Timing for flooring to be fitted

[DanniG1]

Hi. I was wondering if anyone has any pearls of wisdom around when to book in carpet and flooring fitters for when we move into our new house?

House is a new build and will need flooring throughout as it's currently just concrete floors.

We have our quotes and have picked our fitters and suppliers I'm just a little stuck on when to book them in for.

For example;

Book carpet fitters (upstairs) for moving day and then hard flooring fitted over the next couple of days.

Or

Book in carpet and flooring fitters for a few days after we move in and either muddle though with the concrete or stay with family for a few days and use the extra time to paint any rooms we plan to paint?

Any advice or experience welcome! 😊

Hopeful bump 😊

We had the same when we bought our new build. If staying with family is an option whilst it’s done I would definitely do that! We recently had our laminate downstairs replaced and it took all day and we couldn’t be in the way. If you have children it will be a nightmare trying to do it with them there!

@Flipfloppety

I was thinking they could perhaps do the upstairs whilst we're moving things in (store bedroom things in the garage etc while they're fitting).

Then maybe do the downstairs a day or two later and I'll hide upstairs while they do 😅

You sound like you are setting yourself up for a stressful time trying to move in AND have flooring done at the same time.
Surely you want to do one or the other?
Move in and make do then have the flooring done a week or two later when most items have been unpacked, alternatively stay with family and have the flooring laid after completion but before you move in.

We went the easy route and had almost all the flooring done by the developer with the exception of the living room which (8-weeks later) is still a bare floor but full of boxes.

Are you sure about painting?
Most developers don't recommend painting for a year or two to allow for shrinkage.
Ours carried out their free touch-up service last week but that is all we are having done.

I would stay with family if you can. (Although that can be a nightmare in a different way) Also the floors need to be dry enough for laminate/wood etc. Which can take a long time in a new build although out fitter put something on the floors but that took a few days. Has any floors needing tiling been done already?

My new build flooring people say the rooms have to be free of all furniture. I’ll move in after it’s all laid.

Painting !!!??? Missed that bit. Our developer painted throughout before we moved in . We’ve had a bit of settlement but it just needs a touch up, but surely no one leaves painting for a year or two nowadays 😮

@Dougieowner I think it will be stressful 😅 you're absolutely right but can't work out the best/most efficient way to get it all done. The house is painted but it's in magnolia and there's a few rooms we'd like to change to white (e.g. bathrooms) almost immediately because they just don't look right in magnolia.

@Countmeout good point about the settling etc and being dry enough. The house has thankfully been built since December so by the time we move in at the end of May it will have been sitting for 5/6 months so will have dried out. I think staying with family for at least a day or two seems like a sensible approach and leave most of the furniture dismantled in the garage to allow the fitters space to get things done

Talk to the developer about fitting carpets/floors after exchange but before completion. Our developer allowed us to fit hardwood floor before the skirting boards went on.

Have you had a quote for the developer to fit the flooring? When I bought my new build the quote for Bellway to fit the carpets actually beat the 3 local firms I had in as well to price it up. It meant I was able to get it done prior to completion and the cost became part of the overall purchase price.