What are the pros and cons of handmade kitchens?

Allow me to give you a disclaimer, I make kitchens in my workshop so even though I may be a little biased, I will try to be impartial and keep it objective. I absolutely love handmade kitchen but even I understand that they're not a perfect fit for every home

Cons. A handmade kitchen is better than a modular one in almost every measurable way, that's why I think I should start with the cons, there are just fewer of them.

• Cost. The biggest downside to bespoke kitchen is the cost, they could never compete on price with the modular units! Most of those are made in large factories with CNC (computer numerical control) machines, and it is understandable they can produce them cheaper.

• Time frames. The other is that it takes on average 4 to 6 months to have a handmade kitchen, built and installed. Because they're made to order we can't stockpile units.

Pros. Buckle up I am going to be yapping for a while!

• Better materials. That is actually one of the reason for the higher cost, but most joiners prefer to make kitchens out of premium materials, like birch plywood, solid wood, moisture resistant MDF etc.

• Better fit. Obviously when cabinets are made to measure we wouldn't have any wasted space. Or the one thing that I personally find annoying on modular units, too many different door sizes. If possible I make all of my doors the same size, realistically that rarely happens, most of the times we'll have one or two different sized doors. But the aim is to get as many of them as possible to symmetrical.

• Customisation. With handmade kitchens you're only limited by your imagination and sometimes budget! But essentially you could get anything you want, so if you've had an unusual idea nine out of ten times we can incorporate it!

• Longevity. Wear and tear is inevitable, unless you don't use the kitchen! Given that most handmade kitchens are painted, in a few years you can just refresh the paint and have the kitchen looking like new. In fact I have customers who do that every five or ten years, it also allows you to change the colour scheme should you want to keep up with the current trends

• Value for money. A good quality handmade kitchen could and should outlast you! So even though you pay a little more to begin with if you live with it long enough it could prove cheaper than the modular kitchens that sometimes need to be replaced after 15/20 years.

In conclusion I'd say you have to evaluate your personal requirements in order to make a choice between handmade and store bought. But if you ask me for advice I'd say don't buy a handmade kitchen if you need it for a rental unit, or if you're thinking of selling the house in the next few years. The new owners might throw it out! Do buy a handmade kitchen if: you have a listed home or a cottage, you're not planning of moving in the foreseeable future, if you want something that fits with the period the home was built in, and of course if you have appreciation for handcrafted furniture.