How to spec appliances across a multi-unit development: a developer’s guide
Specifying appliances for one kitchen is a design decision. Specifying them for forty is a logistics project.
Get it right and every unit feels considered. Get it wrong and you face redrawn cabinetry, delayed handovers and buyers who notice the shortcuts.
We’ve been advising on kitchen appliances since 1953. Here’s how we’d approach a multi-unit spec.
Fix the appliance schedule before the kitchen design freezes
Appliances drive the kitchen, not the other way round. Every model sets a niche size, a power demand and a service route. Change a fridge-freezer late and the tall housing may need redrawing in every unit.
Lock the appliance schedule at the same stage as the kitchen layout. Share it with your kitchen designer and M&E engineer from day one. Work from the manufacturer’s installation guide, not the brochure dimensions.
Tier your spec by unit type
Not every unit needs the same package. But every unit should feel part of the same building. A practical approach is three tiers:
- Core units: well-built integrated appliances from one brand family. Quiet, reliable and easy to live with.
- Upper units: the same family, with upgrades buyers notice. A steam or combination oven, a venting hob, a boiling water tap.
- Penthouses and showpiece units: a clear step up. Larger refrigeration, wine storage, a warming drawer, statement cooking.
Keeping one brand family across the tiers pays off. Finishes and controls stay consistent. Your sales team has one story to tell. Aftercare is simpler too.
Standardise the niches
Where you can, design every kitchen around the same core niche sizes. A standard 60cm oven housing and one integrated fridge-freezer height give you room to manoeuvre later. If a model is discontinued, a like-for-like replacement is far easier to find.
Watch the details that vary by brand. Door hinge types, ventilation gaps and plinth heights all differ. Check them against your cabinetry supplier’s carcass sizes before you order.
Plan power and water early
Induction hobs, ovens and boiling water taps all need the right supply. Larger induction hobs may need their own higher-rated circuit. A boiling water tap such as a Quooker needs a socket and space for its tank in the sink cupboard.
Give your M&E engineer the full electrical spec for each tier. Sizing circuits now costs far less than chasing cables after plastering.
Solve extraction in the flats
Ducted extraction is often impractical in apartments. Long duct runs, fire-stopping and façade restrictions all get in the way.
Many developments use recirculating extraction instead. Check the filter type and how often it needs replacing. That becomes your buyers’ running cost.
Venting hobs, which extract downwards, suit open-plan layouts well. Confirm whether each one is ducted or recirculating before the joinery is drawn.
Think about noise in open-plan living
In a compact flat, the kitchen is the living room. A loud dishwasher or hood gets noticed every evening.
Compare decibel ratings across your shortlist. It’s one of the simplest ways to make a mid-priced spec feel premium.
Protect your spec on a phased build
Manufacturers refresh their ranges regularly. On a phased development, the model you chose for phase one may be gone by phase three. Ask your supplier three questions at the outset:
- How long is this model expected to stay in the range?
- What’s the likely successor, and does it fit the same niche?
- Can stock be called off in line with the build programme?
Coordinate delivery with the programme
Appliances delivered too early get damaged or go missing on site. Delivered too late, they hold up sign-off.
Agree delivery windows by phase or by floor. Check site access, lift sizes and secure storage. Agree who removes the packaging, so it doesn’t end up in your skips.
Get handover right
Buyers judge the whole home by the details. A clear handover pack makes a real difference. Include the manuals, model and serial numbers, and how to register each appliance.
Warranty terms vary by manufacturer. Check when each one starts and what the buyer needs to do. On a long build, appliances bought early could lose months of cover before anyone moves in.
Specifying beyond the showroom floor
Some appliances are best specified from drawings rather than seen in person. Sub-Zero refrigeration, for example, can be specified and sourced through us for the right project. Our team can talk you through the options for your top-tier units.
See the spec before you commit
Brochures only go so far. In our Ruislip showroom you can compare Miele, Neff, Bosch, Siemens, Fisher & Paykel and Smeg side by side. Open the doors. Try the controls. Bring your kitchen designer.
We also check our prices against AO, Currys, John Lewis and Marks Electrical three times a day. The legwork is already done.
Planning a development? Call us on 020 7243 5400 or visit us at 112 Pembroke Road, Ruislip HA4 8NW.