how did you cope with new kitchen fitting?

[kitchenchaosargh]

We’ve got kitchen fitters in as of 5 minutes ago
and I’m already massively stressed. I’m not at work till
later. Any tips for managing the noise and drilling which is starting up? I’m working upstairs for now. Did you manage to live/go downstairs during the build or did you go out/upstairs? This is going to be three weeks! We’ve got a temporary kitchen set up in the dining room but it’s massively cramped in there. We have a small dog too who I’ve just let out for a wee. It’s going to be too hot to walk her later, until after 6.

We had people working on our kitchen for a couple of months! (Knocking down walls... Building an extension, moving plumbing etc)
Our temporary kitchen was a microwave and a small fridge in the conservatory.
I didn't attempt to work from home - I just left them to it. I started work at 8.30 anyway so was out of the house around 8.00. Then got home around 5.00, by which time they had gone. So that was my strategy - not to be there!

Two months. OMG! I work later in the day, so from 2 onwards. It means trying to work upstairs on my laptop. husband is wfh in office which is adjacent to lounge. It’s going to be chaotic!

Earplugs and the mantra “I want this…I need my new kitchen” 👍

yep! I keep looking at the photos they did of what it’s going to look like! We need it. Must be patient!

You’ll just have to get on with it. Stay out of their way.

I’ve been through it. The outcome and leaving trades to it was worth the aggravation.

Is it possible to go to local library to work? Go into the office like the olden days staff did?

I rely on specific room hire for my work. (self employed) so can only work when the room is booked in.

I would love to be able to afford a new kitchen so this sounds like a dream stress to have tbh. Did you not think this out before arranging them to come in? Go to the local library to work or if not buy sound blocking headphones. When not working go for a walk or do the shopping. Many people live on take aways when having a kitchen refurb and in a few weeks times you will have a lovely new kitchen. lucky you. I just saw you post that you can only work when the room is booked in. Cant you book in more frequently during the refurb?

yep. I feel like an ungrateful cow, it’s true. We’ve needed a new kitchen for twenty years, so it’s overdue that’s for sure!

We went to a neighbours house during the day and early evening ( they were on hols) and worked there and cooked there . It is good to be around to make decisions etc during the fit out though . It will be worth it my kitchen is stunning now and worth the pain

For mine the first day was the noisiest as they rip out the old kitchen.

Grow a pair perhaps...FFS the stress of a new kitchen,this place just gets better.

For us it came at the end of almost six months of demolition and building an extension (I also largely WFH and needed to be there to keep an eye as the one thing having done two big building projects on this house has taught me is that builders, even lovely ones, have no eye for aesthetics and things are much better with someone on site who can be asked at the drop of a hat). I just overrode, because we needed a kitchen. The previous one was essentially a Victorian servants’ kitchen.

This too will pass!

We went on holiday for the first week while they ripped out the old kitchen, re-plastered and did the first fix of plumbing and electrics. We had moved the fridge, microwave and table/chairs to the living room and had to fill water bottles from the outside tap. Other than that just stayed out of the way as much as possible, but we both work outside the home. The teen DCs were on summer holiday so they just stayed out / upstairs / in the front room, it was worse for them. But our kitchen is in a rear extension so the trades were using the back door for access / patio as a workspace and not really needing to come into the rest of the house apart from to use the loo / switch electricity on and off etc.

And yes to being around, it worked well to be away the first week, we were contactable by phone and left detailed plans, but then it was important to be around when they arrived in the morning and preferably when they left again in the afternoon as there were always lots of details to sort out.

thanks so much for this insightful post.

yes. We were tempted to be out/on holiday/ away lots, but can see the benefits of being onsite when decisions are needed.

Exactly

ODFOD

Our new kitchen/dining room took 6 months! My husband did it all himself! We had walls knocked down, walls bricked up, windows and doors bricked up and patio doors put in! When the chimney breast was taken out we discovered water had been getting in and all the floor boards and joists had rotted so they needed completely replacing! We were left with a cavern into the cellar for about 3 weeks! The dust and dirt was horrendous especially with a dog and a then 3 year old! The kitchen went in last! We started it in June and the only thing I made him promise was that it was done by Christmas! The finishing touches were put in on the 23rd of December! You have my sympathies cos it’s a ball ache but it’ll be worth it!

it’s so loud! There’s three of them though, so that helps.

it’s just new kitchen units/integral
appliances (not washing machine/dryer as they’re in another room)
Wow, your build sounds stressful! 6 months! Were you happy with the results?

I was happy yes! And proud of him for doing it all himself for us but good god it was stressful! To be honest after all the upheaval I’d have been happy with a Fisher Price toy kitchen!

yes you are😂Sorry! Aafter reading this i went into my kitchen which is now 30 years old and could have cried because I am unlikely to ever be able to afford even a basic new kitchen. Its only three weeks!