A cuisiniste

 One of the little challenges that awaits us with this new flat is the need to fit a kitchen. 

When we moved into our current flat there was just a sink unit. A new, but poor quality sink unit. But it's a rented flat and we knew that we probably couldn't stay here once we start living on our pension. So we didn't fit a kitchen. Instead we cobbled together shelves, drawers and a kitchen island on castors from Ikea Kallax units. Instead of paying thousands we spent a couple of hundred and it's all be very functional.

But the new place is our forever home, and it doesn't even come with a sink, so we have to do something. Not much - there isn't a huge amount of room, and we don't want to change our cooker, dishwasher and fridge, but we have to do something.

So here's the challenge. I am reasonably good at putting things together - I've built wardrobes, desks, beds, tables galore - so I think I could fairly easily construct a kitchen from flat pack. Not only that but we don't necessarily want to commit to hanging wall cupboards. We'll add them if we have to, but we would prefer not to. So all I have to do is construct floor units, screw them to the wall and fit the worktops.

Oh and tiling. I've tiled a kitchen before and I'm sure I could do it again.

Except for the sink. Sinks are complicated. It's not just a question of screwing them together. You have to cut holes in the worktop, seal them in and then connect them to the plumbing. All that I have never done and what's more I don't have the tools. But I do know people who do have the skills and tools.

All this is to say that I am psyching myself up to fitting the kitchen in our new place...