Refurbish or Replace? Five Checks on Your Units
Refurbish if the cabinets are square, dry and in the right place. Replace if the layout is wrong or the boxes are swollen with water. New doors, drawer fronts and a worktop cost €1,350 to €5,000 against €9,000 to €20,000 for a new mid-range kitchen, so the units are worth five minutes of checking.
Do the five checks yourself before anyone calls out.
Free, no obligation. One local company prices it, not five.
- 5 checkson the units you have
- €1,350 to €5,000to refurbish
- €9,000 to €20,000to replace, mid-range
The five checks
| Check | How | If it passes |
|---|---|---|
| Are the carcasses square and solid? | Open a base unit and push the side. No give, no sag in the shelf | Keep them |
| Is the chipboard dry? | Look under the sink and beside the dishwasher. Swollen, crumbling edges mean water got in | Replace those units, keep the rest |
| Does the layout work? | Sink, hob and fridge where you want them | If not, it's a redesign, not a refurbishment |
| Are they a standard size? | Units 300, 400, 500, 600 mm wide take standard or made-to-measure doors | Either way, doors can be made |
| Do the drawers run? | Runners and hinges wear before boxes do | Change them with the doors |
Where units fail first
- Under the sink: a slow leak swells the base and the shelf.
- Beside the dishwasher: steam lifts the edging.
- The plinth: mopping water wicks up from the floor.
- Wall units over the kettle: the underside blisters.
One or two bad units can be swapped and the rest kept. New doors hide the join.
Side by side
| Refurbish | Replace | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | €1,350 to €5,000 | €9,000 to €20,000 |
| Time on site | Days | One to three weeks |
| Layout | Stays | Anything |
| Plumbing and electrics | Stay | Often moved |
| Skip needed | No | Yes |
If the layout is the problem
A kitchen that works badly won't work better with new doors. Moving the sink, adding an island or knocking through is a redesign: see kitchenredesign.ie.
Every guide, calculator and county page
Jump straight to any specification guide, our interactive calculator, the technical glossary or your county page.
Price & Specification Guides
Calculator, FAQ & Glossary
More on refurbishing a kitchen
Costs, doors, worktops and timing.
What it costsFrom a €700 respray to €5,000 for doors and a worktop.
Replacement doorsMade to measure for your units, from €48 a door.
A new worktopLaminate €800 to €2,000. Quartz €2,200 to €4,800.
The small partsHandles and soft-close hinges, €150 to €450.
Ten changes, by costWhat makes the most difference for the least.Kitchen refurbishment in every county
- Carlow44% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Cavan50% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Clare42% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Cork38% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Donegal48% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Dublin32% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Galway48% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Kerry42% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Kildare48% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Kilkenny41% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Laois50% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Leitrim48% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Limerick39% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Longford47% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Louth41% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Mayo43% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Meath48% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Monaghan39% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Offaly42% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Roscommon44% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Sligo43% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Tipperary39% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Waterford40% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Westmeath46% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Wexford48% of homes built 1991 to 2010
- Wicklow37% of homes built 1991 to 2010
Price your refurbishment
Four taps: the doors, the worktop, the size and any extras. You see our price guide for it. Your number is only asked for at the end, if you want one kitchen company that covers your county to ring you.
Questions people ask
How long do kitchen units last?
The boxes outlast the doors where they stay dry. Many from the 1990s and 2000s are still square and solid.
Can I replace only the damaged units?
Yes. Standard-width units can be swapped in and given the same new doors.
Does refurbishing add value?
A kitchen that looks new helps a house show well. We don't put a number on it.
Get a price to refurbish your kitchen
One kitchen company that covers your county. Free, no obligation. Nothing is ordered until you accept a written price.