When To Contact Us
As a rule, the earlier the better...
...for both of us! It can be tricky to know when to contact us when you are ready to renovate. We tend to book work in 6 months in advance so, for you, the earlier you get in the touch for your bathroom or kitchen installation, the quicker we can get you booked in. But for us, it’s good for us to know exactly what you want before you start ordering products (especially kitchens). We have been doing this for a long time and we can advise on lots of aspects that you might not think of. So if you're ready to renovate, we're here with all the bathroom and kitchen renovation tips!
Moving walls or re-siting fittings.
Renovations can be really big, if you want to move walls or re-site the existing fittings in your bathroom (i.e. move the toilet to a different space) it’s best to contact us as soon as you start thinking about it. This gives us the chance to have a look at your space and the existing plumbing and confirm if those changes are possible. At this point, we can also offer other solutions if your original ideas aren't an option. We can also point you in the direction of a retailer, if you don’t already have one in mind, and it allows us to manage your expectations on the types of products which may or may not be suitable for you bathroom.
When you already know what you want.
If you already know which tiles/fittings and bathroom furniture etc you want, it’s a good idea to contact us before you place the order. Again, there might be things that you can’t see which affect your choices. We can also supply measurements and service point diagrams for the retailer, so they can see exactly what your bathroom space is before placing the order. TIP: Make use of this! If you order, for example, a large bath which fits the space but the access to the room doesn’t allow us to get it in, it can be costly and time consuming.
Officially, it’s not our job to check what you have ordered but it does benefit us (and you) for us to do it; we will ask for a list of the order (inc. tiles) before we start. The earlier we get this, the better. The lead time from retailers can be 6 weeks, so if you don’t realise something is missing until installation day, it can set us all back!
Kitchens.
If it’s a kitchen installation, we really need to see the space before you place the order. We can measure and note all existing and required service points for the designer/retailer to make it easier once you are picking out your products. We will also liaise with them regarding plan drawings, mechanical and electrical information and the delivery checklist.
There is lots to consider when doing a full kitchen renovation so the more involved we are, the more smoothly your installation will run.
Tiling.
Occasionally, our role is solely to tile your bathroom, kitchen or living spaces. It’s a nice job for us but again, the earlier you speak to us the better it is. We will need to see the subfloor (floor boards etc) for two reasons: The first is to cost and time the project as accurately as possible. The second is the tiles. Not all tiles are suitable for all subfloors. We can (usually) adapt if the tile has already been purchased but the cost and time would (more often than not) increase. We keep repeating ourselves but it is always better to speak to the tiler/fitter before ordering products. TIP: a bathroom should be designed around large slab tiles, rather than the slab tiles being chosen once the room design is complete.
Under floor heating is another consideration. The subfloor and threshold clearances will give you different options for product and installation, so the implications of this need to be accounted for, again, before placing an order.
Our tilers are good. They know how many cuts, the best place for the cuts and the way different tiles are best handled. Our role is to quantify the number of tiles you will need as accurately as possible. TIP: don’t rely on the square meterage of a space to know how many tiles you need; it doesn’t always work like that!
SIDE NOTE:
If you (our client) are placing the order for bathroom and kitchen products and tiles etc, it is your responsibility to keep track of the progress of the order. The expected delivery date can sometimes change and we cannot stress enough how important it is for us to know at the earliest possible time. We like to start a job with all the products and tiles on site so it’s crucial (for your start date and our schedule and other projects) that we know if there are any delays.
If we have worked with your chosen supplier before it is normal for them to contact us directly regarding lead times, products and deliveries.
The takeaway? Get in touch early. But don’t be scared if you think it’s too late…this is best case scenario and we are pretty good at pivoting!
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