If walking into your kitchen makes you sigh with despair (and not because you hate cooking!) it is probably because it is looking tired and dull and in need of a makeover. If this is a daily occurrence, you may simply think that your kitchen needs a full replacement.

For various reasons you may decide that it can't be done. It might be money, a lack of time, not having the right skills or not having any clue about how you want the kitchen to look. Replacement kitchen doors are the answer to these dilemmas because they are cheaper, easier and quicker to install and you will have a huge variety of styles to choose from.

Try new doors from our Trends range to add sparkle back to your kitchen

The chances are that your kitchen is the perfect candidate for replacement kitchen doors – even if it looks like it is on its last legs. Your tired and dated kitchen doors may be hiding a kitchen which is structurally sound and which will be brought back to life with a little TLC, one weekend and the price of a weekend away. This handy list will help you to evaluate your kitchen and work out if replacement cabinet doors are ideal for you.

  •  Check to make sure that your carcasses are in good shape. This will mean seeing if they are stained, if they have woodworm or are rotten, if the shelves are still usable and if they are still sturdy enough to accept new doors. Remember that worn out carcasses can be revived with a lick of paint and that you can simply replace those which are very worn out and keep the rest. This will save you plenty.
  • How are the hinges? You can always replace the hinges, but it is worth keeping them if you can – not least because it saves you the time of removing the cabinet portion of the hinge. The hinges should stay in position and be strong enough for the weight of your new doors.
  • Are the cabinets still firmly attached? Always make sure that your old carcasses are still attached to the walls. It is all too easy for old screws to come loose. You may find that a simple adjustment is all that is required to make them firm again. However, if your walls are losing their plaster and this is causing the cabinets to come loose, you may need to remove the old plaster and add new. Wooden batons are also a good option to supply stronger fixings.
  • How are your old handles? Handles are often the part of the kitchen which shows wear and tear first, however this doesn't mean that they can't be reused on your new cabinet doors. A good clean or repaint may be all that is needed. Of course, new handles will really set off your new design and you may regret not taking the opportunity to really improve the look if you decide to go with the old.
  • Check plinths, end panels and trim. Chances are that your new design will look odd against the old end panels and plinths. You will probably want to replace these too. However, if you choose carefully in terms of the style and colour, you may get away with keeping them. You could also repaint them to match your new doors or add some adhesive vinyl to achieve the colour you want.

Simply put, your kitchen can be improved and made more desirable by adding new kitchen doors only. Your carcasses, handles, hinges and other extras may be perfectly serviceable and once your new doors are in, the whole kitchen will look brand new!