To help you get it right, here are the 6 biggest kitchen fitting mistakes to avoid:
1. Gaps! If you haven’t measured properly, haven’t accounted for uneven angles, or have forgotten about filler panels and strips, you’ll end up with unsightly gaps in your kitchen. This looks amateurish and can ruin the look of your kitchen, so it must be avoided at all costs.
2. Not measuring properly. Accuracy is everything when planning a kitchen, so measure and measure again to get the correct figures down to the last millimetre (tip – always measure in millimetres for greater accuracy).
3. Not allowing enough space for drawers, cupboards and movement. This is more of a design than an installation problem, but it can be spotted at the fitting stage. Many people plan kitchens with doors and cupboards shut, but you need to allow enough clearance for everything to open without obstruction.
4. Not preparing walls and floors properly. When renovating a kitchen, it isn’t as simple as taking out old units and putting new ones in. Instead, it’s the ideal opportunity to carry out necessary repair work to walls, ceilings and floors before the new kitchen goes in – it could make a difference to the finish.
5. Uneven worktops and units at different heights. When it comes to fitting a kitchen, a tape measure and a spirit level are your best friends. It can be painstaking work ensuring that everything is level and units are at the exact heights, but it ensures a professional finish and a smooth sweep of units and worktops across the whole room. If something isn’t level, you will definitely notice it – and it will drive you to distraction!
6. Doing jobs out of order. A kitchen renovation needs to be very carefully planned, with as much attention paid to the different stages in the fitting as to the design itself. You can't simply rush in and do everything at once – the jobs need to be done in a very particular order. Jump too far ahead (i.e. fitting units before the electrics are done) and you could end up with a serious problem. Professional kitchen fitters know this and are able to plan out a schedule of works, so it might be a good idea to get some expert advice if you're not sure what comes first.
To avoid kitchen fitting mistakes, of which there are many more than those listed here, it might be a good idea to consult a professional. A&J Kitchens have vast experience in kitchen fitting, and often have to swoop in to rescue poorly fitted kitchens. If you want a professional finish, it makes sense to use a professional fitter like A&J Kitchens.