When Richard and Suzanne Young moved into their five-bed detached dormer bungalow in Northamptonshire in April 2022, much of the decor needed refreshing, including the kitchen. “The kitchen was pine, had been badly painted and was very 1990s in style,” says Suzanne, 51, who runs property management consultancy Riverley.
However, when a quote for renovation of the 24-square-metre room from a high-end supplier came back at £60,000, they decided to put their plans on hold. “The only change we made was to replace a Rayburn that wasn’t working with a Range cooker. I managed to source one on Facebook Marketplace for just £1,000.”
In 2026, the couple decided to take matters into their own hands. “We decided we’d do it in stages, working on it ourselves to keep costs down,” says Suzanne. But before they started, Suzanne noticed her dream kitchen being advertised on Facebook for a fraction of the price. “It was second-hand, but it had come from Howdens, was just two years old and £1500.”
The couple purchased the kitchen and used the man and van service AnyVan to collect it from a property 28 miles away for £120. “The owners had removed it as they were having an extension and it was in perfect condition. The fitter commented that it looked like new.” As well as the cupboards, the kitchen came with an unneeded hob and oven, which Suzanne sold for £200.
