Do you have the skills to build your dream kitchen, or do you need professionals? Can you survive for a week (or longer) on takeout, and who is responsible for tearing out and disposing of the old kitchen? In this issue, we explore these topics and more…
Initial Setup – Part 1
You or skilled technicians will perform the installation.
DIY kitchen installations can save much money if you have the time and skills to do it yourself. Most handy people can install a basic kitchen; plumbing and electrical wiring could be the only natural obstacles. The more money you save on the installation, the more you’ll have for the kitchen and appliances.
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However, you shouldn’t scrimp on the installation if you need the worktop to be joined in two pieces. You should also hire a professional if you don’t know what to do if the job involves gas or electricity.
Contact contractors; schedule site visits and price estimates using blueprints as guides.
If you can’t put it in the kitchen yourself, compare prices from different contractors before deciding on one. You should trust the advice of your friends and neighbors if you can. It’s possible that your kitchen fitter can handle most of the work without bringing in any other contractors, but if he can’t, ask for recommendations from reliable professionals.
Set a schedule and have all workers sign off on it.
Contractors should be able to provide you with an accurate estimate of both the cost and duration of their work based on your plans. If you are ‘project managing’ the installation, you are responsible for coordinating the arrival of the necessary tradespeople. To give you an idea of scale, we generally anticipate renovating a standard kitchen, employing expert tradespeople, and having it finished from “rip-out” to decoration within a week. So that you know who you’ll need and when I’ll lay out the “order of work” in the upcoming INSTALLATION part.
How long could you go without eating? (Will you sleep on your bed or in a takeout box?)
o You could be without a kitchen for as long as two weeks if your kitchen is particularly large or more extended if the installers are meticulous. This won’t be too challenging if you’re single or in a young partnership, but it could be more challenging if you have a young family.
While the old kitchen is dismantled and the new one is being constructed, you will likely be without cooking and dishwashing facilities for many days. Again, this depends on how effectively the installation is handled, but most people can get by with a kettle, toaster, and microwave. If you can’t, try staying with a friend or relative, or at the very least getting to know your neighborhood pizza places:-)
It’s the perfect time to clean the house!
A kitchen remodel is the perfect opportunity for a clean sweep. You’re probably like the rest of us and have a bunch of unused kitchenware collecting dust in the back of your cabinets. If you haven’t used it in the past six months, get rid of it or donate it. A new kitchen design almost always necessitates the purchase of complementary cookware, accessories, and small appliances.
Banish the past… Who is going to take it out, and how are you going to get rid of it?
If you have the time and energy, ripping out your old kitchen is another way to save money. Wearing protective gear like gloves and goggles can make the experience more enjoyable. If your old appliances and furniture are in decent shape, you might be able to sell them online or in your local free-ads paper for a profit. Hiring a skip means that the burden of disposing of the accumulated trash associated with remodeling a sizable kitchen falls on someone else.
Lastly, if you’re installing the new kitchen yourself, it’s highly satisfying to look back at Before and After pictures to see how far you’ve come.
It’s possible that your kitchen contractor/fitter won’t be able to dispose of your old refrigerator if you leave the removal to them, so you’ll have to make such arrangements with the relevant municipal authorities on your own.
It’s easier than you may think to draw out simple but accurate kitchen plans using nothing more than Microsoft Word, and you can get a free complete guide on the subject by visiting Simple Kitchen Design.
Hywel Merrett runs the UK-based online kitchen supply company ICON Kitchens as its Managing Director.
