Best kitchen studios

Six kitchen studios in Torre del Mar carry a public rating, with more than 600 reviews between them. One studio alone holds 345 of those at a 4.9, which for a trade where each customer buys once in fifteen years is a remarkable record.

Four of the six are on the same street

They sit on Calle Pintor Cipriano Maldonado, next to the town's parquet fitter. That short stretch is the interior renovation axis of Torre del Mar, and it means you can walk the entire trade in a morning instead of driving around for weeks. It is the most useful thing to know before starting a kitchen.

What to ask for in every quote

• Whether appliances are included. Often they are not, and it is the largest swing between two quotes that look comparable.
• Whether fitting, removal of the old kitchen and the plumbing and electrical work are in the price. These are frequently quoted separately.
• The delivery time in weeks, in writing. Kitchens are made to order.

The paperwork

Replacing a kitchen normally counts as minor works and needs a notification or licence from the council before starting. In a community of owners you give notice before work begins and the building's rules on working hours apply.