Kitchen Renovation

The parts of a kitchen renovation, in plain English

• Strip out: old units, worktops, sink, cooker and tiles removed and taken away. Appliances disconnected safely, gas capped by a Gas Safe engineer.
• First fix plumbing: hot, cold and waste pipework run to where the sink, dishwasher and washing machine are going. Moving a sink means moving the waste, which needs the right fall to drain.
• Gas: pipework to the hob or cooker position, sized for the appliance, with an isolation valve. New gas points and boiler moves are Gas Safe work and are certified.
• First fix electrics: cooker circuit, sockets, under unit lights and extractor cabling run while the walls are open. Signed off by an NICEIC registered installer.
• Plastering: walls made flat where old tiles and units have come off.
• Units and worktops: base and wall units levelled and fixed, worktops cut and jointed, sink and hob cut outs made.
• Tiling and splashback: wall tiles or a glass splashback behind the hob and sink, floor tiles or flooring laid.
• Second fix: sink, taps, hob, oven, extractor, dishwasher and washing machine connected and tested. Gas appliances commissioned and certified.
• Finishing: plinths, end panels, sealing, cornice and pelmet, the room cleaned.
• Waste removal: everything taken away and disposed of properly. Included.

What's involved, in order

• Days one and two: strip out, gas capped, first fix plumbing, gas and electrics run to the new positions.
• Days three and four: plastering, then flooring if it goes under the units.
• Days five to seven: units, worktops, sink and hob cut outs.
• Days eight and nine: tiling or splashback, second fix, every appliance connected and tested, gas commissioned.
• Day ten: finishing, plinths, sealing, snagging and handover. A straight swap in the same layout is a week; moving the sink, cooker or boiler adds days.

Honest advice: what's overkill

• Moving the boiler to hide it: relocating a boiler adds flue, gas and pipework and can cost more than the units around it. A boiler cupboard that matches the kitchen is usually the better spend.
• Moving the sink across the room: the waste needs a fall to the drain. A short move is easy; across the room often means lifting the floor. Ask before you fall in love with the layout.
• A gas hob and an electric oven from different brands: fine, but they need separate gas and electric supplies. Decide the appliances before first fix, not after.
• Granite because the showroom said so: quartz and good laminate are cheaper, easier to keep and look as good in most kitchens. Spend on the tap and the sink, which you use every day.
• Worth paying for: an isolation valve on every appliance and a stop tap you can reach. When a dishwasher leaks at midnight, that's the difference between a puddle and a flood.

When to book a design visit

Before you order the kitchen, if you can. A ten minute look at where the water, gas and electrics run saves changing the plan later. Send a photo of the kitchen now and we'll book the free design visit. Book a free design visit