Kitchen renovation checklist, Dwelvo

Phase 01

Decide before anyone starts

These decisions all constrain the trades that follow, so making them late is what pushes a kitchen over budget.

Layout: where the sink, hob and fridge sit, and whether any of them move
Whether walls are coming out, and whether any of them are structural
Units: supplier, door style, carcass colour, handle type
Worktop material, and therefore whether an undermount sink is possible
Appliances, with model numbers, because cutout sizes drive the unit plan
Whether the hob is gas, induction or electric, which decides the supply you need
Extraction: recirculating or ducted to an outside wall
Flooring material, and whether it runs under the units or up to them
Lighting plan: ceiling, under-cabinet, and anything above an island
Where every socket and switch goes, counted against what you actually plug in
Splashback material and height
Paint colours for walls and ceiling

Phase 02

Strip out

Get the room back to a shell before any new work starts.

Isolate the water and the affected circuits, and confirm they are off
A registered gas engineer disconnects and reconnects gas appliances
Houses built before the 1990s may contain asbestos. Get textured coatings, old floor tiles and old insulation board checked before you disturb walls, ceilings or floors
Disconnect and remove the electrical appliances
Remove worktops, then units, then the splashback
Lift the old flooring
Take up skirting and architrave you intend to replace
Book a skip or a waste collection for the week you actually need it

Phase 03

Structural and first fix

Everything that ends up buried. Nothing in this phase can be changed cheaply once the plaster is on.

Phase 04

Plaster and dry

Plaster needs time. Building this wait into the plan is the difference between a calm kitchen and a rushed one.

Plaster walls and ceiling
Let the plaster dry properly before painting, typically several days to a couple of weeks
Mist coat the fresh plaster
Paint the ceiling and get the walls to at least a first coat

Phase 05

Fit out

The order here matters more than anything else in the room. Flooring is the one variable: it goes down before the units if it runs underneath them, and after the worktop if it butts up to them.

Phase 06

Finish

The short list that decides whether the room feels finished.

Fit skirting, architrave and any plinth
Silicone the worktop joints, the sink and the splashback
Final coat of paint and touch up the knocks
Fit handles
Adjust every door and drawer so the gaps are even
Test every socket, light, appliance and the tap under real use
Fit a carbon monoxide alarm where there is a fuel-burning appliance, ask the installer where it should go, and check the smoke alarms still work
Collect the paperwork while the trades are still on site: the electrician's certificate, the gas engineer's, the installer's for anything commissioned, and any sign-off from your building authority. File it with the deeds
Deep clean, including inside the new units

Phase 01

Decide before anyone starts

These decisions all constrain the trades that follow, so making them late is what pushes a kitchen over budget.

Phase 02

Strip out

Get the room back to a shell before any new work starts.

Isolate the water and the affected circuits, and confirm they are off
A registered gas engineer disconnects and reconnects gas appliances
Houses built before the 1990s may contain asbestos. Get textured coatings, old floor tiles and old insulation board checked before you disturb walls, ceilings or floors
Disconnect and remove the electrical appliances
Remove worktops, then units, then the splashback
Lift the old flooring
Take up skirting and architrave you intend to replace
Book a skip or a waste collection for the week you actually need it

Phase 03

Structural and first fix

Everything that ends up buried. Nothing in this phase can be changed cheaply once the plaster is on.

Phase 04

Plaster and dry

Plaster needs time. Building this wait into the plan is the difference between a calm kitchen and a rushed one.

Plaster walls and ceiling
Let the plaster dry properly before painting, typically several days to a couple of weeks
Mist coat the fresh plaster
Paint the ceiling and get the walls to at least a first coat

Phase 05

Fit out

The order here matters more than anything else in the room. Flooring is the one variable: it goes down before the units if it runs underneath them, and after the worktop if it butts up to them.

Phase 06

Finish

The short list that decides whether the room feels finished.

Fit skirting, architrave and any plinth
Silicone the worktop joints, the sink and the splashback
Final coat of paint and touch up the knocks
Fit handles
Adjust every door and drawer so the gaps are even
Test every socket, light, appliance and the tap under real use
Fit a carbon monoxide alarm where there is a fuel-burning appliance, ask the installer where it should go, and check the smoke alarms still work
Collect the paperwork while the trades are still on site: the electrician's certificate, the gas engineer's, the installer's for anything commissioned, and any sign-off from your building authority. File it with the deeds
Deep clean, including inside the new units

Kitchen renovation checklist

What goes wrong in a kitchen

Decide before anyone starts

Strip out

Structural and first fix

Plaster and dry

Fit out

Finish

Kitchen renovation checklist

What goes wrong in a kitchen

Decide before anyone starts

Strip out

Structural and first fix

Plaster and dry

Fit out

Finish