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

1. Decide your budget (allow for contingencies)
2. Plan the layout ( shower bath, both or wet room – how many work surfaces & cupboards for the kitchen – lighting & heating)
3. Choose appliances (bath, basin or shower type - cooker type, hob design, fridge etc.)
4. Find Installers
5. 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.