Bring in the new year and bid farewell to your tired old kitchen. If you’re feeling overwhelmed about where to start, we’ve got some good news. Darcy Alexander at Fords South West shares his views on the key things to consider before renovating your kitchen.

Exmouth Journal: Fords South West can help you find the right solution to your kitchen problem with their wide range of brands and designs. Photo credit: Fords South WestFords South West can help you find the right solution to your kitchen problem with their wide range of brands and designs. Photo credit: Fords South West (Image: Archant)

What's wrong with your current kitchen?

There's always room for improvement but taking the time to determine exactly where improvement is needed will help guide you in the right direction for your next kitchen design.

You might be thinking about selling your home this year - updating your kitchen can add value, or perhaps your family is growing, and you need more space or storage, or maybe you just feel like a change. Whatever the reason, we can help you find the right solution to your kitchen problem with our wide range of brands and designs.

How do you choose a design?

Exmouth Journal: What style kitchen you choose is down to you, but Darcy recommends you visit a showroom and consider all your options. Photo: Fords South WestWhat style kitchen you choose is down to you, but Darcy recommends you visit a showroom and consider all your options. Photo: Fords South West (Image: Archant)

This can be the fun bit - what look or style will you choose? That decision is all down to you, but to make the choice a little easier, Darcy recommends that you take some time and look through your options - this can be done online, but nothing beats visiting a showroom.

Seeing the products hands on helps you appreciate the quality and range of products available. Our friendly staff at our showroom in Sidmouth are here to talk you through your options, we can offer a little design flair and show you some great ranges.

Do you have any special storage or layout needs?

Maybe your room is an awkward shape, so you need space-optimising corner cupboards or perhaps you have a slight obsession with spices and need a clever storage solution to house your collection. Either way, considering what your needs are storage-wise will help you in your quest towards your dream kitchen.

The design process now comes into its own, with our product ranges offering you superb quality and a variety of options. We have a wide selection of brands like Kessebohmer and Hettich offering lots of different storage solutions, which can be included in our beautiful Laura Ashley and Quantum ranges, which are available to view in our showroom.

What is the quality like? Is it guaranteed to last?

Buy cheap, buy twice comes into play here. Although a cheap kitchen is kinder to your purse, you'll feel cheated when you begin to see the wear and tear. We're not suggesting you blow the budget to accommodate a fancy new kitchen; just ensure that you make a note of the quality of the kitchen and how long it's guaranteed to last.

How are you going to manage the disruption when it's being fitted?

Have you considered how you will fit this renovation in around your day-to-day life? You don't want your daily routine to be disrupted, especially if you have young children or pets.

We offer all in-house skilled labour and look after you from initial design to completion. Our team will fit your kitchen with the greatest care and sensitivity to your routine and aim to present you with a finished product within 2-3 weeks.

The Fords South West showroom is open from 8am-5pm Monday to Friday, 9am-1pm on Saturdays and people are welcome to visit anytime within these hours without an appointment. The showroom presents a range of both kitchens and bathrooms for browsing with a range of appliances also on display. We also offer bedrooms, tiles and other products so please come and see us.

More information about Fords South West and what they offer can be found at fords.co.uk. Feel free to call them on 01395 571000 or pop into their showroom at Unit 2, Alexandra Industrial Estate, Alexandria Road, Sidmouth, Devon, EX10 9HA.