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Utility room fitters

(8 Posts)
FlexibleFriend Fri 07-Jun-19 18:55:29

Depending on the space available it's not difficult, my son and I did ours last year. We have fitted our own kitchen in the past so had a pretty good idea what we were doing. We bought high gloss white units from B&Q off the shelf. Ordered a couple of lengths of oak worktop on Ebay and fitted it all within the day. So any competent Diyer can do it but certainly a kitchen fitter or a tradesman off rated people or whatever they're called. I wasn't overly keen on the quality of the units from B&Q definitely not as good as Ikea but the doors are fine.

Nanabilly Fri 07-Jun-19 18:24:48

Agree with fourormore . Look for a local home improvements /builder and they will do a better job than the big company fitters who are sub contractors and not employees . They still have to stick to what the big companies allow them to do though and customising fit or style is not one of them .They will also not be able to do certain other o be whereas a home improvements company will be cheaper but more importantly do a more bespoke job. Get a few in for plans and quotes

varian Fri 07-Jun-19 18:19:44

Sometimes the fitted kitchen companies can be helpful, and these days they generally use CAD which gives perspective drawings that are for some people easier to understand than plans and elevations. These are usually free of charge.

However you should remember that although they might refer to themselves as designers, they are actually salespeople and get paid commission so it is in their interests to sell you the most expensive layout, not necessarily what suits you best. Some of them may only have had a week's design training so cannot possibly be compared with the skill of an architect or properly qualified interior designer.

Vonners Fri 07-Jun-19 17:42:21

My daughter had 3 'Big Companies' quote for a kitchen in her small flat. She particularly wanted to be able to store the ironing board and have shelves for cookery books. All 3 said their plans could not incorporate her needs!!
From this, it strikes me they maybe have 'set' designs?
I would be inclined to get some quotes from local joiners.
Alternatively buy something secondhand and get it refitted, there are some real bargains to be had online and if you buy more than you need it should be straightforward for someone to fit it to your utility area.

M0nica Fri 07-Jun-19 16:33:39

I think either will give you good service. I think it would depend on whether you needed a significant number of unitsand long runs of worktop (Kitchen company), or lots of worktops, odd shaped cupboards and fitting. In which case a local joiner would probably be better

varian Fri 07-Jun-19 16:07:51

If your utility room does not need to be as smart as your kitchen, you might get great value for money by buying second hand kitchen units, either on ebay or by asking a local kitchen fitter if he is replacing a kitchen and the old units are going spare.

fourormore Fri 07-Jun-19 15:53:33

We aren't allowed to recommend actual companies by name as far as I know LornaS but we recently updated our utility room.
We contacted local smaller builders/home improvement companies and obtained both advice and quotes from several before deciding which one to go with.
Since moving in four years ago we have built up a good choice of various tradesmen that way.
Word of mouth is good to go on as well and your local AgeUK should have a list of local tradesmen.
I don't know the state of your utility room but ours was prone to blackening from condensation etc. We bought plastic panels (the sort used in shower rooms etc.) from a well known auction site which our man expertly fitted and it looks great.
Make sure you check out whoever you choose but we found that smaller local chaps valued their reputation too much to risk ripping you off. Good luck!

LornaS Fri 07-Jun-19 15:29:53

I'd like to get my utility room fitted with proper cupboards and shelves to replace the mishmash of unsuitable bookcases and old chest of drawers we currently have. Should I get a kitchen fitting company like Wren or Magnet or get a joiner? I need to accommodate the washing machine and dryer and also the freezer and perhaps have a sink fitted. Any recommendations would be welcome.