What would you pay for someone to build flatpack furniture?

[AintNobodyHereButUsChickens]

Obviously if you couldn't build it yourself and needed to pay a tradesman to do it. What would you be happy to pay?

Whoops posted too soon. Obviously price will be dependent on the size of the item being built. So let's say a simple 3 drawer chest of drawers?

If it's a simple set - ie less than an hour - £20 or so

If you are talking about an IKEA wardrobe then a fair payment would be their weight in gold.

I love building ikea, I find their stuff well made and easier than other brands. But, you need to follow the instructions to perfection!

I think I'd expect t pay around £20 - £25 ph. The higher amount if it were an hour's job, lower if it were a few hours work.

So many 'it depends' though.
Is this a mate you want to give something to to say thanks vs is this someone's business and they need to factor in quotes / paperwork / travel / having the tools in the first place / sick pay / holiday pay / insurances etc.

I moved into my house and ordered everything off IKEA and I paid a tradesmen £160 for a days work to put up everything, there were two chests of drawers, a dining table, a sideboard, TV stand, a cot, a bed frame, a bathroom cupboard and a wardrobe.. Was definitely worth the money. He even tidied up after himself.. I paid him later on in the year to put my daughters bike together too, he only charged me £15. Definitely worth their weight in gold.. I wouldn't have had a clue!!

£10 an hour cash in hand if it's a few hours work at least, more if just the odd hour. Same as I'm paid before tax and NI. Though, I love building it myself so not something I would outsource.

I do pay for this. I use taskrabbit to find people. I'm in London so costs are high. But there's definitely a market for it. IKEA even links you to taskrabbit from their website

Thanks all, this is really helpful I've been a stay at home mum for 10 years and my CV is abysmal. I've been applying for jobs but no-one is interested. I do however, love building flatpack and DH suggested I set myself up as a flatpack building service. Just trying to get some idea on how to charge (hourly or item type?), what I'd need insurance wise etc.

I'd definitely pay for this. I can barely put together a bookcase. £20 an hour for someone else to do it properly would be fine with me as long as they were doing it properly and not trying to stretch out the time.

I can't see it being sustainable as a job though if that is all you are offering ? I mean, how often do people buy new furniture?

However, if you have other DIY skills, then I think you could be inundated.
My top tip is that you work out what you think you might need to charge to make it feasible, add something on top, and then tell all your friends and family the higher rate and say "or I can do it 'mates rate' for {insert the amount you need to earn in the first place}" as everyone likes a bargain and will be much happier if thy think they are getting a good deal from you.

@AintNobodyHereButUsChickens

Thanks all, this is really helpful I've been a stay at home mum for 10 years and my CV is abysmal. I've been applying for jobs but no-one is interested. I do however, love building flatpack and DH suggested I set myself up as a flatpack building service. Just trying to get some idea on how to charge (hourly or item type?), what I'd need insurance wise etc.

What matters is not what Mumsnetters are willing to pay, but how much other people in your area are charging.

You local FB groups will give you a very good idea of this.

I like building flatpack furniture. From experience, one potential difficulty in your plan is that building a fair bit of flatpack furniture is a two person job. Something maybe to consider is whether you would be expecting the householder to help, or whether you would employ another person, or whether you would hope you could wrangle the larger items on your own.

There are a few companies that offer this, in Southampton there is one called something like flatpack angels and is linked to from the ikea website. Look at what similar companies charge and then set your rates appropriately for your area of the country.
Remember to get insurance too.

Have a look at the Ikea service. Task Rabbit.

Are you female, OP? Could be a nifty USP if so - lots of women would like to support a female tradesperson & would be happier having a woman working in their home.

I'd gladly hire you right now, but not in the UK.

There's one in my area that is really popular and they charge by the item with the list on their website. My phone won't let me link at the moment but it's called Kent & Diamond Flat Pack.
I think it's a good business idea unless there's lots of local competition.

Taskrabbit offer this in partnership with IKEA. Might be worth looking at their pricing model?

@BackforGood
If @AintNobodyHereButUsChickens lives close to an IKEA, then the number of people in there and if she's able to cover the area they come from might well mean it's a sustainable business idea, especially if she'll cover other flat pack furniture too.

@TheNestedIf
When I had to furnish a flat for my mother-in-law at short notice, I paid for IKEA to send a person to put it together, this included a bed and a wardrobe. When I offered to help he said that, yes it would normally take two people, but he knew how to do it by himself... and he did.

I think you'd need to be recommended by IKEA, I'd want to know that you knew what you were doing and had fast access to sort out missing bits and wouldn't damage anything

@CorvusPurpureus

Are you female, OP? Could be a nifty USP if so - lots of women would like to support a female tradesperson & would be happier having a woman working in their home.

I'd gladly hire you right now, but not in the UK.

Yes, I'm a woman

Doubt you could earn much at all doing that, unless as a ‘side hustle’. Would be better IMO to do things to build your CV to get a job.

@TheNestedIf

I like building flatpack furniture. From experience, one potential difficulty in your plan is that building a fair bit of flatpack furniture is a two person job. Something maybe to consider is whether you would be expecting the householder to help, or whether you would employ another person, or whether you would hope you could wrangle the larger items on your own.

To be honest the only thing I have ever had trouble with is hanging wardrobe doors. Not sure how I would manage doing that, I've built all sorts over the years and the only time I need DHs help is to do bloody wardrobe doors. I could easily get him to help me do that part I suppose!

In my area people tend to charge by item rather than per hour and there definitely is market for it. I actually paid someone to build the kallax unit, you know, basically a few shelves… mainly because I’m completely useless. They only charged me £10 for it and were done in no time.

Yes I would. I’ve had my fair share of building various bits of flat pack and I’m so sick of it. Check out task rabbit as that is where I know most people go for this sort of thing.

@Dozer

Doubt you could earn much at all doing that, unless as a ‘side hustle’. Would be better IMO to do things to build your CV to get a job.

I'm not too bothered about making a living from it. DH can easily support us with his work, I'm just so fed up being at home I need to get out and DO something, even if it's just a couple of hours a week or something.