Kitchen makeover: keeping the carcasses, changing what you see

The carcasses decide it. Look inside the base units, especially under the sink and next to the dishwasher: swollen chipboard, soft bases, drawer runners pulling out of the sides and hinge holes that no longer hold are signs that new doors will not hang well for long. Wall units that have dropped or are fixed with only a couple of screws are another warning.

The layout has to suit you too. A makeover keeps the sink, hob and oven where they are. If the room frustrates you because of where things are rather than how they look, a new kitchen or a redesign is probably the better use of the budget.

Replacement doors and drawer fronts are made to the sizes of your existing ones. Standard sizes from the major carcass systems are straightforward; older or unusual kitchens may need made-to-measure doors, and the hinge positions have to match or be redrilled. Ask the business to measure every door and to confirm who is responsible if one does not fit.

Respraying keeps the existing doors and gives them a new colour, usually in a workshop or with doors taken off and sprayed on site in a sealed area. It suits solid timber and painted MDF doors in good condition. Vinyl-wrapped and high-gloss doors are more difficult; ask what preparation the company does and what finish it guarantees.

New worktops often make the biggest difference. Laminate and timber can be cut and fitted on site; stone and quartz are templated and made later, and need units that are level and strong enough to carry them. Changing the worktop means disconnecting the sink and hob and refitting them, and a gas hob must be disconnected and reconnected by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Appliances are optional in a makeover. Keeping them saves a lot, but integrated appliances have to fit the existing housings, and a new oven or induction hob with a higher rating may need a new circuit, which is notifiable electrical work in England.

• which doors, drawer fronts, panels and plinths are replaced or resprayed
• whether hinges and drawer runners are replaced as well
• worktop material, and who disconnects and reconnects sink and hob
• any lighting or socket changes and who certifies them
• splashback or tiling work
• how long the kitchen will be out of use

A makeover does not improve storage inside the cabinets unless you also change internal fittings, and it does not fix poor extraction or a lack of sockets. If the extractor is weak, this is a good moment to replace it: an existing fan or hood should be kept or replaced during refurbishment, and a like-for-like replacement using the existing cabling does not need to be notified.

It will also show up tired walls and floor. Budget for decorating, and check whether the new plinths will meet the existing flooring neatly.

Tell us what you want to change, the approximate number of doors and drawers, and the worktop you have in mind, then confirm your phone number and email address. Kitchen businesses near you can see it without your details, and one business can buy it; nobody else is offered it after that. We email you the business's name, address and phone number before it receives your details. The service is free for you, no business is obliged to take it, and it is withdrawn after 21 days if unsold. Offrano checks registration, not workmanship, so ask to see finished makeovers.