Two kitchens of the same size can be very far apart on cost, and the difference is rarely the cabinet doors. These are the items that move the number most.
Structural work
Opening a wall to create an open plan layout means a steel, a padstone calculation and, in most cases, building control involvement. That is a genuine cost, and it is the single biggest variable between a kitchen replacement and a kitchen project.
Services moving
Relocating a sink, a hob or a soil connection means new runs for water, waste, gas and power. Keeping the wet services broadly where they are is one of the few decisions that saves real money without compromising the finished room.
Worktops
Stone worktops are templated after the units are fitted, then cut, and the cost is driven by the material, the number of joins, the edge detail and any cut outs for undermounted sinks or drainage grooves. A large island with a waterfall end is a substantially bigger piece of work than a straight run.
Lighting and ventilation
Integrated lighting, and extraction that is ducted properly to outside rather than recirculated, both need planning into the ceiling before plastering. Retrofitting either one afterwards is disruptive and expensive.
The finish schedule
Flooring, tiling, decorating and the joinery that ties the room into the rest of the house often sit outside a kitchen supplier quotation. Ask what is excluded, then price those items, so you are comparing whole projects rather than cabinet lists.
