PLANNING GUIDE
Flat-Pack vs Custom Kitchens in NZ
Flat-pack and custom kitchens solve the same problem in different ways. Neither is automatically the right answer — it depends on your room, your timeline, and what you're prepared to trade for a lower upfront cost.
The Real Difference
A flat-pack or off-the-shelf kitchen is built to standard module sizes — usually multiples of 300mm or 600mm — and your room is expected to fit around them, with filler panels covering the gaps. A custom kitchen works the other way around: every cabinet is sized to your actual room, so there are no filler panels and no wasted corners, but it takes more design and manufacturing time to get there.
| Flat-Pack | Custom / Bespoke | |
|---|---|---|
| Sizing | Standard 300mm/600mm modules, filler panels where needed | Built to your exact room measurements |
| Installation | DIY or a trade installer working from a kit | Design, manufacture, and installation as one project |
| Best For | Rental properties, first homes, tight budgets | Forever homes, non-standard rooms, character villas |
| Typical Cost | Generally lower upfront | Higher upfront, but no wasted space or filler panels |
| Design Input | Choose from a fixed module catalogue | Full layout designed around how you use the space |
Flat-Pack Kitchens
Pros
- Lower upfront cost for a standard-size room
- Can be self-installed to save on labour
- Widely available with fast lead times
Cons
- Filler panels and gaps in non-standard rooms
- Fixed module sizes limit layout flexibility
- DIY installation risks poor fit and finish if the room isn't perfectly standard
Custom / Bespoke Kitchens
Pros
- Uses every centimetre of your actual room — no wasted space
- One team for design, manufacture, and installation — no handoff between separate trades
- Layout planned around how you actually use the space
Cons
- Higher upfront cost than an equivalent flat-pack kitchen
- Longer lead time — typically 6–8 weeks from signed design to install
When a Flat-Pack Kitchen Makes Sense
If your room is a genuinely standard size and shape, a rental or first-home budget is the priority, and you're comfortable installing it yourself or hiring a tradesperson separately, flat-pack can be the right call. The trade-off is real: any deviation from a standard module size shows up as a filler panel or an awkward gap.
When Custom Is Worth the Extra Cost
Character villas, non-standard room shapes, sloped ceilings, and forever-home budgets are where custom earns its higher price. The cost difference is smallest on a small, standard-shape room and largest on an irregular one — which is exactly where flat-pack's filler-panel problem is worst.
Can You Get a Flat-Pack Budget with a Custom Fit?
Partly. Our "Good" finish tier — melamine and laminate cabinetry — is our most affordable custom option, and for a compact kitchen it starts from around $10,000, in the same range as a mid-range flat-pack kit, while still being built to your exact measurements. It won't match the cheapest flat-pack kits on price, but it closes most of the gap without the fixed-module compromises.
FAQ
Questions Answered.
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