Freestanding VS built-in kitchen appliances
Kitchen appliances, such as ovens, fridges, freezers, dishwashers and washing machines are not cheap to buy, they are a big investment and essential part in your everyday life. If you are already spending a lot of money on renewing your kitchen, then take your time before spending more on appliances so you don’t regret your purchase straight away. One of the confusing questions that you may face is whether you should get them free-standing or integrated in to your kitchen. Here is everything you need to know:
The style and size of your kitchen plays a role in deciding which appliances you should go for. If you have a small kitchen and want to give the illusion of space then built-in appliances can give you those clean lines you are looking for.
Integrated or built-in appliances are usually a bit smaller than the free-standing ones. Their size allows them to be installed behind cupboard doors in your kitchen giving you the seamless look that you are looking for. If you have a big family that needs a big fridge, a washing machine with a large capacity or an extra space in your dishwasher, then built-in appliances are definitely not for you.
Think about maintenance, built-in appliances are known for being hard to replace and maintain. It’s not as easy as pulling the damaged tumble dryer out for example and replace it with a new one. Built-in appliances are tightly fixed under the counter top of your kitchen and attached to a cupboard door that matches its exact size. So even if you tried to replace your integrated machine with another integrated one, you still need to modify the attached door and the size of the place to fit the new machine perfectly.
Integrated appliances are trending and desired by many people for the smart and sophisticated look they create in the kitchen, that’s why they add value to the sale price of your house. However, because they are built-in, you need to leave them behind when you move out. You also have limited options in terms of style and function with integrated appliances compared with the wide range of free-standing appliances which have a larger variety of designs.
Finally, budget always plays an important role in our decisions on big purchases. As integrated appliances tend to be more expensive they may be out of your price range. Freestanding appliances on the other hand tend to have a wider range of prices with something to suit everyone’s budget.
