Tips - Kitchen and Bathrooms

May 5, 2007 by kotoman

Kitchens and bathrooms require similar expertise for checking and installation of plumbing, hot-water systems and electrics. In both rooms, plan space for opening cupboards and appliances and, in kitchens, allow for comfortable movement when using sinks or preparing food.

We recommend you design your kitchen around a compact working triangle that links your fridge, cooker and sink (see ‘Planning a kitchen‘). Changing the position of taps, showers, power points and waste pipes can be complicated and increase cost, so it’s important to plan your space carefully.

You can’t afford to be without a kitchen or bathroom for long, so plan ahead and remember that the best tradespeople are often booked months in advance.

Regulations

Radiators, underfloor heating or hot-water systems should be installed by a Corgi-registered plumber, and a Part-P registered electrician should be used for all electrical work in these rooms.

You’ll also need building regulations approval for a new waste pipe as well as for ventilation, drainage, structural stability and fire safety.

However, you won’t need planning permission if you’re just taking out old kitchen units or bathroom suites and replacing them.

Cost and timings

Expect to pay between £11,000 and £120,000 for a built-in kitchen or, if you have experience and time, use a budget self-assembly kit within your remodelled space to keep costs down. These cost from around £600.

Bathrooms can cost between £4,000 and £40,000, including removal of old suites and installation of new units, fittings, flooring, tiling and decoration. Costs for both will vary greatly depending on materials and style.

A complete kitchen refurbishment can take two to three weeks and upwards, depending on size and complexity, while a bathroom should take two to eight weeks.

Insider tips

Mike Lawrence, author of the Which? Book of Home Improvements:

Always get at least three quotes and insist on paying against specific jobs completed to your satisfaction.
Always check past workmanship. Cheapest isn’t always best; enthusiasm and commitment to a project are important.
Doing some of the finishing work yourself can save a lot of money, but make sure you can do it to a professional standard.
Work on sloping sites can mean unexpectedly costly groundwork and extra work to match existing floor levels.

Home-improvement expert Alison Cork:

Always get the detail in writing. It’s not enough to rely on the ‘goodwill’ that may exist between you and the contractor.
Trusting a single-line quote is a recipe for disaster. Quotes should be detailed. Break the job into logical components.
Anything to do with foundations has potential for complications. Allow a 20 per cent margin of error in your budget for this.

source: Which