Having a new kitchen fitted - first timer help!

[guiltynetter]

I've ordered and paid for my new kitchen and now need to arrange getting it fitted.

This is my first house so I've never done it before. Is it normal to need multiple tradesmen? I've had a few quotes and they all seem really expensive because not only do I need the kitchen fitted but apparently I need -

A plasterer
An electrician
A plumber
A tiler
& somebody to fit the floor.

I can't get my head round hiring so many tradesmen for 1 kitchen and I'm worried the job is going to take ages. It's a tiny kitchen (you can literally fit 2 people in it at once) and I've worked out its going to cost around £3500-£4000 to fit it (I've had 3 quotes so far) I just can't think about it anymore!

Help!

There are some fitters who can do tiling and other things. If you have a gas stove you need a gas safe plumber, otherwise a fitter might be able to plumb in the other stuff. But generally you would have the plumbing and wiring done first to whatever the plan is then fit the kitchen, do the tiling (putting sockets in after) and flooring. You could hire a one stop shop who would do it all (I have a guy who can do it all other than the gas stuff, but he's a rare talent).

We had a new kitchen fitted last week and the builders did the actual fitting of the kitchen and the floor and then sub contracted the electrics, tiling and plumbing out to people they know. I paid the builder for everything and he took care of paying anything that was subcontracted. The fitting, plumbing, electrics, timing and decorating cost more than the actual kitchen and there were loads of costs we didn't budget for like new skirtings and how much the electrical work was because we wanted extra sockets and existing sockets moved about.

Have you taken out the old one yet? And removed the tiling? You'll know then if you need it skimming by a plasterer. If you're not moving or updating any electrics then you just need an electrician to wire any new appliances, so around £75 I'd have thought? Most fitters would be able to plumb the sink and if the washing machine isn't moving then that's a straight replacement /refitting. Flooring, yes but it's not that expensive to get it fitted. Tapi were going to charge me about £100 for a 10m2 kitchen floor. Tiling probably is separate to the fitting and can be pricey.

Redoing the kitchen is quite a big job as I'm also learning! Luckily I've got a skilled mate doing all but the flooring.

Misty9 no the new one isn't out, I can't rip it out until last minute really. I have a baby and a 5 year old so can't be without a kitchen 🙈 the only change to electrics is changing a single plug socket to a double. all the appliances are going back in their original places. there's no big changes so this is why I didn't predict it would cost such a massive amount :(

I had a budget of 10k which is a massive amount of money to me and it seems it'll all be gone and might even add more to it because of how much the fitting costs, I didn't know, how do people ever afford new kitchens?!

That seems a lot to fit a kitchen that is small. The electrician won't be much to swap a socket probably half a day they might charge . If the plumber is just swapping the sink again not much time.

There will be someone who can do all of it. The socket isn't a complicated job and neither is plumbing in the sink.

Could the place you bought the kitchen from not recommend someone?

We found our fitter on 'find a trade'.

https://www.findatrade.com/homeowners

I would look for carpenters and similar who fit kitchens. People who specifically say they're kitchen fitters may be the most expensive - a bit like when you mention weddings and the price doubles! I'd have though 1.5k max to fit and a few hundred for the trades to wire and fit appliances.

Agree with @Misty9 - all the “kitchen fitters” I contacted did exactly that, just literally fitted kitchen cupboards to the walls and slotted in appliances and then subcontracted out everything else with their own profit margin added on top. The carpenters I contacted were a lot more flexible - mine did all the floor and wall tiling (and it’s perfect), had to make some creative adjustments to get everything to fit, and were more than happy to do a bit of painting too. I plumbed and wired everything in myself because I always have done (though was recently told I shouldn’t have.)

If you’re south London based I can give you details of my guys. The whole thing cost me less than £1,500.

You don't need a sparky to replace a socket and I doubt that anyone able to fit a kitchen wouldn't be able to sort what very limited plumbing changes there are. Ditto tiling, which although no-ones favourite job is not difficult.
Keep asking around for differnt fitters .Where are you based?

First of all - you dont need tiling. Save yourself the expense. Just get an upostand for tghe work surface and paint above. Just a splash back for the hob is all thats needed.

Then get a builder to do all of it if they will. Or arrange all of it. However,you will be without the kitchen for around a week. That's inevitable. DD has just had a relatively small kitchen refitted and they cannot do it very quickly if all this work has to be done. Its impossible. So use your bathroom, get a microwave and just like as if you are camping! The pain will be worth it.

like - live as if you are camping.

My kitchen was finished yesterday. The fitter charged £850 and was finished in two days. He did the plumbing. I’m going to tile floor myself, first time but I’m patient and really think I can do it. DH is fitting new switches today and will do the under unit lighting. I also needed a bit of plastering but got back in touch with the kitchen company and they are sending me a large sheet of splasback(for free!) to cover the worst of it so I’m just going to fill and sand. If you’re in West Yorkshire, I’d highly recommend mine. Less than £5k all in

@ComtesseDeSpair please can you message me with the details of your carpenter. Like the OP, we're also finding prices insanely high, particularly as we're in the South East. Thanks

you can have the socket changed in advance. But consider if you want any extra sockets, or switches and outlets for fridge, washer etc under the worktop; extractor hood above the cooker, new cooker switch, and have them done at the same time. As you are soon going to have a kitchen refit it does not matter if the electrician leaves the plasterwork a bit scarred (electricians are generally not skilled plasterers). This depends on you finding a good local electrician, preferably by personal recommendation from someone you know and trust, and verifying that they are a member of a Competent Person Scheme (if they act offended when you ask, it's a bad sign).

Tradespeople tend to hang around with other local trades of similar standing. So a good local electrician will know a good local boilerman who will know a good plumber who will know a good plasterer who will know a good decorator. If they are any good they will not recommend anyone shoddy as it will damage their reputation.

Cowboys and chancers also hang around together.

A website where people pay to be listed is not a recommendation site. It is an advertising site.

Many good trades boast that they never need to advertise because their reputation brings them custom.

Kitchen fitters will have a go at anything, but this does not mean they are good electricians, or good plumbers, or good plasterers.

Builders usually know all of them.

Thanks so much for the replies - I'm based in the North West. The kitchen is from Wren (please no horror stories, ha) who charge £3000 for literally just fitting the kitchen nothing else so I won't be using them.

The electrician is my husbands friend so not concerned so much about the price of that, it was more the time that it might add onto the project. I was hoping to be without a kitchen for a week or so and that's fine, just worried it'll take longer having to coordinate so many different people?!

Thanks for the tip about the carpenters, I'll have a look.

we're really pleased with our Wren kitchen. but had our builder fit it for A LOT less.

the good thing is that their units come pre built so fitting is a pretty quick as they are not flat pack.

i reckon the order of events should be
mark out any new sockets/electrics
remove old kitchen
electrics
plastering if needed but sounds not
fit new kitchen /appliance s/ sink/ worktops/
flooring ( i didn't realise that is is always done AFTER the kitchen, i'd assumed the kitchen units went onto the new floor but apparently not)

As a temporary floor ( for 2 months) we used those large foam mats like children;s play mats but in black) which left a useable, tidy. warm floor until we could get the proper flooring done. . they were a great idea and we then used them as a floor in the garage/exercise room

I'm confused- why did you book and pay your new kitchen without checking you could afford to fit it?

For reference our kitchen cost 10 and the builder who did or subcontracted everything cost 12. (We did however completely redesign the space)

You can go as cheap or as luxury on the actual kitchen, it makes no difference unless you've got a decent fitter.

@ComtesseDeSpair please may I also have the details of your South London guys? We hope to begin a kitchen extension soon, and our builder (also a dear friend) has just been diagnosed with cancer.