£6k to fit a kitchen?

[YouBelongWithMe]

Urgh. We've designed an IKEA kitchen we love and are at the ordering stage. We arranged for the IKEA installers to give us a quote which is our preferred option as we can add it to the 0% finance option. We were told to expect this to be about £1500.

We got an additional quote for 'extras' - but they really aren't additional, they are necessary for the kitchen to be functional. Includes things like tiling, moving plug sockets, some electrical tidying up, plumbing bits. This part of the quote is £4700!!

If I've understood right, that means that the install will be over £6k - more than the kitchen and appliances combined!

It's taken the wind right out our sails.

Does this sound right for a kitchen fitting? We've never done one before.

DH fitted our Ikea kitchen including tiling and a bit of plumbing and electrical work and decorating. It’s possible if you are DIY oriented.

Not exactly the same thing but we had a new ensuite bathroom fitted last year. That was 5k for labour so it doesnt feel outrageous that a kitchen might be similar in terms of plumbing electrics, tiling etc (we hsd a plumber who did the whole thing)

It depends how big your kitchen is. I was quoted £3k to fit 7 cupboards, drawers, stove, sink, tiling and painting. I ended up needing plastering and some extra electrics.

I went with a private contractor but honestly I wish I'd paid B&Q. It took months for my contractor to install and I had to pay extra (plastering, electrics, refitting an outside tap, fixing the unit he had managed to break and leave) and I've still got to finish painting it.

I'm having the bathroom done next and I'm going to use B&Q installers.

Similarly my DH did all of ours about 20 years ago, because we didnt have the budget to pay anyone. It took months doing around working ft, and doesnt look as good as if a professional did it. We got a friend who is an electrician to do the lights.

I know. I felt sad for this tiler and he just said very few are learning the trade. He was very skilled. I said I couldn't even do what he did. I would mess it all up.

Definitely. There's a lot of money to be made in tiling as very few people can do it correctly. They can and many do command a high price for the skill involved. Same for other trades. The plumber we used for our wet room said he isn't taking on any apprentices just now because it's too much hassle in the sense that it slows him down at each job especially bathroom fitting and installation of boilers.

I love quizzing the trades to get a feel for how the future is headed in these trades. Very worrying times ahead. We need more young ones to get into the trades!!

We had a young tiler recommended to us by our fitter, he was probably about 25 and did an excellent job, but he was doing it part time around his other work which was stage crew for music festivals. We also have a fairly young locksmith who is very good too. So there are some out there, maybe doing it mix and match with something else. I have two friends whose early 20s DSs are an electrician and carpenter. But talking recently to a retired electrician who teaches part time, he said the quality of teaching has gone right down, maybe Andy Burnham will sort it all out.