£29.99 Online Kitchen Planning Service

If you are considering using our £29.99 Online Kitchen Planning Service, you can get advice on how to get started below, along with some useful tips and answers to frequently asked questions.

When you are ready to start your kitchen plan, you can request a plan on our Online Kitchen Planner here.

What is included in the £29.99 fee?

Within the £29.99 fee, you will receive a complete plan based on the information you have provided to our design team.  We know that you may then want to make at least one amendment to this plan, therefore, we provide you with a FREE amendment.  This amendment could be something simple, such as changing a unit or more complex, such as asking for an alternative design.

Why do you charge when others provide design services for free?

You may be wondering why we charge for this design service when other suppliers provide a ‘free’ design service. It’s simple. Other suppliers may inflate unit prices to cover the cost of ‘free’ designs, whereas with DIY Kitchens, all our pricing is transparent and available to see on our website.

This way, all our customers benefit from low kitchen unit prices, regardless of whether you’ve designed your kitchen yourself or not.

What do you class as a chargeable amend?

Basically, a chargeable amend applies if you ask us to go into your plan and make any changes.  This amendment could be something simple, such as changing a unit or more complex, such as asking for an alternative design.

We therefore encourage you to take your time and consider all areas that you would like amending, so these can all be done at once, reducing the number of times we have to change your plan and, more crucially, keeping your design costs down.

The cost per additional amends is £14.99 inc VAT.

Room Setup

Why do I have to draw my own room?

DIY Kitchens is a supply only company, therefore we do not offer traditional home survey, design and installation services.  In order for us to complete your plan, we need to understand the size and shape of your kitchen.

Please note that we will plan your kitchen to the measurements you provide.  If there are any errors or issues arising from incorrect measurements, then DIY Kitchens are not responsible for rectifying them.  We therefore suggest that you take your time to ensure your measurements are accurate. 

How can I make sure I measure my kitchen accurately?

Accuracy is extremely important when providing the measurements of your kitchen.  Please see below for tips on how to measure your kitchen accurately:

1. Use the right tools, such as a metal tape measure (at least 5m long) or a laser tape measure if have one.  This will help to ensure you measure the whole wall at once rather than having to measure a wall several times to get the total width.
2. Always measure using millimetres (mm) as this is not only more accurate but is also the measurement used in the planner and so will save you from having to convert from cm or inches.
3. Clear the room as much as possible to remove any obstacles that may cause inaccurate measurements, such as chairs, tables and bins, etc.
4. When measuring walls, measure from several points, such as floor level, worktop height and head height, as walls and floors may be uneven.
5. Make sure to factor in things like alcoves, chimney breasts, encasements and ceiling beams.
6. When measuring doors, ensure you include the frame.
7. When setting the height of windows, measure from the floor to the underside of the windowsill, as this measurement can be crucial when planning worktops.
8. Measure the ceiling height accurately as this can determine the height of tall and wall units that are suitable for your kitchen.
9. The most important tip is ALWAYS MEASURE AT LEAST TWICE!

FAQ quick links

• How do I add a window?
• How do I add a door?
• How do I add a patio door?
• How do I add an internal walls?
• How do I add a boiler?
• How do I add a radiator?
• How do I add a ceiling beam?
• How do I add a vertical casing?
• How do I add a ceiling encasement
• How do I add a floor encasement
• How do I add a chimney breast?
• What is a work area?
• How do I add an island?
• How to select my preferred kitchen style
• How to select my worktop
• How to select a sink
• Advice on selecting tall/wall units
• Advice on selecting curved units
• Advice on selecting decorative features

How do I add a window?

To add a window, select DOORS & WINDOWS in the left hand menu.  Select WINDOW and a window symbol will appear in the middle of your room.  In the top left, you can edit the width, height and height from floor before dragging the window onto the relevant wall. 

To make sure the window is located accurately, click on one of the red boxes to the left or right hand side of the window and enter the distance from the adjacent wall.

How do I add a door?

To add a door, select DOORS & WINDOWS in the left hand menu.  Select DOOR and a door symbol will appear in the room.  Edit the width and height of the door (including the frame) and place on the appropriate wall. 

To make sure the door is located accurately, click on one of the red boxes to the left or right side of the door and enter the distance from the adjacent wall.

How do I add a patio door?

To add a patio door, select DOORS & WINDOWS in the left hand menu. Select PATIO DOOR and a patio door symbol will appear in the room. Edit the width and height of the door (including the frame) and place on the appropriate wall.

To make sure the patio door is located accurately, click on one of the red boxes to the left or right side of the door and enter the distance from the adjacent wall.

How do I add internal walls?

To add an internal wall, select INTERNAL WALLS in the menu on the left hand side.  Select INTERNAL WALL and this will appear in the centre of your plan.  You can then amend the dimensions in the top left hand corner.  To position the wall, drag it roughly into place and then click on the measurements in the red boxes to set the position from any of the other walls.

My kitchen has diagonal walls – how can I show this when creating my room?

Unfortunately, the planner is unable to accommodate diagonal walls, however, if you do not require units on the diagonal wall, we can still provide a plan and recommend that you draw your kitchen using the preset shapes or custom tool.

How do I add a boiler?

To add a boiler, simply click on RADIATORS & BOILERS in the left hand menu.  Select BOILER and add the height, width, depth and height from the floor.  Click POSITION BOILER and move this to the relevant wall, using the measurements in the red boxes to allow you to accurately position this in the room.

How do I add a radiator?

To add a radiator, simply click on RADIATORS & BOILERS in the left hand menu.  Select RADIATOR and this will appear in the middle of the room.  You can edit the dimensions in the top left hand corner and then roughly position on the relevant wall, using the measurements in the red boxes to accurately position it in place.

How do I add a ceiling beam?

To add a ceiling beam, simply click on BEAMS & ENCASEMENT in the left hand menu.  Select CEILING BEAM and insert the measurements of the beam when prompted.  You can then drag into position and accurately place this by adjusting the measurements in the red boxes.

How do I add a vertical casing?

To add a vertical casing, simply click on BEAMS & ENCASEMENT in the left hand menu.  Select VERTICAL CASING and insert the measurements in the top left corner.  You can then drag into position and accurately place this by adjusting the measurements in the red boxes.

How do I add a ceiling encasement?

To add a ceiling encasement, simply click on BEAMS & ENCASEMENT in the left hand menu.  Select CEILING ENCASEMENT and insert the measurements in the top left corner.  You can then drag into position and accurately place this by adjusting the measurements in the red boxes.

How do I add a floor encasement?

To add a floor encasement, simply click on BEAMS & ENCASEMENT in the left hand menu.  Select FLOOR ENCASEMENT and insert the measurements in the top left corner.  You can then drag into position and accurately place this by adjusting the measurements in the red boxes.

How do I add a chimney breast?

To add a chimney breast, select INTERNAL WALLS in the menu on the left hand side.  Select CHIMNEY BREAST and enter the dimensions when prompted.  To position the chimney breast, drag it roughly into place and then click on the measurements in the red boxes to set the position from any of the other walls.

Why is setting the ceiling height important?

Your ceiling height will determine the type and height of tall and wall units you can include in your kitchen.  For example, with a standard height of 2400mm, you can only really accommodate standard tall units and wall units.  However, if you ceiling is 2700mm high, for example, you can choose from all standard height, all tall height or a combination of the two.

Work Areas

What is a work area?

A work area (in green) shows where units could be placed within the room that you have drawn, however, we know that you may not want to include units in all these areas.

You can toggle an entire run of units on or off by clicking on the box in the relevant work area. When the work area is green it will indicate to our designers that you would like units in this area. When it is pink, it indicates that you would prefer not to have units in this area.

You can adjust the length of the work area by using the arrows at the end and sliding this to the required length. Don’t worry about being too accurate at this stage, this is just an indication of where you want the run to end.

How do I add an island?

If you wish to indicate to your designer that you would like an island, you can select from the options on the left hand side.  An island work area will appear, however, please note that this is only an indication to the designer and they will design a suitable island based upon your room size. 

You can click and drag the island to the required position, along with rotating it using the toggle in the left hand menu

It may be that there is not enough space in your room to accommodate and island, and is this is the case, your designer will provide more details when returning your plan.

Options

How to select my preferred kitchen style?

To select the kitchen door style and colour you would like us to use when designing your kitchen, click on CHANGE STYLE.  You can then select the door style and colour you prefer by navigating through our door range and clicking on CHOOSE THIS STYLE. 

You will then be shown the four cabinet colours available, with the recommended cabinet colour for the door and colour you have chosen.  We strongly advise that you choose the recommended colour, but you can of course select whichever you prefer.  Click on the cabinet colour and then select CONFIRM STYLE.

How to select my worktop preference?

Under worktops, click CHANGE WORKTOP and you will see the available worktop materials, along with an indication of price per metre to help you choose the most appropriate worktop for your budget.  To select a worktop colour, click on the relevant material and then click on your preferred colour.  You will be shown the thicknesses available and any edging options (if available) along with a price indication for different options.  Once you’re happy, click on CONFIRM CHOICES.

If you intend to purchase worktops elsewhere, you can indicate this by clicking BUYING ELSEWHERE. You can still select your preferred worktop material and colour so that we can include this in the plan and the 3D view, however, it will ensure we do not include this within the quote.

How to select the right sink?

To select the correct sink, take a look at the options available under the sink menu.  As a guide, you can select an Inset sink (stainless steel, composite or ceramic) with any worktop material, however please note that undermount sinks and Belfast sinks are only suitable with solid timber and other solid surface materials and should not be used with laminate worktops.

Selecting Appliances

Whether you are planning on purchasing appliances from DIY Kitchens or not, it is important that you indicate the type and number of appliances as this will have an impact on your design.

Advice on selecting wall or tall units, or both

There are several options when designing wall and tall units.  The default setting is a combination of wall and tall units, and this is the most common configuration, however, you are able to select wall units only or tall units only or no wall and tall units if this is your preference.

If you are unsure at this stage, you can also select this option and our designers will include the most appropriate solution based on your room layout.

Advice on selecting curved units

If you select a kitchen range that includes curved doors, you can select whether you want to include these in your design or not.  This is an important consideration as whilst curved units can be an attractive and functional addition to a kitchen design, they can increase the cost of your kitchen considerably. 

This is not only due to the higher cost of a curved unit compared to a standard unit, but also due to other items that are need, such as curved worktops, plinths, cornice and pelmet.  Each curve could add around £300 – £500, therefore, it’s important to let our design team know if this is something you would like included.

Advice on selecting decorative features

Depending on the door range you’ve selected, you will also be asked if you want to include decorative features within your design.  Decorative features include elements such as pilasters, tongue and groove panels, etc. 

Layout

Advice on positioning appliances in the Layout section.

In the Layout section, you will need to indicate where you would like your sink and hob to be located, as this can be crucial to your design.  Simply drag the relevant icon into position on the relevant wall.  

You can position other appliances you have selected by clicking on the relevant item on the left hand side and dragging into position, however, if you are happy for our designers to determine the optimum position for these, based on the design, then you do not need to add these to the layout.

What to do when I’ve received my plan

When you receive your plan, you have the following options. 

If you are happy with the plan you can proceed directly to checkout. 

Within your £29.99 fee you also have a free round of amends, therefore, if there is anything you need altering or if you want a completely new design, you can click on the AMENDMENTS tab and follow the on screen instructions.  Once you have used your free amendment, any subsequent amends will be charged at £14.99 inc VAT per amend.

If you would prefer to make your own amends, for FREE, you can make a copy of your plan and start changing as much or as little as you want.  Your original plan from DIY Kitchens will remain in your account, so you don’t need to worry about losing this.  Therefore, why not have a play and perhaps release the inner kitchen designer within you!

How do I ask the planning team a question?

You can ask our online support team as many questions as you need to help you finalise your plan.  Our support team are available 7 days a week and can be contacted by clicking on the SUPPORT tab at the top of the screen and select PLANNER QUERY.  Please note that we will only be able to provide you with advice rather than making amends to your plan, however you can purchase additional amends for £14.99 inc VAT for each amend.

What do I get for £14.99 when requesting an amendment?

Quite simply, if you want a member of our design team to make a change in your plan, there is a charge of £14.99 inc VAT.  This could vary from a minor amend, such as altering a single unit, all the way up to a complete re-design.  To ensure you get value for money, we recommend that you carefully consider all areas that you need changing and include them within the one amend.  This will not only speed up the process but will also, crucially, keep your design costs to a minimum.

Advice on requesting an amend

We want to ensure that you get value for money when using our design service, therefore, please ensure you include as many changes as you require within each set of amends.  This will speed up the planning process and will also keep your design costs to a minimum.

When explaining your amend, please use a bullet point for each one, so that this is clear for the designer and make sure you provide as much information as possible. 

When referencing parts of your plan, use the wall reference, such as Wall A, Wall B, Wall C, etc.

How do I select appliances once I’ve received my plan from you?

To include appliances, go to PRODUCT LIST and scroll down until you see the appliance section.  You can then select CHOOSE APPLIANCE and browse the range of appliances available. 

Tips & tricks

How do I view my kitchen in 3D?

To view your kitchen in 3D, select 3D VIEW and your plan will load in a few seconds.  It is advisable than when the 3D view loads, that you click the crosshair in the bottom right hand corner and then click the down arrow until you can see the whole kitchen.  You can then use your mouse buttons or the arrows to navigate around your kitchen.  It may take a few attempts to get the right angle, but the controls are fairly intuitive.

Tip 1:  You can open doors and drawers to see the inside of a unit by double clicking on the relevant door/drawer.  To close, double click on the door/drawer again.

Tip 2:  Once you find the right angle, you can take a snapshot of the view by clicking on the camera icon in the bottom right hand corner.  This will automatically be added to your download folder on your PC/Laptop.

Tip 3: You can adjust the lighting options by clicking on the dropdown menu in the top left hand corner.  There are four settings to choose from and the amount of light will depend on the number of windows/patio doors.

What if I am not happy with the plan?  Can I request a refund?

We’re confident in the value of our kitchen design service, and your satisfaction is important to us. While we do not offer refunds, every £29.99 online planning service package includes one free amend. This allows you to request changes – whether it’s a small tweak or a complete redesign – so we can ensure you are happy with the final plan.  To ensure we meet your expectations, please provide as much information as possible when completing the survey questions.

Other frequently asked questions

How do I print a copy of my plan?

Whilst there isn’t the ability to print your plan directly from the online planner, we recommend that you take a screen shot and then print or save this as an image file.

How can I see a list of items in my plan?

You can see all of the items in your plan by clicking on PRODUCT LIST in the top menu.  As well as viewing all items, you can add, remove and edit products.

Why has the price changed?

Our online planner will automatically adjust prices depending on whether there is a promotion currently available or not.  For example, you may request a plan during a promotional period, however, if the order is placed after the promotion ends, then prices will change accordingly.  Similarly, if you request a plan during a non-promotional period but place your order during a promotion, you will see any available discounts applied to your prices.