Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
  • Kitchen fitting/planning software and top tips…
  • tacopowell
    Free Member

    Okay so some of you remember my jump into a career change from Learning disability support work to Joinery,

    Even after getting my distinction in Carpentry at college earlier this year, I’ve struggled to get work,
    I decided to make work myself and have been contracting with a student letting agent which has given me a platform to build a small business for myself,
    Simple handyman bits but enough to gain experience and confidence,
    The letting agent boss is happy with my work and called me yesterday offering me a kitchen fitting job through a client of his,
    Of course I snapped his hand off!
    Met them there 10 mins later, Of course this will be my first kitchen and I started panicking, Although they’ll get the electrics done, the walls and ceiling need re skimming, luckily I’ve got a acquaintance who can do this,

    Already have half a 2nd hand kitchen they want me to use with a free roam on the companies Howdens trade account to make up the rest.

    I’ve five questions for you friendly folk if you’d be so kind,

    1. How much can I expect to charge my plasterer (cash in hand) to re-skim a 2mx3m room?

    2. How much should I charge to fit the kitchen?

    3. Bear in mind this is my first attempt at kitchen fitting, How long should it take to fit?

    4. What top tips can you give to prevent any issues?

    5. What software do people use in the designing phase? is pencil and paper reasonable to provide?

    Any help would be massively appreciated!

    thehustler
    Free Member

    If you are using Howdens, get one of their designers to do all the planning and design for you together with pictoral reresentations of the finished design. If they are decent they will give you a detailed plan of what goes where even down to worktop joints and fillers and what they are to be made from, They wont discuss any costs with your client unless you say thay can so leaves you to do your own pricing.

    As to cost it really comes to where you live (local market rates etc).

    I used to work for Howdens, and cant/dont really have a bad word to say about them which IMHO says alot about a company

    cvilla
    Full Member

    Suggest measure the space and draw up a scaled plan, both to check the layout fits and that the client (boss) is happy. Then quantify then work x hourly rate plus materials hire of any kit.
    At least then you are explaining what you are doing so they understand, especially when they change their mind or something crops up and needs SOS, sorting on site!
    Worktop joints and lengths can be tricky. Who’s doing wall tiles, what sort of tiles, what size, how high up the wall etc, do they want glass splashbacks?
    If you use Howdens and can give then a scaled plan they may draw it up for you, worth a chat as you are starting that relationship, BUT always check their plans as mistakes can happen.
    But if you have a plan at least the client can sign off so everyone knows what they expect.
    Good luck.
    C

    EDIT, too slow, but as mentioned above Howdens will give YOU an itemised quote and pictures/plan of proposed kitchen.
    Just check that walls are straight and plaster is OK, but mostly as I work with old stone cottages (they’re never straight!)
    IAMNOTAJOINER -surveyor:)

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    seosamh77
    Free Member

    I reckon this is going to be a shanner of a kitchen! 😆

    djflexure
    Full Member

    We had ours done last year – its was a Howdens kitchen and they were good.
    They will do CAD drawings that you can show your client and change to suit.
    Price for the units involved a massive haggle – everything seems to end up 80% off. Think we paid about 5K.My wife and the fitter went down to Howdens together to try and get the best price.

    Our fitter charged £200 day working 8-6 – know him quite well now, very experienced and top job every time. Took 6 weeks with utility and downstairs bathroom but this involved completely gutting the place, ceilings down etc plus knocking down and building some walls. He put new boards up before replastering so that everything was nice and square for fitting tiles and cabinets.

    tacopowell
    Free Member

    I reckon this is going to be a shanner of a kitchen!

    Thanks for the vote of confidence 🙂

    TheFlyingOx
    Full Member

    Mates rates plastering would be about £350 for that size room including ceiling, at least where I am. Probably 2 days work if you consider render/bonding coat, drying time and skim coat. Less if it’s just plasterboard and skim.

    If that’s all that needs doing prep wise then going on my BIL’s rate of work I’d say you could get the plasterer in on the Monday and you’d be finished by the end of the weekend. That would be units up, worktops cut, flooring/tiling/painting, plumbing done (some of which can be done while plaster is drying). Obviously this involves having everything ready to install, and a thorough plan of where everything’s going, measurements made, etc.

    nickewen
    Free Member

    I fitted my kitchen earlier this year (IKEA not Howdens) – but some tips/lessons learned from me:

    > Worktop cutouts. Get the proper tool.. I think plunge saw/router? I had a brand new decent makita jigsaw and brand new laminate down cutting blades and it was a pig of a job – got there in the end more through luck (& swearing) than anything else. Never again.

    > If working with laminate be very sure to seal any cut edges, especially around the sink as once water gets in it will start lifting sharpish.

    > As already noted – type/style of splashback can add significant time/complexity. We bought these tiny brick style tiles and it took f’in ages to put them all up!

    > If there is a dishwasher going in plan utilities/waste very carefully as there is generally sod all space around the washer unit itself.

    Other than that – try to enjoy it. After gutting and renovating our whole house the kitchen was the most rewarding job. Fitting and tiling the bathroom was at the other end of the list.

    Also – I think Howdens units come already built? Should save some time.

    Good luck with the job.

    seosamh77
    Free Member

    tacopowell – Member
    I reckon this is going to be a shanner of a kitchen!
    Thanks for the vote of confidence

    anytime! 😆

    you doing it all yourself and how big is the kitchen?

    When I used to labour for my da as a student, 2 of us would do smaller kitchens over 2/3 days and larger kitchens could take up to a week. That’s just ripping out and fitting the kitchen, and allowing time for plumbers and sparks in and finalising before leaving it to the tillers/painters to come in and do their bit after we’d finished. (Plumbers and sparks would generally do prep work after the ripping out period and would turn up to finalise, fit appliances/sink/gas hob/lighting etc after the worktops have been put in.)

    how long is your string, essentially! 😆 Obviously things take longer is you need to do the floor and roof and things like that or sheet the walls with gyprock, etc etc, there’s a thousand complicating factors.

    tbh fitting kitchens isn’t difficult it’s a bit like putting lego together, but you need a router and a jig and the likes if you want to join the work tops properly. Guess you could hire one for the job. Least you’ll probably not need to do cornice and pelmet these days, noticed that’s been long since phased out of kitchen fashion, was always a bit of a bugger(just time wise.) doing the mitres.

    Just make sure everything is level!

    seosamh77
    Free Member

    btw if you are doing it yourself, my toptip would be to get someone into help you with the heavy lifting, ripping out, building units etc, while you concentrate on the fitting side of things.

    seosamh77
    Free Member

    edit, just notice the 2x3m room. Sounds closer to the 2/3 days range of things I reckon, particularly if it’s an empty room that’s been plastered and is good to go. You’re look at closer to the 2 days, less if you’re fast enough.

Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

The topic ‘Kitchen fitting/planning software and top tips…’ is closed to new replies.