By RenoWorks Hampshire · Published 28/10/2026
Write a brief around everyday use
List what fails in the current kitchen: insufficient preparation space, awkward bins, inaccessible shelves or poor lighting. Separate essential changes from desirable finishes. Measure the room and doorways, but arrange a professional survey before manufacturing or ordering fitted components. Do not remove walls, disconnect appliances or alter services to check a design. Unknown structure, older hazardous materials, gas and electrical work need appropriately competent specialists.
Resolve layout and services together
A new island or relocated sink changes more than the cabinet plan. Ask the designer and relevant trades to assess drainage, extraction, electrical provision and appliance requirements early. Check door swings and working clearances using the actual appliance dimensions. Keep service access in the design. For Hampshire and West Sussex projects, check applicable England approvals with the local authority or building control rather than assuming every internal refit is exempt.
Create a complete specification
Record cabinet sizes, internal storage, worktop material, splashbacks, handles, flooring and decoration alongside appliance model numbers. Identify who supplies each item and who checks compatibility. Compare quotations against this same schedule. A cheap cabinet allowance can obscure missing installation, worktop templating or finishing work. Keep a separate list of exclusions and decisions that are still provisional so they cannot quietly become assumed extras.
Order around confirmed dependencies
Ask for a programme showing the sequence of surveys, deliveries, removal, service work, fitting and finishing. Some worktops need templating after units are installed, so their lead time belongs in the plan. Confirm where heavy deliveries can be stored safely. Do not authorise irreversible work based only on a supplier's estimated arrival date; check that essential components have been received and inspected when practical.
Plan living arrangements and handover
Agree how the household will manage cooking, washing and safe access during the work. Keep temporary appliances away from the building area and have any electrical suitability checked. Establish one route for decisions and written changes. At handover, inspect doors, drawers, seals and finishes, and collect appliance instructions, service certificates where applicable and product care information. Log unresolved snags with an agreed route for putting them right.
Related questions
Should I buy appliances before the design is final?
Choose intended models early enough to design around them, but confirm dimensions, service needs and availability with the supplier and installer before committing to fitted components.
Does a kitchen replacement need building regulations approval?
It depends on the work. Associated drainage, electrical changes or creating a kitchen in another room can trigger requirements. Ask building control about the actual scope before starting.
Further reading
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