Top Tips for an Immaculate Kitchen Installation

Top Tips for an Immaculate Kitchen Installation

Congratulations on your new kitchen! At least that’s what friends and relatives will be saying in a fortnight or so when you invite them round for a look.

After all it’s a big deal completely changing the look and feel of one of the main rooms in your home. Next to the bedroom, the kitchen is probably the area in which you spend most of your time, especially if you’ve a large family-sized table where everyone chooses to sit. Because of this, getting an entire new kitchen fitted can seem daunting, for instance where will you cook, wash, kids do their homework etc?

Well, worry not. At My Beautiful Kitchen we’ve worked it all out for you with the following handy step-by-step guide to preparing your existing kitchen for renovation.

Cooking up a treat

Unless you’re a take-away lover, cooking is probably one of the main occupations of your kitchen. Here’s some ways to make sure you’re not too inconvenienced:

• Now is the time to visit that nice restaurant down the road you’ve always fancied
• Take up friends on their repeated offers of dinner
• Most supermarkets these days do dinner-style salad trays, sushi, cold meat platters etc. and of course, there’s always the fail-safe takeaway option
• For breakfasts and lunch you could think about installing your kettle, toaster, coffee machine and microwave in a little-used room. It’s only for a few days and means you’ll be able to have a cuppa whenever you fancy. You’ll also have somewhere to prepare food and, more importantly, eat!
• Obviously the plumbing is going to be turned off for a short time so it might be a good idea to store up with bottled water or maybe a kind neighbour will let you fill up the kettle? If it’s just the sink that’s been removed we can fit an angled washing machine valve to the cold supply so you can continue to fill the kettle

Storing your stuff

You’ll be amazed at how much kitchen gear you’ve amassed over the years. Now you need somewhere safe to put it at least a couple of days prior to work commencing. Remember it’s not just the kitchen you’ll have to rescue treasured objects from. Workmen will be gaining access through the hallway so for peace of mind move all loved items from there too. Also:

• Make sure your hallway carpet or flooring is covered to avoid muddy footprints. It’s also a good idea to tape up main entry doors with a dust sheet
• When storing your stuff don’t just dump it all haphazardly in a cupboard, spare room or the garage. It will be far easier to unpack if it’s in neat, labelled, boxes. Remember to wrap breakable items in bubble wrap or newspaper
• Now would also be a good time to do a clean-up of clutter. Do you really need that set of ‘Guitar Great’ coasters from your student days? Or the complicated cookery book you’ve never used? And what about all those Crazy Straws that have sat unused at the back of a drawer for decades?

Replacing appliances

For convenience and tidiness these should be kept in the same room as your kettle, toaster etc. It’s also an idea to:

• Keep your old fridge or freezer in a spare room until the new ones are working – otherwise where are you going to store your milk and other perishables in the meantime?
• Try and do a huge pile of washing before the installation so you’re all set for the week ahead. If you really do have to wash, is there a laundrette nearby? Will a friend let you come round and use her washing machine for an evening while you both grab a coffee and enjoy a catch-up together?

Think tidy

• If the workmen aren’t contracted to do this for you then you should think of ordering a skip beforehand (you don’t want to annoy the neighbours!) Store old cabinets and wood in your garden until it arrives
• On the subject of neighbours, out of courtesy let them know you’re about to have some major work done and life could be noisy for a bit. Also, that there will be vans parked outside for some time
• Make sure there’s not going to be any kids or pets around either. Maybe the little ones and Tiddles to stay at Gran’s house for the time being?

Ordering bits and pieces

In order to get your kitchen finished on time it’s important to ensure that all appliances etc are ready to be fitted so:

• Tie any deliveries down to specific dates. For instance, if you’ve ordered tiles, wallpaper, ceiling fittings etc make sure they come when the company says they will
• When ordering appliances from a website, get them delivered a week prior to installation to give you time to send back any broken or unsuitable products. Try and use reputable sites too such as www.bootskitchenappliances.com

Keep in touch

• It’s always useful to be able to get in touch at a moment’s notice so it’s a good idea to leave your contact number with us in case there are decisions with your kitchen we feel you’d be better qualified to make
• We’d appreciate a spare key for access too!

Decisions, decisions, decisions…

• Have you made up your mind where you’d like the sockets for your microwave, toaster etc to be? Where is the dishwasher, freezer, fridge to be located? Are you happy with the existing kitchen lighting? You need to tell us so we can guarantee you’ll be delighted with the outcome
• Meanwhile, we can check any dodgy wiring on existing appliances to make sure you’ve no future nasty shocks in store

Your turn to take to task

This is where you get to do the judging of the work that’s been done over the past week. You’ll have paid quite a bit of money for this renovation and you want to make sure your investment has been worth it. It’s an idea to:

• Check every door shuts, corners are finished properly and there’s no messy paintwork or poor plastering
• Let the kitchen installation company know, in writing if need be, what you’d like fixed and when