to skip, it makes us feel guilty even contemplating sending it to a landfill!

So what are the options available to us? In our heart of hearts, we know that closing our eyes to the problem and scrapping it is just not ethical, and we think ‘I would love someone else to make use of this’ or maybe we believe it could be of financial value as well. In addition Regeneration and Sustainability are two big buzz words we see everywhere in the media at the moment and genuinely, household waste is a big contributor to this.

Therefore, the utopia we need is an ethical and financially beneficial solution for a good quality used kitchen.

Buy New and Trade In 

If you have your heart set on a brand-new kitchen, consider approaching a company like Used Kitchen Exchange. This company specialises in the profitable regeneration of used kitchens through a very simple, hassle-free process. The company will survey the kitchen to validate quality, take note of any damage, professionally photograph and draw up plans – then advertise it for sale on their website www.usedkitchenexchange.co.uk. Your kitchen will go to a new home where it will benefit somebody else, and you reap the rewards of the financial benefit of selling it as well as an environmental one - some sellers have achieved over £20,000 for selling their used kitchens, proving that there’s a profit to be made from regeneration. Used Kitchen Exchange has now sold 1000 kitchens, reaching the landmark milestone this year. This means that the company has saved the equivalent space of 10 football pitches from UK landfill so you can be assured that you’re doing your bit for the environment!

For a complete environmentally sound choice, when choosing your new kitchen, ask for units that are 100% free of formaldehyde, a carcinogen that is released over time. Also ask if they are free from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which forms toxic gas if burnt.

This will make your kitchen purchase a complete win-win for you, the person who benefits from your used kitchen and the environment.

Buy Used/Ex-Display 

If you want to go completely green, or you just don’t want to spend the amount needed for a brand new kitchen, why not consider a used or ex-display kitchen? Many of Used Kitchen Exchange’s offerings have been taken from showrooms or homes where they have barely been used. This means you can grab a bargain, and often a new kitchen at a fraction of the cost. For instance, if you have your eye on a German kitchen, you know that they can cost a fortune brand new. However, Used Kitchen Exchange recently sold an Alno ex-display kitchen for £5,850 instead of the £34,000 retail price! You can view the kitchens online and even view before you buy. Sometimes, you might be lucky enough to find a kitchen with extras like appliances included. Used Kitchen Exchange ensures that the kitchen is professionally removed, and can arrange for delivery and storage to make sure it arrives in its new home safely. With the money you save by buying a used or ex-display kitchen, you can put this into the finishing touches – whether it’s a lick of paint to finish your colour scheme or that swanky new kitchen gadget that you’ve had your eye on.

All in all, whether your priority is saving money or saving the environment – making an ethical buying decision means that you can make a positive impact on your wallet and the planet whichever route you choose.