Please Santa can I have a finished kitchen for christmas

[Alber]

Hi I would be grateful for any advice on the below.
We had a new kitchen filled by a local company who were recommended by a friend as having fitted their kitchen without major issues. I guess we caught them on a bad day as it’s not exactly been a happy experience.
I won’t go into the full details as what has been a troublesome project but there are two aspects which I would welcome advice on.
1. The kitchen is small and installing/uninstalling the washing machine since they became the standard 59.5 cm has required the temporary removal of the radiator in front of it. This issue was pointed out during the survey and it was accepted that the same situation might exist after the new kitchen was installed. However when we tried to reinstall the washing machine we discovered that they had actually made the space even smaller and we independently employed a plumber to try and resolve the issue by fitting a single radiator rather than the original double. After several hours of struggle we discovered that it was only by removing the radiator, it’s fittings, the pipe work and the skirting board could the machine be fitted. As a result the kitchen now has no heating and after much messing around finally decided on installing a plinth heater. The installers have totally ignored this issue and even when we offered to pay the installation costs to allow the project to be completed have not made any efforts to alleviate this issue.
2. The standard of workmanship seems poor. The kitchen is only a Howdens one so is not expensive but the finishing on the worktops seems to be of a low standard with damage along cuts, and the laminate strips on the ends applied poorly and not even stuck down in places. See pic

This project was started on the 1st week of November with an expectation that it would take 1 week. As of the 22 December it is still not finished with numerous problems in addition to the 2 mention above, e.g. Cooker hood fixed at an angle, moulding not straight, plinths not fitted and the installers do not currently respond as they say they are too busy at this time of year.

I am minded to shortly pass this on the trading standard and start legal action but wanted to get a feeling if people thing I am being unreasonable in any way. Thanks any comments in advance.

[wine~o]

Put it in writing. give them a reasonable time scale (given the time of year i'd suggest mid january ish) to finish the job to your satisfaction. If they fail to do say, take them through the small claims court.

Ps. Santas workshop specialise in toys, not kitchens..


Edit...Oooooops, manners...

[Alber]

Thanks wine~o for the reply and the welcome, wish I had discovered this site before we went ahead with this. I have already put a formal list of issues into them which they basically said not our fault but we will come around immediately and sort. Unfortunately they never turned up. The trading standards route is possible due to certain issues with the issued paperwork which I won't trouble the board with.

I've attached another photo of the end and basically wonder if this should be cut flush with the overhang otherwise I suspect that someone which run their hand against it and it will come off. (Especially as its not glued at certain locations.) Although its not a major issue in itself there's a lot of unfinished work and I wonder if this should be included in the list.

As for Santa it's time he diversified, surely with all those pixies being underemployed due to the fall in the demand for wood toys there is a need to retrain them in kitchen installation.

[wine~o]

"I've attached another photo of the end and basically wonder if this should be cut flush with the overhang otherwise I suspect that someone which run their hand against it and it will come off. (Especially as its not glued at certain locations.) Although its not a major issue in itself there's a lot of unfinished work and I wonder if this should be included in the list."


Should deffo be on the list, if that is indicative of the general standard of works done then it's a p155 poor job.

You could go the TS route if you wish, but I would still write and give them one more opportunity to put the work right, with a deadline, and threaten SCC action..(make sure it's not an empty threat though..)

[big-all]

not nice
the edge trim should be flush underneath at least where it is seen
you should not see chipped edge more than about 0.5mm in 2 areas max

was the clearance with the radiator understood to be with the radiator in place rather than the cabinet spacing

why do they say they are not responsible ??

[Alber]

Thanks wine~o and big-all for the response. The sad thing is that the plastering, electrical and tiling are all ok, no real issues other than the minor snags one would expect on any project. It the woodwork and design where the issues are. Had they actually addressed the issue in a reasonable fashion this all could have been put to bed a long time ago.


"was the clearance with the radiator understood to be with the radiator in place rather than the cabinet spacing"
Not quiet sure what to say here. The radiator was in place when they did the surveyor. We told them it was a tight squeeze and that the radiator currently needed to be removed in order to put the machine in/out. Although it was not ideal we were willing to accept this situation continuing if there was no alternative.

Their respose to our original complaint about the washing machine space unedited but for the removal of names.

When I first surveyed the kitchen and it's proposed layout I highlighted the issue with the space next to the sink mentioning the fact that if it was to be used to house an appliance then you would have difficulty installing/removing it with the radiator and the socket under the worktop in their current positions. Your wife knew this and instructed me to keep the space as she wasn't sure what was to be going there and hadn't decided what to do with the radiator. (If this had of been confirmed then I would have allowed for a the relocating of the socket in the original order rather than an additional cost as I understand this is what you had the plumber do when he was on site). On top of this all plans and 3D drawings were presented to yourselves prior to placing the order yet nothing was mentioned.


My response – from several emails edited for clarity

We are only to aware that the space for the washing machine was very tight. I've had to remove the radiator a number of times myself in the past for installation of the machine. We did request that sufficient space for a washing machine be provided as we have never considered any change to the location of the machine.
We had no choice but to ask your plumber to remove the radiator, the pipes, the fittings and the skirting board as the washing machine could not be reinstalled and connected without this action. The alternative was for us to have no facilities for washing clothes which as a household with young children is not acceptable. We have never until this was forced upon us considered alternative heating, although we did mention at the survey the possibility of relocating the radiator further away from its position to ease the need to remove the radiator when installing the washing machine. At no time did we consider that it would be a requirement to remove the pipes, fittings and skirting boards every time that the washing machine needed to be moved.
The issue is that the space is smaller than it was previously, simply put there is insufficient space to allow the washing machine to be installed without removing everything but the wall

After that they just keep restating that we told them we were intending to put a smaller radiator in. They don't seem to understand that there own plumber agreed that its not possible to put any radiator in that space now.

[big-all]

write a letter stating you believe the problem is there doing
then explain exactly the outcome you would like
then explain any compromises will have to be agreed
and explain you expect them to bear all or most off the cost off any requirement to finish the kitchen as asked for

this way they know what you think
they know what you expect and can see you will compromise a bit

just my thoughts you understand