So, you’ve decided it’s time for a brand new kitchen. You’ve picked out all the units and doors you will need, and it’s time to get installing. By choosing to fit kitchen cabinets yourself, you will be saving on labour costs. It might seem overwhelming, but with a bit of elbow grease, you can revamp your kitchen for a lot less.
Fitting them yourself might seem time consuming, but if you opt for our rigid kitchen units, almost all the hard work is done for you. All you have to do is follow our DIY guide to fitting kitchen units below, and you will have the perfect space to cook and dine.
Planning & Prep
The first step in how to fit kitchen units is ensuring that your old kitchen is completely ripped out. Check the power is disconnected, so you have a clean slate to begin working safely. It’s also a good idea to check the floor is level too, so that all your kitchen units fit to perfection.
Before you get started fitting cupboards, measure your space to make sure that you’ve mapped out where everything is going to go. This includes marking areas for power sockets, room for cables and pipework.
Lay out all the parts of your new kitchen units to get a better idea of what needs to go where. Make sure you have all your materials, tools and equipment at hand. Refer to your manufacturer’s instructions first, they will be bespoke to the type of kitchen units you have, and you might need different equipment depending on their material.
Installing Base Kitchen Units
Starting in the corner of the kitchen, mark out the height of the kitchen base units on the wall with a pencil. Use a spirit level to keep the line straight. Check that your line is even on a regular basis keeping in mind that the floor might be slightly uneven in some areas.
Place your first corner unit in; you may need to get the help of a friend if the base units are heavy. Adjust your units, so they match the line height you marked out. Use a spirit level to check the unit is perfectly straight.
Repeat with the next cabinets but, before joining them together, check they’re level and aligned at the top and bottom. Take care when joining each base unit together and mark out areas you’re going to be drilling or screwing first.
Continue with fitting the base units in until they are all fitted and joined together. Now you can affix them to the wall. You will either have to use wall plugs or plasterboard fixings depending on where you’re affixing them, make sure to check which one is appropriate for your kitchen wall.
When you reach the end of a row, you will need to affix a side panel. If you need to cut around the bottom of the units in order for them to fit around the skirting boards, then measure this out first with a piece of scrap wood. If your side panel needs trimming, then take extra precaution when using a jigsaw and wear safety goggles.
Installing Wall Kitchen Units
Now you’re done with the bottom kitchen units, it’s time to move onto the wall units. Using the same method you did with the base units, use your pencil, measuring tape and spirit level to mark a horizontal line where you want the bottom of your wall cabinets to be. Remember to consider the space you will need between the kitchen counter and the bottom of the wall unit.
Using the brackets at the back of the wall cabinets as a reference, mark where you need the brackets to affix on the kitchen wall with a pencil. Now you know where the brackets are going to go, use a drill to screw them to the wall. Make sure to use the appropriate wall plugs depending on what your kitchen wall is made from.
Lift the wall unit into place and hook them onto the brackets, you might need to get an extra pair of hands for this. Use your spirit level to check that it’s perfectly straight. Repeat with all other wall units, taking care to keep them straight.
Once all your wall units are in place and straight, join them together. Like you did with the base units, mark out areas you’re going to be drilling and screwing with a pencil first.
Installing Kitchen Cabinet Doors
Once your kitchen base units and wall cabinets are in place and securely affixed to the wall, you can start attaching the doors! Screw the kitchen doors and door fronts in carefully, take care with the hinges and mark out where they need to go with a pencil first.
Once your doors are in place, then attach your kitchen door handles; we have a more detailed step-by-step on how to fit kitchen door handles if you need some extra guidance.
Now that your kitchen units are all installed, you can finish things off by adding your worktop along the top of the base units. You can now kick back and enjoy your handiwork as your kitchen is finally complete.