Full Kitchen Refit : Opinions on fitting price
Discussion
Hi, we are after opinions on the quotes we are receiving from fitters to install a new Magnet kitchen. I have included current images and projected images of the new kitchen. In short the work is as follows:
-Complete rip out and disposal of old kitchen
-Complete install of new kitchen including all related plumbing, electric and plastering/snagging
-Opening up of a cupboard (partial wall removal) to move current fridge freezer
-Removal and re lay of flooring across most of downstairs of house - (50 metre squared across 4 rooms)
Expected time - 2 to 2.5 weeks ish.
Our chosen fitter who has been round and we like has quoted us £7500 plus VAT so £9k. (Why do they do that, just give a price, why is it always the wrong price and then you have to pis about adding VAT, absolutely HATE that). Initially we thought that was a lot but, on reflection, not so sure it is. I have had a couple of others in to quote for the same job, two are coming back to me however one local builder that came yesterday that I really liked has quoted us 18k for the same work - 18k! That's double, and would see the total cost of the whole job come to £38k. For a kitchen. Can't be right.
Our kitchen cost from Magnet is £13k, we are getting engineered wood for the downstairs at around £2500 and we have yet to source worktops but Quartz will be around £3800. So full price with our initial fitter would be £28k ish.
We have done every room in the house and a previous loft conversion so are used to trades costs and the like but this was a while ago and the kitchen as one room we have never had done before. Do these prices (£9k fitting) sound as expected - and also bearing in mind we are having some additional work done too? Current pics and then design pics - obviously the design pics look a little naff because the colours aren't true but it should be great once done. The top units are actually grey and the walls are not that sandy colour.
-Complete rip out and disposal of old kitchen
-Complete install of new kitchen including all related plumbing, electric and plastering/snagging
-Opening up of a cupboard (partial wall removal) to move current fridge freezer
-Removal and re lay of flooring across most of downstairs of house - (50 metre squared across 4 rooms)
Expected time - 2 to 2.5 weeks ish.
Our chosen fitter who has been round and we like has quoted us £7500 plus VAT so £9k. (Why do they do that, just give a price, why is it always the wrong price and then you have to pis about adding VAT, absolutely HATE that). Initially we thought that was a lot but, on reflection, not so sure it is. I have had a couple of others in to quote for the same job, two are coming back to me however one local builder that came yesterday that I really liked has quoted us 18k for the same work - 18k! That's double, and would see the total cost of the whole job come to £38k. For a kitchen. Can't be right.
Our kitchen cost from Magnet is £13k, we are getting engineered wood for the downstairs at around £2500 and we have yet to source worktops but Quartz will be around £3800. So full price with our initial fitter would be £28k ish.
We have done every room in the house and a previous loft conversion so are used to trades costs and the like but this was a while ago and the kitchen as one room we have never had done before. Do these prices (£9k fitting) sound as expected - and also bearing in mind we are having some additional work done too? Current pics and then design pics - obviously the design pics look a little naff because the colours aren't true but it should be great once done. The top units are actually grey and the walls are not that sandy colour.
We've just had the main bedroom and inner hallway completely gutted - ceilings down and reboarded, extra sockets added, walls replastered, floor tiles up and new tiles laid, built-in wardrobe, new skirtings, understairs cupboard with custom doors, new glass balustrade, staircase over-boarded and redone with Karndean.
Total cost was £13k, took 8 weeks for one guy - a week longer than he estimated.
Total cost was £13k, took 8 weeks for one guy - a week longer than he estimated.
Cheers, its just impossible to know what to expect really. Quotes all vary so much and all the traders and companies may have great reviews but you never know what's going to happen until they start work. We are sticking with the chap who initially quoted as he came round, met us and we had a good feel for him. It all feels right. But when you then start researching quotes and trying to work do due diligence everyone has a different opinion and there doesn't ever seem a clear answer. Guess just take the plunge and hope for the best!
I assume that s labour only. Having one person responsible for the whole work makes your life easier but you re adding lots of separate jobs into one hence a wild difference in prices. This is your kitchen and I know how much of a hassle it is to not have one for several weeks!
If you re prepared to add the stress of living without a kitchen for longer, with some organisation, you could approach it by separating the work and quotes
- Rip out kitchen and flooring. Easy DIY job, price of a large skip
- Electrician and plumber on a day rate for first (and later second fix)
- Builder to open up the cupboard and plastering
- Kitchen fitter just for the units with the room all prepped beforehand. Pretty quick and easy job!
I was quoted £4500 for a similar sized kitchen around 7 years ago, with electrical and plumbing work needed. Did it all myself in the end and cost me less than £1000 for the trades, as above.
Wife has only just started talking to me though
If you re prepared to add the stress of living without a kitchen for longer, with some organisation, you could approach it by separating the work and quotes
- Rip out kitchen and flooring. Easy DIY job, price of a large skip
- Electrician and plumber on a day rate for first (and later second fix)
- Builder to open up the cupboard and plastering
- Kitchen fitter just for the units with the room all prepped beforehand. Pretty quick and easy job!
I was quoted £4500 for a similar sized kitchen around 7 years ago, with electrical and plumbing work needed. Did it all myself in the end and cost me less than £1000 for the trades, as above.
Wife has only just started talking to me though
Edited by Hans_Gruber on Thursday 22 January 14:49
I did mine last year.
Ikea units, appliances soured online, porcelain worktops. Removed a wall, new ceiling, took the floor up and relayed with porcelain tiles and UFH, complete new plumbing (included moving a 110mm drain and a water heater), added a load of new sockets, re-plastered walls.
I took the old kitchen out myself in an afternoon. I had a couple of lads for 4 days to do the strip out and get everything in to a skip, a plumber to do all the plumbing stuff, and a mate did the ceiling & final coat plastering. I did everything else myself.
Even with me doing much of it myself, it was the best part of €20k… and it nearly killed me.
If you can do all that for £28k and not lift a finger yourself I reckon you’re doing well. It will take longer than 2.5 wks!
Ikea units, appliances soured online, porcelain worktops. Removed a wall, new ceiling, took the floor up and relayed with porcelain tiles and UFH, complete new plumbing (included moving a 110mm drain and a water heater), added a load of new sockets, re-plastered walls.
I took the old kitchen out myself in an afternoon. I had a couple of lads for 4 days to do the strip out and get everything in to a skip, a plumber to do all the plumbing stuff, and a mate did the ceiling & final coat plastering. I did everything else myself.
Even with me doing much of it myself, it was the best part of €20k… and it nearly killed me.
If you can do all that for £28k and not lift a finger yourself I reckon you’re doing well. It will take longer than 2.5 wks!
£20-somethin' £k to refit a kitchen.
Another thread, £20k for an extension.
I could go with the view that the best upgrade would be to build an extension and evict the washing machine from the kitchen.
But then, I quite like 80s/90s/2000s cars and I'm quite comfortable in a retro kitchen if it works and the food and company are OK.
Another thread, £20k for an extension.
I could go with the view that the best upgrade would be to build an extension and evict the washing machine from the kitchen.
But then, I quite like 80s/90s/2000s cars and I'm quite comfortable in a retro kitchen if it works and the food and company are OK.
I quite like your existing kitchen. There’s not a lot wrong with it. You could do a significant transformation by ripping out the floor tiles and maybe the wall tiles to something a bit more modern.
If you really don’t like the cupboards you could just change the fronts and keep the carcasses.
You might be able to do that an knock the wall down. It’d be a tonne cheaper
If you really don’t like the cupboards you could just change the fronts and keep the carcasses.
You might be able to do that an knock the wall down. It’d be a tonne cheaper
We paid about a grand less last year in Labour with a similar sized kitchen. We didn’t mess with walls but, like you, had most of the flooring downstairs replaced with tiles and a few small odd jobs here and there that came about during the refit.
Took just shy of two weeks as well so I don’t think you’re being taken for a ride cost wise.
Took just shy of two weeks as well so I don’t think you’re being taken for a ride cost wise.
We had a similar (ish) sized kitchen replaced about 18 months ago.
I removed the existing kitchen (sold it on FB Marketplace for £1.5k) and done a lot of the prep myself. Kitchen including Siemens oven & microwave and induction hob, Liebherr fridge and Quooker tap was £28k fitted (including plumbing) with an additional £3k for quartz worktops. Electrical works were another few hundred.
I think the fitting alone was £4k.
I removed the existing kitchen (sold it on FB Marketplace for £1.5k) and done a lot of the prep myself. Kitchen including Siemens oven & microwave and induction hob, Liebherr fridge and Quooker tap was £28k fitted (including plumbing) with an additional £3k for quartz worktops. Electrical works were another few hundred.
I think the fitting alone was £4k.
We had a kitchen half the size of yours fitted in 2018
OP, by a very good local chippy who came recommended by a friend.
Labour alone was £4k plus VAT and it took 2 weeks. Much less work than yours. I feel £9k for all you are getting dome is pretty reasonable.
What area of the country are you?
OP, by a very good local chippy who came recommended by a friend.
Labour alone was £4k plus VAT and it took 2 weeks. Much less work than yours. I feel £9k for all you are getting dome is pretty reasonable.
What area of the country are you?
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