How do I bathroom / kitchen / extension? etc.

In our new kitchen we boxed in / hid all sorts of pipes and stuff from the bodging that the last owner did. Looks better than having all the hardware on display even if it did cut down a bit on counter space.

Getting to the point where I want to be lining up a builder for this, probably early next year. I want to swap the window or for french doors or similar. This will require gaining a bit of head height as top of the window is only at 1930 from FFL currently, hoping this can be done with use of a cavity wall lintel to replace the standard one I assume it's in there currently.

Who do I need to talk to before builders? Planning department, structural engineers, building control? Can't imagine it's the kind of thing where I can just let the builder crack on without a plan.

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Check the gov planning portal, there’s guides on there to say what you can and can’t do, what’s notifiable etc

It's a bit of a murky world from where I'm standing. . Gov says contact your LPA. Local planning site says this:

🤷‍♂️

Edit: email sent to local building control, Will see what they reckon.

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Building control is a must regardless I think - re planning - likely the permitted development rules will cover it. Bit is worth checking.

I'm probably gonna want the opinion of an engineer anyway as the roof beam bears on that wall, had a guy spec the wall build up for a room above when we removed a last little bit of chimney stack remaining so I'll get him over again. Builder thought his design was overkill but I'd rather trust the opinion of the surveyor!

exactly that! how much did it cost to move your boiler? Won't work in my bathroom I don't think which is a shame.

please can you share a picture? Cheers
Will post an update on my project and what magnet are suggesting

99% sure I am going to pull the trigger on this magnet kitchen.

Tribeca - comes in 2 colours only and is kind of durably wrapped (not a vinyl) rather than painted. Harder to repaint in the future, but I won't be doing that in my tenure and saves about 2k vs the one which is more easily paintable in the future that has more colour options now.

Looking at around
£6300 cabinetry
£1390 appliances (all Beko standard stuff - fridge freezer, induction hob, single oven, cheap extractor (will upgrade that))
£145 sink/filter
= £8974*

*there was 35% off the cabinetry, but this has now gone, but he did mention it so 'has permission' to give me £1000 towards a worktop (but this isn't equivalent to a 2.2k cash saving...). Also mentioned if my builder opens a magnet trade account can get 10% off (to steal him from Howden's).

Chap reckons Quartz worktop would be around 3k (even for this size). Got 2 quotes from worktop places in Bristol for 2k.

Not sure how to negotiate this and how hard to push. I feel like I should get the 35% off as a minimum, which any punter would get, and then be able to negotiate some more to get things thrown in or cheaper.

Does anyone 1) have any experience with a magnet kitchen 2) have any advice on negotiating as a retail punter? Cheers.

Thinking Quartz over wood as makes the kitchen lighter, less maintenance, more durable, more of a selling feature and I won't get that black around the tap.

Also thinking of treating myself to a Quooker tap - saves countertop space which is scarce and I WFH a lot.

Final thing I am not sure of, and links to the negotiation, is 3) whether to stick with Beko standard appliances or go for something with a bit more brand appeal for when I sell the flat like Bosch, AEG etc. Never bought a hob/oven. Not arsed about wifi capability and stuff like that. Is it worth spending more here?

From the CAD drawing. Changes: white countertop Quartz, it is more blue in real life, possibly sacrificing some cupboard space to make the 3 middle wall units the same height and in a line.

Got a fridge/freezer, cupboard, extractor with cupboard, cupboard, big thing boxing in the boiler, corner cupboard to right of oven, 450 dishwasher to the right of the sink, full size undermount sink (probably brushed stainless - 1 sink in the flat (exc bathroom) so becomes utility sink too.

Thanks for the hive advice! Can't wait for a before and after at the end of September.

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Haggle on the cabinets, that's where their margin is. They probably buy in the appliances, worktops, so there's less room to maneuver.

We went to magnet and were offered 30% off cabinets and a free while designing the kitchen.
Magnet are like sports direct. Always have a sale on.
Give it 6 weeks or just flat out tell them you'll only buy with the 35% offered previously.

sorry for the delay - hope these help somewhat, still very much WIP.

actually can’t push the box right back since the led strip was attached under the cabinet - need to sand down the box a couple of mm. box will then be tiled to match the splashback, has a notch cut out for the power outlet - it also won’t be ‘hard’ fixed, it’ll just sit there ready to be pulled out as and when access is needed

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that's great cheers. looks really good already

Cheers @umop3pisdn and @hvsds. Going to get to the -35% cabinets only or walk away. If I can get anymore then winner, if not, still fine. Will then get worktop separately and get quooker/oven etc through them if they can do something or match the offer I am going to get from a local (but huge) appliance shop for cooker/fridge/hob/quooker

Still baffles me that in my Magnet cad drawing the units/cabinets are 6k for my tiny kitchen, in MDF. Someone must be making a killing there.

I'm sure the money is in the fixings that hang the panels together (as well as hinges and legs)

This isn’t going to necessarily be helpful - but as to the inner workings of Magnet discounting - this is from 2019 - when I spec’d ikea and my builder said his guy at magnet would price match - with a 75% discount - it was fractionally more than ikea . Just cabinets and doors no appliances. I went with it.

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Kitchen with no kitchen!

The change is just for the flooring. We are putting the old kitchen back in. It was built out of 18mm ply so should survive...we hope.

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Such a nice smooth floor. I had to self level our floor the day before our kitchen builder arrived with 1 days notice. It looks like Boris Johnson laid it down.

Forbo ? Extra points if so - Lush af

Forbo?

I’d go in at the end of the month (chances are they have monthly/quarterly sales targets). Say you’ll take the kitchen today for 50% off units and 10% off appliances - if not you’ll go to X other place.

It's marmoleum. That's Forbo I think?

Yeah - Forbo, Lino and Marmoleum I dunno really what the difference is! Looks great though. It’s what I’d like to use for our flooring but my wife doesn’t like it

10 years ago I was all "oooo must have lovely sanded floorboards in kitchen to carry flow from other rooms"

Now, after 10 years of crumbs in the cracks and a path of worn off varnish because we can't face resanding and refinishing I'm "One piece. Mottled pattern. Wipe clean."