By Bob BardsleyA cost-effective kitchen based around modular design can avoid palpitations when budgeting for the heart of the home, reports the Otago Daily Times (ODT).By consulting a modular kitchen design firm, homeowners are told that they can be provided with a pre-measured but self-assembly kitchen comprising units with drilled holes to make assembly easier.These can be modified to fit the exact shape of the kitchen, meaning there is no reason why an awkwardly shaped room should mean modular units cannot be used.Purchasing the units in such a way means that the homeowner is then free to add their own choice of extras, including elements such as door handles and kitchen taps.The ODT suggests that this could include fitting anything from basic kitchen taps to catering-style extendible faucets with spray spouts.Homeowners planning to sell their property could also find a new kitchen to be a worthy investment, after it was identified as the feature most likely to appeal to potential buyers in a survey by Halifax Estate Agents earlier in 2009.