Choosing a Kitchen Installer
Your kitchen is the heart of your home. It’s a place where you want to feel comfortable and relaxed and it needs to work on a practical level too. Buying a new kitchen is a big purchase and you’ll want to get it right first time. Having spent plenty of time, money and resource on the actual kitchen itself, sadly, the less glamorous part of the overall process, the installation, can often be overlooked.
Along with the design, the quality of the fit is the most important element of any kitchen project and the one that will truly make the difference between you being satisfied or delighted with your purchase.
The first crucial decision is who to employ to fit your new kitchen. There are a number of options to consider:
Use your kitchen retailers own installersUse installers recommended by your kitchen retailerUse your own independently sourced installerInstall the kitchen yourselfFind a friend/family member to install your kitchenAt this stage, before committing, we would advise getting three quotations. Make sure the brief you provide to all installers is exactly the same so that you can compare like for like when the quotations come in.
We have compiled a starter-for-ten list of questions that you may wish to consider when weighing up the pros and cons of each option.
Has the installer provided you with a full and detailed quotation?Are there any potentially hidden extras in your quotation and is the installer happy to answer any questions you may have?Does the installer regularly install kitchens or are they more of a general tradesman?Does the installer have a good relationship with the supplier?Does the installer offer a friendly and professional service?Is the installer recommended by either the supplier, friends or family?Is the installer happy to provide references from past clients?Do you feel you can trust the installer?Is the installer happy to spend time discussing the project with you prior to starting?Do you feel the installer will provide you with unbiased advice?Is the installer happy providing you with a work schedule so that you know what is happening on a day-to-day basis?Will you be without use of your kitchen/kitchen sink? For how long? Is the installer happy to help set up a temporary solution?Does the installer provide all the services required – plumbing, gas and electrical work or do additional contractors have to be called in? ... and if so, are there additional costs?Does the installer offer a complete final clean and after-fit service?Does the installer have all the necessary certification to meet UK legislation and regulation?Do you intuitively feel you can work with the installer since they are going to be present in your home for a few days/weeks?!
27th Sep 2016