Fix the layout before ordering units
Draw the room with doors, windows and the position of the sink, cooker and fridge. Mark what you want to keep and where the current arrangement causes a problem: too little preparation space, an awkward door opening or inaccessible storage.
Give the fitter appliance model numbers, not just their widths. Door openings, ventilation requirements and connection positions can affect the cabinet layout. Have final measurements checked before ordering; an approximate sketch is useful for an enquiry, not a manufacturing drawing.
Assign each purchase to one person
List who will measure, order, receive and check the units, worktops, appliances, sink and taps. Decide who contacts the supplier if a delivery is incomplete or damaged. A fitting date can be lost while a missing panel or incorrect unit is replaced.
- Units and doors: supplier, final plan and delivery date
- Worktops: measurement and installation dates
- Appliances: model numbers and reuse or replacement
- Sink and taps: dimensions and connection requirements
- Flooring, tiles and lighting: supply and fitting responsibilities
Price the room as well as the cabinets
Ask whether strip-out, disposal, wall repairs, flooring and decoration are included. Moving a sink or appliance may require plumbing and electrical alterations; keeping the position can reduce that work but does not remove the need to check the existing services.
Compare quotations against the same list. For example, a cabinet-fitting price and a price including strip-out, electrical alterations and flooring cover different jobs, even if both are described as a kitchen renovation.
Arrange cooking and washing facilities
Ask when the old sink and cooker will be disconnected and when the replacements can be used. A separate worktop measurement and fitting visit may leave a gap between cabinet fitting and a usable sink.
Agree a temporary food preparation area, a delivery storage space and a route through the house. Before the start date, confirm which decisions could delay the next trade, including tile choices, appliance delivery and worktop measurement.
