...to think I can fit my own carpet?

[stubbornstains]

We're moving house in a couple of weeks. New build, empty house, get the keys on the 14th and have a week to move in. I had a carpet fitter booked for the morning of the 16th, but he's just blown me out. I've already bought the carpet- it's waiting for me at the shop- it's a Shetland cream wool (not as expensive as it sounds- it was a sale bargain). I'm planning to do the 2 bedrooms, upstairs landing and stairs.

I'm going to be fitting engineered wood flooring downstairs myself anyway - WIBU to think "sod running around trying to find another fitter, let's just buy the necessary gubbins (whatever they are! I don't even know what I need!) and crack on with it?

Get another carpet fitter!

don't do it.
don't do it
don't do it
don't do it

ahem...

If you know someone who has ever fitted carpet, get them to help you but for goodness sakes don't tryit for the first time on your own.
It may sound simple but it's not and by the time you've bought grippers, whacker, knife, knee pads, carpet chisel, rubber mallet etc etc you could have almost paid for a fitter to do it.

If you do try it, don't do the stairs ffirst, do a square bedroom first. Leave the stars till alst, I can tell you, stairs are a waking nightmare to carpet for inexperienced people like me

In my experience, carpet fitting is one of those jobs that looks easy on youtube or when a pro is doing it, when you do it yourself though, it's a different ball game, its a different sport, its not even a ball game, it's not even a game.... etc.

I thought I could take a radiator off. The B&Q book made it look easy.

I fitted our spare bedroom. It's ok and looks quite good for my first attempt at carpet fitting.
To try and fit your own stair carpet, however, is extreme madness.
Pay someone.

I sang a bedroom carpet no bother, but I wouldn't even attempt stairs. Try get another fitter, maybe ask in FB local groups?

Can do, not sang

Oh dear.....I appear to have re opened some old wounds for some posters...

(wibble)

Don't give yourself the stress, I tried it once.

(runs for phone)

Don't bother.

I am a 'Master' of D.I.Y. with an UnGodly amount of patience who refuses to pay anyone for anything I can do myself.

Turns out, I can't do it.

We did our own for the upstairs landing and stairs. I think we borrowed the wacker and it was fine. Paid someone to do the living room as it's an odd shape and the chosen carpet would have made it obvious if we messed up the cutting at all.

We are quite practical, diy types though and DH has a workshop full of tools.

Although I did text another fitter yesterday who said he couldn't because he's off sailing for a month (lucky sod!), but could help on his return. Maybe I could get him to do the stairs when he comes back? (hopeful).

My mum and I laid the carpet in my old bedroom at home. But it was a pretty square room, just a chimney breast to cut out. Carpet is still fine 20 years later. But... I'd never in a month of Sunday's do stairs, and now have a good friend who used to be a carpet fitter so would call on him.

Try the likes of trusted trader etc and FB for recommendations. It won't be worth the hassle.

Same as user, I can lay a patio, build a cupboard, I cannot lay a carpet. Don't even think about it.

Ds is excellent at DIY. He would do almost anything needing doing at home from woodcarving through electricity and plumbing. He's even upholstered chairs. He almost never gets someone in to do anything (except when the chimney needed rebricking as he doesn't like heights)

He tried carpet laying once. He said never again.

My former colleagues wife fitted the carpet on their stairs herself, it was fine for a while then several weeks later the carpet came away from a step as she was walking down the stairs, she fell and fractured both her legs......

God no don't do it! I'll always DIY where I can but won't attempt plastering or carpet fitting ever again.

I've just called 4 carpet fitters. All booked up (weeps).

I wonder how much damage to relationships those YouTube DIY videos have done that make things look so easy?

I fitted all our bedroom carpets, but I'd never attempt stairs or landings. Too much trickiness with the cutting. I'd never try and fit a carpet with any sort of pattern either, bedroom ones are all plain.

Eeek!! No way. OH and I are pretty fearless renovators, he's a professional builder. We do almost everything ourselves rather than pay somebody else. There's no way we would fit our own carpets. I'd sooner plaster a wall. Make one wrong cut and you've wasted a lot of money OP.

Keep looking for a carpet fitter. Try phoning up local carpet stone as thry might advise of a carpet fitter. Please dont attempt this! (Hands out chocolate and wine)

YouTube videos are useful to find out - if you don't already know - just how to do things. Then you get a pro in if possible.

Strewth, Mum. You'd plaster a wall?