Fitting A Kitchen - How Easy?

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I have a very small kitchen and have been looking to change it for the past couple of years. Despite seeing all these wonderful offers of "All This For Just £2,000" every quote i've had is not much less than £7k.

It seems they quote low prices on the cabinets and then sting you on appliances. I had a quote for an integral fridge/freezer for £1,000. When I told the guy I could get the same for £500 retail he immediately matched the price!

Anyway, it also seems that these kitchen companies just want to fit a kitchen and do nothing like electrics or tiling.

How easy/difficult would it be for me, a novice DIYer, to fit the units myself? Are there any guides on this site or elsewhere as to how to go about it?

Thanks for any help.
 
It is a big job, theres no dressing it up. A shop like MFI will sit down with you at a computer and plan what you need, and tailor the plan of the kitchen to your tastes / needs. From this plan, they create a shopping list / invoice and price it up. When it is delivered, its simply a case of identifying all the units, assembling them and putting them in the right place according to the plan, which the shop should print out a few copies of. They will also give you a guide to fitting the units, which talks you through the installation step by step - cupboards, worktops, sinks etc.

Plumbing work is a doddle if you use compression fittings, even easier with plastic push fit. Electrical work in a kitchen now requires building notice under part P of the building regulations. Talk to your LABC and see what they say about electrical work. All councils work the part p rules differently. You may prefer to simply get an electrician in - he can do all the testing and certification himself. For gas work, you must use someone corgi registered.
 
Thanks for your reply.

I was surprised with your comment re the plumbing, I was thinking that the plumbing would be the hardest, although I had in mind getting plumbing, electrics and tiling done by someone else.

Its just a question of how difficult the units are to install but if the likes of MFI help with the planning then it might not be such a task.

Cheers.

crafty1289 said:
It is a big job, theres no dressing it up. A shop like MFI will sit down with you at a computer and plan what you need, and tailor the plan of the kitchen to your tastes / needs. From this plan, they create a shopping list / invoice and price it up. When it is delivered, its simply a case of identifying all the units, assembling them and putting them in the right place according to the plan, which the shop should print out a few copies of. They will also give you a guide to fitting the units, which talks you through the installation step by step - cupboards, worktops, sinks etc.

Plumbing work is a doddle if you use compression fittings, even easier with plastic push fit. Electrical work in a kitchen now requires building notice under part P of the building regulations. Talk to your LABC and see what they say about electrical work. All councils work the part p rules differently. You may prefer to simply get an electrician in - he can do all the testing and certification himself. For gas work, you must use someone corgi registered.
Click to expand...
 
ok maybe plumbing isnt that easy, i mean, its a skilled job, but it is approachable by many DIYers.
 
fitting your kitchen is easy, the units are easy to assemble, its all very lego like. difficult jobs are worktops if you want a good professional finish its best to get a pro to do them. Plumbing is easy with modern push fit pipe fittings and you can make it easier by fitting stuff in the same positions as before. tiling is easy if the walls are good knick and there is not to many difficult corners etc. I fitted my kitchen in 2 weeks of evenings and one weekend that included the worktops, tiles, electrical bits and appliance fitting.
 
BF said:
Anyway, it also seems that these kitchen companies just want to fit a kitchen and do nothing like electrics or tiling.
Click to expand...

Good thing too.
 
jeepmadmike hit on an important point when he mentioned walls being in good nick and tiling. It's great if everything is straight, square and level in your kitchen but if not you will have to use packing and spacers to get everything lined up. It can be a long and tedious job but when it comes to fitting the bench tops it makes life much easier. Just take your time.
 
I've part a fitted a couple now, if you are OK at DIY most of it is pretty straightforward. I would get someone to mitre in the worktops, it makes for a better finish than the joining strips you get, but obviously there is the cost, I think I got quoted about £150-200 a couple of years back but that was London so ......
Also try and find a company that supplies the units pre assembled, this takes a huge amount of grief out of the job. I bought from Howdens and the quality is good although I got a trade price via someone.
 
Hi,

I'm a joiner by trade and and agree with the above pre-assembled units save no end of time.

The units go in really quickly as all the legs are adjustable on the bottom.

Just remeber to set your adjustable legs in the centre to maximise your chances of getting all the units level. I always find the highest point to avoid disapointment if the floor is out a lot. There's nothing worse than working from your lowest point and getting 4 or 5 unit along and you have no more adjustment on your legs and as you have to start all again as its near inposible to adjust all the legs ont the units your put as thery are all working against eachother. It is also best to work out from a corner unit.

Find your highest point, set the height of units allowing for the thickness of the worktop. Finished height is usually around 900mm. And draw a level line from your highest point around the room, you can then set your corner unit to this and work out- you know it will be level.

Technically if you work from your highest point on the floor and perfectly plumb and level your first unit just level the next to it. Screwing together behind hinges as you go along.

I beleive the units are the easy bit and its the mitred worktops, laminated ends(instead of metal), scribes to uneven walls and good quality of mitres that really make the fitting of the kitchen look 'Quality' along with stylish good quality appliances makes good for a really nice kitchen. I buy my kitchens from howdens they're pretty much the same as MFI carcusses but cheaper.

Cheapest way to do a kitchen is

Go MFI or BnQ and get them to measure up and design it- they'll give you a list of exactly what you need and prices of them.

Then go to howdens and order what you need.

Fit all base and wall units level and plumb yourself

Get sparky to do electrics

Do plumbing yourself

Get a joiner/kitchen fitter to come do the finishing touches, w/tops etc

Find out from MFI etc how much they want to fit/supply then see how much you save!

My uncle was quoted 3k to fit his kitchen

He did it himself

His broke down like this:

Sparky- liase with with him and do all the donkey work-chasing out etc.then he can connect up and pass it for Part P £80 including certification

Plumbing- all done with plastic pipe £ few quid for pipe & connectors

He fitted all units and I fitted tops scribes cut sink and cooker out etc
£70 I only charged him for the comsumbles

Gas man-move pipes 2ft and connect to hob £50

Not a bad saving- ok we know the correct people but money can easily be saved

I hope people find this useful

Regards

Adam
 
Hi,

I'm a joiner by trade and and agree with the above pre-assembled units save no end of time.

The units go in really quickly as all the legs are adjustable on the bottom.

Just remeber to set your adjustable legs in the centre to maximise your chances of getting all the units level. I always find the highest point to avoid disapointment if the floor is out a lot. There's nothing worse than working from your lowest point and getting 4 or 5 unit along and you have no more adjustment on your legs and as you have to start all again as its near inposible to adjust all the legs ont the units your put as thery are all working against eachother. It is also best to work out from a corner unit.

Find your highest point, set the height of units allowing for the thickness of the worktop. Finished height is usually around 900mm. And draw a level line from your highest point around the room, you can then set your corner unit to this and work out- you know it will be level.

Technically if you work from your highest point on the floor and perfectly plumb and level your first unit just level the next to it. Screwing together behind hinges as you go along.

I beleive the units are the easy bit and its the mitred worktops, laminated ends(instead of metal), scribes to uneven walls and good quality of mitres that really make the fitting of the kitchen look 'Quality' along with stylish good quality appliances makes good for a really nice kitchen. I buy my kitchens from howdens they're pretty much the same as MFI carcusses but cheaper.

Cheapest way to do a kitchen is

Go MFI or BnQ and get them to measure up and design it- they'll give you a list of exactly what you need and prices of them.

Then go to howdens and order what you need.

Fit all base and wall units level and plumb yourself

Get sparky to do electrics

Do plumbing yourself

Get a joiner/kitchen fitter to come do the finishing touches, w/tops etc

Find out from MFI etc how much they want to fit/supply then see how much you save!

My uncle was quoted 3k to fit his kitchen

He did it himself

His broke down like this:

Sparky- liase with with him and do all the donkey work-chasing out etc.then he can connect up and pass it for Part P £80 including certification

Plumbing- all done with plastic pipe £ few quid for pipe & connectors

He fitted all units and I fitted tops scribes cut sink and cooker out etc
£70 I only charged him for the comsumbles

Gas man-move pipes 2ft and connect to hob £50

Not a bad saving- ok we know the correct people but money can easily be saved

I hope people find this useful

Regards

Adam
 
Don`t fear the plumbing either :wink: pushfit plastic from hep2o or speedfit is a piece of cake.........just get a decent quality sink mixer tap...and sink too
 
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