Buying this "service deal" can be expensive but if you feel happier knowing that you are protected from breakdown for a few years, shop around insurance brokers to see how prices compare.

Not too much romance here, but essential for any functional kitchen. Buy the heaviest pans possible. Also, you should consider buying a non-stick silicon sheet: they make baking very easy!

Ask yourself a myriad of questions about your lifestyle (and that of your family), so it's as well to have as many of the answers ready as possible. Consider:

• who's going to be using the kitchen - is it just the cook or does everyone tend to congregate there?
• Do you keep pets who eat or sleep in the room?
• Do you need a table or will a breakfast bar suffice?
• More and more families are creating a living kitchen where there is not only a dining table but also some soft seating and a television.
• Would you consider building an extension or giving up a formal dining room to create a large kitchen/diner?
• What other tasks are undertaken in the room apart from cooking? Is it used for laundry, ironing, homework, entertaining?