How do I prepare for a kitchen or bathroom installation?
On YOUR MARKS
The time between pressing ‘go’ on your new kitchen or bathroom design, and the installation team arriving on your doorstep can sometimes give the impression that you have all the time in the world to prepare. Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow, right?
Maybe not in this case.
Our intention is to make the installation process as smooth and trouble-free as humanly possible, but we find a small degree of expectation management can help ease clients into the disruptive build phase. This article explores some of the key tasks and planning you can do ahead of time, to ensure your property is installation ready, and you and your household are mentally prepared.
YOUR PROPERTY
PARKING
During an installation, it isn’t unusual for there to be one or two vans parked outside your property daily. If parking permits are required, we will have organised them beforehand, but it might be a good idea to gently warn the neighbours ahead of time.
We always try to park with respect to people’s properties, but there may be the occasion when delivery of furniture needs to temporarily interrupt the usual roadside arrangements. We will try and be quick.
If a member of your household needs to regularly come and go in a vehicle, and access is made difficult due to our presence, we would advise parking the vehicle away from the property during the day.
WASTE REMOVAL
The initial removal of the old kitchen or bathroom always creates a large quantity of waste material. Our installers will deposit the waste into a skip, which will be placed either on your driveway or curbside, minimising the distance required to travel with heavy loads.
If you have children or curious animals, we ask that you keep them away from the skip, there are likely to be sharp hazardous objects within the waste that could do them harm.
PROPERTy PROTECTION
Sealing off areas of your property not associated with the build phase can drastically reduce the movement of unwanted dust. We will also cover any flooring that will be walked on by our team with protective material to prevent scratches and knocks.
Where possible, please remove all decorative items and furniture that may cause obstructions. For items that cannot be relocated, we will add a layer of protective material to minimise the risk of accidental damage.
Vibrations permeate through a building, potentially causing the risk of wall-hanging art and pictures falling. We recommend, for the period of the installation, that wall-hanging items are taken down to protect the piece and any surfaces below.
CONVENIENCE
Where it is appropriate, we will provide our installation team with a dedicated porta-loo located within the property boundary. This is to ensure our team can use the facilities without the risk of taking dust and debris into other areas of your home.
YOU AND YOUR HOUSEHOLD
NOISE
The unmistakable sound of drilling, hammering, sawing, and talking is an unavoidable byproduct of an interior renovation. The low-frequency, bass tones, can travel through a property and be audible from long distances.
We would recommend, if you work from home, that alternative arrangement are found for the installation period. Holding a phone or video meeting may be challenging, or concentrating, may be made more difficult, especially if you are used to quiet surroundings.
If you have pets or young children who may be startled by loud noise or sudden bangs, it may be advisable to locate them away from the work area.
DUST
Whilst we will have done our very best to protect and seal off areas of your property, it is almost inevitable that dust will find its way into other areas of your home. Our installation team will tidy up at the end of each day, and thoroughly clean down at the end of the project, but it is likely you will notice dust deposits in other rooms.
THINGS ARE OUT OF PLACE
It is always necessary to move pieces of furniture or box up previously stored items for the duration of the installation. This creates a disorganised living environment for the household and can be frustrating when all you need is the corkscrew after a busy week at work.
To ease this potential tension, we recommend thinking through your normal, everyday processes, making a cup of tea, washing your clothes, taking a shower, to name but a few. Then plan where and how you will accomplish these without your kitchen or bathroom.
Creating a temporary kitchen with portable appliances and disposable plates and crockery can be a successful short-term alternative. Likewise, having a planned household rota for the morning bathroom rush, whilst you have only one working space, will ensure everyone has the opportunity to get ready.
Hopefully, with a little planning and communication, these instances can be made much more tolerable and less of a frustration.
Unforeseen Issues
By the time we arrive on-site everything we could possibly have done to make the process as smooth as possible will have been considered. However, our experience tells us that things can still crop up and require attention.
With the support of the collective design and installation team, we have years of expertise and knowledge to draw upon. This allows us to act quickly, minimising any project disruption and providing you with a clear view of the challenge and the proposed solution.
If at any time, you feel unhappy with proceedings, you can contact your designer or our project site manager, and talk freely about your thoughts, feelings, and the situation. We will have conversations with our team to understand the reasons for your concern and make any necessary changes to move forward.
Rest assured, there is never any need for you to engage in a difficult conversation, we would much rather you spoke to us.
SAFETY
During the initial build phase, there can be a lot of installer movement within and around your property. Taking out old materials, and bringing in new furniture and tiles, there are many reasons why installers may be carrying large, heavy, objects, whilst trying to be careful not to damage their cargo, themselves, and your home.
Our team will always be courteous towards you and your household, and in return, we ask for the same degree of appreciation. We would ask that animals are kept away from the working area and parents are responsible for their children at all times.
IS THERE A WAY TO AVOID THE INSTALLATION PHASE?
If you wish to avoid the installation phase, then you are welcome to leave us with a key and go on holiday. Clients who have done this in the past return, relaxed and happy, ready to enjoy their new fully fitted kitchen or bathroom.
We provide as many, or as few, progress updates as a client requires. Keeping them abreast of key milestones whilst ensuring their break remains exactly that, a break.
If you would like to talk to us about a new kitchen or bathroom renovation, please contact our design team for more information.
