Buying Fitted Kitchens & Fitted Bathrooms
These type of house improvements are usually done either out of necessity because the rooms have problem (too old or too small) or a simply a desire to have the ‘dream’ kitchen or bathroom in the house.
Broadly there are 2 options: Renovate & Renew or Fully Replace.
Renovation could mean something simple like painting & decorating, re-grouting wall tiles or changing cupboard doors and for basic tasks like this you could either do it yourself or employ a local handyman and there are companies that just do replacement doors for cupboards.
A full replacement is much different in terms of costs and the amount of work involved – from choosing your layout and appliances to how to dispose of the old kitchen or bathroom that is being replaced.
Plan of Action
- Decide your budget (allow for contingencies)
- Plan the layout ( shower bath, both or wet room – how many work surfaces & cupboards for the kitchen – lighting & heating)
- Choose appliances (bath, basin or shower type - cooker type, hob design, fridge etc.)
- Find Installers
- Get Quotes – at least 4 or 5 quotes in writing.
For some good deals on fully fitted kitchens & bathrooms it could be a good idea to visit a manufacturer or distributor showroom and discuss options for purchasing one of the ex-display models, as they often change their displays and sell them off at a hefty discount.
Who to Buy From?
There are specialist kitchen & bathroom companies that do bespoke work and offer a complete service from start to finish and they offer some original designs that can be quite spectacular, however, bespoke fully fitted installations can sometimes require quite a healthy budget to buy. (example costs for kitchens & bathrooms here)
Alternatives to bespoke companies that offer great design choice and price ranges are places like Magnet, Homebase, Wickes, or Ikea to name a few. Most will offer supply only plus an option for supply & installation.
Installation
Whether you are using a specialist company or an independent contractor to install your work you should check that that where plumbing & electrical work are being done the contractor is suitably qualified & insured.
Fully Installed Kitchens & Bathrooms.
Competitive Written Quotes from Local or National Companies.
