Most people are surprised by how short the messy part of a kitchen renovation is, and how long the quiet part takes. Typically twelve to sixteen weeks pass between the approved drawing and installation, and for almost all of that time your old kitchen is still working.
Weeks one and two: measure and draw
It starts in the room. We measure every wall, window, service and ceiling height, and we ask how the kitchen is used. The first drawing follows, then revisions until the layout is right. This is the stage to change your mind, because on paper every change is easy.
Week three: specify and approve
Doors, finishes, worktops, hardware and appliances are chosen and the drawing is signed off. Appliances matter at this point, because the cabinetry is built around their exact dimensions, not just their type.
The long, quiet stretch
For the next twelve to sixteen weeks the cabinetry is built to the approved drawing, and nothing in the house has to change. It is the right time for anything structural: moving a wall, relocating plumbing, adding sockets, or opening a ceiling void for extraction. Those trades should finish before we arrive, not while we are there.
In an estate, this is also when approvals and delivery windows are settled. We cover that in estate build rules.
The week before: strip-out
The old kitchen comes out as late as possible, usually a few days before installation. Plumbing and electrical points are checked against the drawing and the walls are made good. Set up a temporary kitchen elsewhere in the house: a kettle, a microwave and a nearby sink go a long way.
Installation
For most kitchens the cabinetry goes in over five to seven working days: carcasses levelled and fixed, doors hung and aligned, panels scribed to the walls. It is the fast part.
Worktops, then the finishing
Stone worktops are templated once the cabinets are in, because they are cut to what was installed rather than what was drawn. Fabrication usually takes one to two weeks, and fitting takes a day. Sinks, taps and hobs are connected after that.
Aftercare
Timber and board settle in their first months, especially in humid air, so we come back to adjust doors and drawers once the kitchen has been lived in. That, and the five-year guarantee, is part of the job rather than an extra. See the whole process on our kitchens page.
