Moving a fitted wardrobe to another wall - what's approx. cost?

APennySaved

We have a fitted wardrobe (along the whole length of one wall, i.e. wall to wall). This was already installed in a bedroom, on one wall, before I moved in. Meaning I had nothing to do in the design/layout process of the room! ,-(

The problem is: access to the wardrobe is blocked by having to walk around the bed! This is caused as the wardrobe was, foolishly IMHO, placed against the short wall. This meant that the bed had to be placed against the long wall, meaning that its length nearly extends across the entire width of the room! As the width is not sufficient for the length of the bed, this means there is only a narrow gap - requiring a walk around the base of the bed to the wardrobe! :-(

I'd draw a diagram if I could, to help explain!

It would have made more sense, IMHO, for the wardrobe & bed to have been placed so that the length of the bed follows the length (not the width) of the room.

So I realise that the wardrobe should be moved to another wall, switching around the wall that each item is next to. This means the wardrobe would be more accessible along the long wall.

The wardrobe is of good quality & modern materials, as it's still very new, so I'd like to reuse them (saves on cost, too! ). So it basically needs to be taken apart & then reassembled on another wall. The main structure of the wardrobe is of good material (MDF, I think) with a top shelf & shelf inserts from B&Q; rails from ditto; & 4 mirrored sliding doors also from B&Q. Those B&Q components were expensive considering what they are, hence the wish to reuse them. The frame for the mirrors is just a few pieces of wood i.e. was put together from unfinished wood (& then painted); this part could thus easily/cheaply be trashed & remade from fresh wood. But the question is: are the other materials reusable??

My questions are:

1. Is my recycling/reusing idea feasible? The parts were probably nailed together.

2. I won't be doing this work myself; we want to get a skilled workman in. I want to get a quote. What would be a reasonable £?

3. Should we be looking for a "joiner", or who else could do this job?

cyclonebri1

This is probably the simplest DIY task posted on here recently.

They won't be "nailed together", they may not even be fixed together at all.

It is a very simple task to reduce the width and re-install.

If you can't do this yourself, and I doubt that, then get a local handyman in to give you a hand

APennySaved

Hi cyclonebri1 - that's great.

I have checked & the units were screwed together (not nailed!).

Also, I have found a photo, online, of a SIMILAR type of wardrobe:





It shows the type of layout/style of the inner parts (shelves, etc.) of the wardrobe that we have. But, unlike the photo'd item, we have SLIDING & MIRRORED (heavy!!) doors.

And yes I have checked & our units are made of MDF.

Does this help any?

We will be getting a workman in, as we simply don't have the time to spend on this, & it will no doubt be somewhat fiddly for those of us (like our family! - haha! ) not acquainted with doing this type of building-DIY. So if we get a handyman in - rather than a joiner - what kind of quote should we be looking for??

Nada666

It is very bad luck and poor feng shui to line a side of a bed along a wall.

For smaller rooms, the bed is usually placed with the width/head of the bed against the longer wall/side. Even if this does not leave you with room for a blanket box it is better form than having restricted space on the sides of the bed. If you have to squeeze past then it is the foot and not the side you should be squeezing past.

I am not sure why the wardrobe is relevant (it has sliding doors not hinged ones?) It seems to me you shouldn't have a wall-to-wall robe in the first place.

If have to squeeze past the foot of the bed now how will you fit the wardrobe into that space as well? Or are you planning to close off one side of the bed? Who is getting the short straw? Why will they having to squeeze along the whole side of the bed be better than both sharing the foot?

Don't think I'm picturing everything correctly.

cyclonebri1

I don't totally get it either but I just wonder if some centre units can be removed allowing the top section to bridge over the bed?