Help! New kitchen!

[mazzamoo123]

Hi there,

I'm about to totally renovate a kitchen/dining room and have no idea how to go about doing it. Can anyone tell me the steps from beginning to end? In my mind, I think I'm supposed to get a structural engineer in first then get an architect to draw up plans for a builder to work from/submit to the council for building regs. Is that right??

Also, I have a few ideas of how it should look in my mind but I've made mistakes in the past and really want to get this right (without spending a fortune). Should I use an independent kitchen designer who would help me get it right and shop around for the best deals that suit my plans? Or should I just brave it and do it myself?? And if I use a kitchen designer, do I still need an architect??

So many questions! It's stressing me out! Any advice gratefully received.

Thanks

Are you knocking two rooms into one?

Yes!

If it's a load bearing wall, then you will probably need a structural engineer to design the steel to confirm with building regs.

Architects will often come out for a free visit and chat so that would be a good starting point - worth shopping around to find one you like.

We've used an architect to do a middling renovation job, and he priced the works and put it out to tender for us and organised the structural engineer too. For the kitchen we got several designers round to give us different ideas, and then cherry picked to get exactly what we wanted, and then the builder put it in for us.

Thanks so much @RandomlyGenerated

So when you used a kitchen planner, did you use an architect/structural engineer first? And who drew up the plans for the builder? Sorry for being so ignorant!!

I got an architect first who arranged a structural engineer. The kitchen I have done separately but I gave them copies of my architectural drawings.

Architect first, who draws up plans and engages structural engineer for calcs. Builder uses plans to price the works and then carry it out. As for the kitchen, depends whether you get the builder to fit it as part of the scope of works or go with a separate specialist firm - our builders had excellent carpenters / joiners so they fitted the kitchen and called in plumbers / electricians / tilers as necessary.

Ok great! Any recommendations for an architect? And how much am I looking at spending on just the plans/structural engineer?

We found an architect through personal recommendations from friends. I got him to do plans and tender for builders and supervise the contractual side of things it was about £3k or £4k? Was a while ago so can't remember. Structural engineer was a few hundred pounds (did roof calcs).

I did this last year.

1. Engaged structural engineer. They produced a plan for the steel.

2. Found a builder, they did the building works, working from the engineer's plan and they also handled building regs side of things.

I didn't have a designer or architect involved. I designed, sourced everything myself, including doors and windows.

I used a kitchen/flooring fitter rather than the builder who did the structural work.