Kitchin DIY - How difficult are these jobs ?

I would not attempt these jobs yourself unless you are naturally good with your hands moonbeam.

It is expensive getting good draftsman. I am lucky I know someone who is not a fully trained craftsman

but is v.handy himself with his hands himself and honest.

The risk if you go too cheap is getting a cowboy, you may have friends or family who can personally recommend someone?

Failing that pay the market price, ring round you will get an average.

craftsman not draftsman

In my opinion, if you can spell it, you can do it.

Replacing a tap washer: universal washer (hot or cold) costs about 30 pence.

Time to do the job: 5 to 10 minutes.

ebulGery,,,,I knew what you meant...

RTB....you got there before me, although I was going to say "if you can't spell it you can't do it"!

I would say that it's too ambitious for someone to tackle as a first project!

They say that "a poor workman blames his tools"!

The fact is that if you don't have good tools you can't even contemplate doing this job!

You will need a drill for the start hole for the new sink, and a good jigsaw for cutting out for the new sink.
That unless the existing is big enough for the new one.

You will need robust tools for taking out the old cartridge as it may be truly stuck.

I failed last time I had to do it, but luckily there was a guy working at a neighbour's house so he popped round with the big guns.

That cartridge was going nowhere and, even with the aid of a blowtorch, he couldn't shift it.

I had to race off and buy a new tap for him to come later.

The next thing is, I have found, that all plumbers, and electricians are "Prima Donnas".
They want to make £60.00 an hour but they won't turn out for less than £50.00 even if you have used them before!

I should add that, working in a cupboard under a sink, wrestling with pipes in the way of each other, and contorted, and upside down,
you need to be very mobile.

Get a new tap, but also get flexible fittings of the relevant length.

Cheers for replies Guys

Yes that was my thought process really Aunty .. costs £15 to order ' the correct cartridge ' to replace when you can buy a nice new tap for £27.99 (ok buying a new cartidge for a nice tap- lol)

I could fit the cartridge but then i'd like to just replace the whole sink for another £50 (the goods are cheap imo) but it's obviously the time/cost of fitting it all that it comes down to & things like replacing the cooker really just need somebody that's done it all before to make it simples!

I wouldn't try to start cutting new worktops up (just not my type of thing - very stressful) and not worth buying power tools etc . for

I just wonder how long it'd all take really & is it worth buying all the parts ready for somebody to come & do the jobs for me .. £50 hr seems a bit steep that's like £400 day

It's 3 or 4 days to do a whole kitchen. You're in the Brum area, aren't you? You'd easily get someone on day work for £150 a day.

I had a £5k B&Q kitchen fitted for a family member last year and they wanted £3k to fit it. I got individual trades in for about £700.

Yes Brum Kenbo .. the upside is lots of tradesmen offering odd jobs etc I could try !

It's not a complete kitchen though (I actually used to work for MFI building kitchens & that's the easy part) but my units are all very good , just the useable stuff like the hob/ sink getting a bit scruffy now the apartment's getting on for 9 years old , so just want like a quick makeover if I can get it all done cheap/fast enough

Do you think it'd be 1 days work , maybe 2 , I know the fitting of say an oven doesn't take long , it'd be new worktops that'd be the biggest job , as Aunty says cutting holes for the sink / fitting the hob etc

It's not a huge kitchen like a house , open plan apartment L SHAPE worktops

Seems I'm in the wrong job

bit short of money are you moony?

Once you start thinking about replacing the kitchen, though, you realise it's more economical just to replace the whole house. Best get calling the estate agent, Mooners.

Building the easy part - but Time consuming I meant to say

I'd get average 8-10 units a day built but no more & that's when you know every part like a pro

Haven't got a clue with plumbing/electrics side of things though I did plumb all the washing machine / cut pipes etc when I moved in .. so not completely useless

Very True Patra .. had crossed my mind already

Fc^&*n TAPS !!

It only sounds like a days work to me but it's not my trade. If you allowed £300 for it then I'd have thought you'd be well in, so long as they don't stretch it out.

Yes I agree mate , thanks , plus I'd be here to help them anyway

one day or a half at the most , £300 would be snatched outta my hands around here

Anything to do with water - get a professional in
last thing you want is a flooded kitchen

seems I should've started my own kitchen fitting business up years ago , I did consider it after getting sacked by MFI for constantly sleeping in late

This is the problem masta .. it seems an innocent problem .. but leaks gently into the backboard if not careful & slowly causing it all to crack outwards !

As kenbo said it is best to employ someone on a day rate.  You can see what you are getting and if he is rubbish you will know soon enough.

Get a kitchen fitter who has done loads.  But make it clear it is not a price job.  Best to say he can do it in his own time if that is suitable as they like doing emergency work if they can.

Get a small one man band type of firm, do not go for the big names they charge a fortune and employ rubbish.

Look up kitchen fitters in the local newspaper etc etc.  There are also checkatrade etc but I don't know how good they are, maybe some on here will know.

^^ Mr. Fixit

Indians better than cowboys

manjit Bros Mosely sikh craftsmen

Jul 9, 2016 -- 11:06PM, crags wrote:

^^ Mr. Fixit

Can't seem to find the thread where annie said he/she had a shop called Mr. Fixit, said it was a TV repair shop. When asked what his/her role was said buying stock and sales. When I pointed out there wouldn't be any stock, TAC said they sold TVs as well.

So, we have a shop selling TVs called Mr. Fixit   TAC is not that stupid, so this proves that he/she is a liar. Has annie had the thread removed? Or can someone point me to it as I wish to keep it near the top. Many thanks

kitchen sink inset is a bandit - can only leave 1cm extra in hole cutout round edge of sink. and the little clips they sell are crap - someone needs to sell good ones coz you can't find the little g clamps to hold down sink. order good clips from internet before you buy sink? worktop. good saw needed too. hammer action.

are you still at the flat Moony lad ?

Found thread I was looking for, with posts removed.

Carry on...

Can't seem to find the thread where annie said he/she had a shop called Mr. Fixit, said it was a TV repair shop. When asked what his/her role was said buying stock and sales. When I pointed out there wouldn't be any stock, TAC said they sold TVs as well.

So, we have a shop selling TVs called Mr. Fixit Laugh  TAC is not that stupid, so this proves that he/she is a liar. Has annie had the thread removed? Or can someone point me to it as I wish to keep it near the top. Many thanks Happy
Rate reply:



I have warned you over and over crags not to spread lies about me, I recently warned you that if you still repeat your lies I will ask for you to be barred.  You have now repeated those lies again and again, so when I have the time I will ask for you to be barred.

For chit chatters who have not seen it I will post the original thread in the next post as it is on a different thread.

Only the posts where you swore at me were removed, crags.  I only complained in a post about your swearing, I did not report you.

Can you explain the name of the shop please? cheers. Did you sell many TVs?

I'm sure that people would be flocking to buy one from a shop called Mr. Fixit

I opened a shop in my twenties and called it something catchy, I lived to regret it Sad

The business went fine but answering the phone with a silly name, and repeating it to others was not.

It wasn't that bad, it was a tv repair and sell shop and I called it Mr Fixit Happy

This is the original post, you can plainly see that I did say it was a tv repair AND SELL shop.

I know crags is winding me up but he is really upsetting me by telling everyone that I am a liar.

What was the address of this shop?

I am not talking to you anymore crags, I will be talking to betfair head office.

No the sell bit was not added later, you cannot alter original posts.

No the sell bit was not added later, you cannot alter original posts.

No the sell bit was not added later, you cannot alter original posts.

Guess this was in the days of black and white TVs if you were in your 20s. Did Mr. Fixit (Happy) remain happy when colour TVs came in? or did he throw in the towel/soldering iron?

No further questions for now.

Leave her alone Crags .. it doesn't impress anybody Pathologically Bullying a Lady !

Yes still at flat Coach .. kinda got used to the area a bit though not ideal but figure i also add a bit of value if i wanted to sell / rent in future ..


Been pricing the items up & they're dirt cheap , 2 nice worktops £66 each , cool sink £50 , tap £23.99 , even cooker & hob are cheap enough , couple hundred

Wanna go for it now , i'd develop proprty fulltime for the money these layabouts want

I'm not on here to impress anyone. But will always holler for the truth.

Jul 10, 2016 -- 10:51PM, annie. wrote:

I am not talking to you anymore crags, I will be talking to betfair head office.

I don't mind being banned after some of the comments on here tonight. People are reveling in the death of a man, a young newly married man.

Would it help your cause if I called you a fat, ugly mare? Because this place stinks.

Good luck

good luck with the project moonbeam .

i'll give you a look in if i'm ever up Birmingham way