I was going to say it took 12 months to do my kitchen but technically it's not finished yet! I'm still to stick about 10 tiles, grout and fit handles to the drawers..
I think most tradesmen are the same, my wife hates me talking about jobs I do for customers because nothing gets finished at home. Steve
a good mates a kitchen fitter in oban. £20+ph always v.busy, he allows 5days for a kitchen, 3days for a bog. lots of fitters up here all busy at that price. he uses howdens a lot. before he went self employed 10 years ago he was working for a company in argyll where he recons the average price was 20k for a kitchen 9k for the bog.
sure its the same in all rural areas, self employed always busy if there any good, no advertising, just word of mouth.
The most important thing about kitchens is getting the design absolutely right before anything is ordered.........it takes a lot of thought and using basic common sense; something the idiots that do specialist company designs are can't capable of. For example, one wall of my kitchen is slightly bowed outward vertically at about worktop height - so I knew straight away that if Madam wanted a 600mm worktop then using 600 deep units would mean cutting back the rear of the carcasses at the bottom where they touched the wall. Damn sight easier to use 500mm deep units - no cutting required and assembled a run of units in one go before pushing them back into place.......that way getting the units all level isn't a problem.
I live in a small market town, never been short of work and never had to advertise but that hasn't been a reason to increase rates, I am content, that's all that matters. Steve
yip, hear yah birdie, no aspirations to be a millionaire, happy customers, no stress has a value too. apart for a wee blip last year i have always been busy, but dont think i can afford to be retiring anytime soon. good job i enjoy what i do.
Bakewell is North I believe that what ever trade you do your house should reflected what you do and be finished, your poor wife. Ive been Decorating since i was 16 and now 50 and not advertised for 15 years, hope it keeps that way but lets face it if house price's keep rocketing work keeps coming in and kitchen price's etc will keep going up.
I retire in 8 months, she has a list of things for me to do when that day arrives. Of course Bakewell is north but only north of the southerners, it's also south of the northerners. Steve
Well I just wish you tradesmen lot would 1) answer your phone 2) turn up when you say you will 3) stick to your promises. I have tried 3 gas/plumbers now, 2 booked time to come have a look and quote and didn't turn up, 1 hasn't returned VM. Got a leaking shower, a boiler to service, a gas fire to take out and a full bathroom fit. Not like it's just a dripping tap
and I wish clients would be ready for me when i turn up as arranged, not change there mind every five minutes, when supplying there own materials have a clue and do not hold me responsible when the crap they have bought is not fit for purpose, understand that there is a cost implication when they deviate from the plan, schedule or when I have to modify something that is not fit for purpose, would pay on time as agreed and stop asking me if I could, "while I have the tools out" do something free of charge. how bout "while ya at the bank" you just get me some extra money for a job I've not done? Same thing
Tell me about it! I blame Channel 4. Everyone thinks they're "project managers" now. There's a reason why it takes many years of training to master a trade. There's a reason why quantity surveying is a respected and well paid profession and why you need a degree to be an architect. Yet still there are some people who don't understand that you can't replace years of experience and qualifications with an evening on Google and a bottle of wine and expect things to go well.
I have said many times ( probably on ere) that there should be a program on cowboy clients. For every dodgy builder or tradesman there his equal in a customer. but by the same token I have worked for and with some great people. it's luck off the draw both ways but there are ways to reduce the odds. getting tradesmen or clients by recommendation or introduction through someone you know is definitely the way forward.
@chizel couldn't agree more pal, I've said this numerous times over the years, there's cowboy builders out there but there's more fucking knobhead customers. If I hear "can you just" or "while your here" but with no appreciation or a little extra then depending on what they have asked me to do. I've also started to use a tax that I call 'dickhead tax (10%)' as I can tell the ones who are gonna try and screw me over or argue what was included in the quote etc. Ive fitted about 50 kitchens and you can't fault Howdens for quality/build/design and never had any issues. i normally charge about a grand for fitting and can normally finish is 3 days for a fairly large kitchen. Wren - shocking and shit customer service and overpriced. Ikea - only ever fitted one and will never again. (May have got better as was about 7 years ago) B&q have got better to be honest but the flat pack is annoying and I also glue every joint as there screw and cam systems aren't the best. Magnet - good quality/good customer service but your paying almost half again for that. Always go bespoke if you have the money for something in a cottage/large farm house type, keep a local joiner going and its bespoke to yourself. Planning is 90% of a kitchen so make decisions over a month or so not on a sat afternoon after a frankie and bennys!!, imagine being in your kitchen, how your work in there, left or right handed.. Never buy granite from the place you get your kitchen from as if they lower your unit quote they'll make it back plus some on the granite quote.
