Moving kitchen to dining room

InhaleMood

Hi,

We are in the process of getting quotes for a new kitchen in our dining room, and converting existing kitchen to downstairs loo and utility.
List of works needed:
Kitchen

• Open up chimney breast for cooker (new lintel if needed)
  
• Gas cooker installation
• Move radiator
• Fit new kitchen in dining area
• Tile hearth (2m x 1m)
• Tiling (3m x 1m)
• New waste pipe from sink (digging into concrete)

Toilet/Utility

• Stud wall in existing kitchen to form toilet area
• Move sockets x3
• Box in fuseboard/meter
  
• Box in boiler
• Fit toilet and basin
  
• Fit towel radiator
• Fit laminate flooring in downstairs loo (1.5m x 3m)
• Tiling (1m x 1m)
• Fitting/modifying existing kitchen to work in utility

All

• Make good plastering
• Decorate/paint
  
• Fit new doors

We would supply:

• Kitchen
• 2 x radiators
• Laminate flooring
• Oven/hob/extractor fan
• Tiles
• Kitchen sink and tap
• Sink and toilet
• 3 x new internal doors
• Paint

The first two quotes we have received are vastly different, one is £6000, the other is £2000!
I don't necessarily want to go for the absolute cheapest but I didn't expect there to be such a difference.

Neither of them have broken down each part, should I ask them to do that so I can compare directly?

I have another couple of quotes coming this week, plus the husband of a friend who has said he can do it on a day rate but didn't give me a timeline of how long it would take!

This is all quite new to me, so I'm not sure what to look out for/consider.

Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks

FreeBear

If your chimney breast is anything like mine, opening it up sufficiently to accommodate a cooker would easily cost more than £2K on its own. It will need a lintel, and there will be a substantial amount of rubble to come out - You may also want some advice from a structural engineer regarding the amount & size of support.

MikeJXE

I'm ex builder retired and regarding quotes 

Someone who has got plenty of work and doesn't actually NEED the job will quote a very high price and if get it will do it and make a killing 

You will get different prices and you will get cowboys quoting

You need to see what work they have done before and speak to ex clients face to face 

There are lots of shabby jobs out there and lots of mistakes are being made 

Don't pay up front, pay in stages if you have to but make sure the value is there first 

Good luck

serpico100

There are some additional materials needed and you don’t mention whether you are supplying those or not, so that may be an additional cost for the builder. For example, timber and plasterboard for the stud wall, timber for the boxings, plaster, tile adhesive, underlay for the laminate flooring, copper pipe and radiator fittings, trv’s if required, waste pipe, door fittings etc. 

Even if you are supplying absolutely everything, £2000 seems a little low so I would certainly ask that builder for a breakdown if possible, if only to double check that he has included everything.

You have a couple of quotes coming so you will have more of an idea if that £2000 really is too low when they arrive

Wes121708

We're in the same process but only managed to get an electrician quote as not have gas but induction hob. Can't even get a plumber round to give us a quote for a new waste pipe and moving the water, which like you will be having to dig a trench but if I was quoted 2k I'd be amazed that seems cheap! 
We're also having a range in the chimney breast but have already opened it up.
Whereabouts are you, if it's the South west send them my way!

Doozergirl

There's just no way that all of that can be £2,000.  Even £6,000 seems on the low side, there's a lot of work there and the need for two qualified trades.  

You've missed off extraction for the loo which will need building control approval.  Your new kitchen extractor will also need to extract to outside.  You'll need a significant amount of rewiring and  it's quite possible that you'd also need a new electrical consumer unit depending on how old your existing one is.  

£2,000 is about 10 days work for a non-VAT registered tradesperson. There's way more than 10 days work there and I have to say that we're paying more than that for almost everyone now.  Gas engineers and electricians are even more than that and you need both.   That quote is absurd and raises huge red flags.   

Doozergirl

Wes121708 said:

We're in the same process but only managed to get an electrician quote as not have gas but induction hob. Can't even get a plumber round to give us a quote for a new waste pipe and moving the water, which like you will be having to dig a trench but if I was quoted 2k I'd be amazed that seems cheap! 
We're also having a range in the chimney breast but have already opened it up.
Whereabouts are you, if it's the South west send them my way!

Plumbers don't dig.  You need a general builder for your outside drainage.  A plumber will just connect onto it where it hits ground. 

Wes121708

Doozergirl said:

Wes121708 said:

We're in the same process but only managed to get an electrician quote as not have gas but induction hob. Can't even get a plumber round to give us a quote for a new waste pipe and moving the water, which like you will be having to dig a trench but if I was quoted 2k I'd be amazed that seems cheap! 
We're also having a range in the chimney breast but have already opened it up.
Whereabouts are you, if it's the South west send them my way!

Plumbers don't dig.  You need a general builder for your outside drainage.  A plumber will just connect onto it where it hits ground. 

Unfortunately this will be a part we will have to take on ourselves along with everything else accept for plumbing and electrics ☹️

InhaleMood

Thanks all.
£2000 did seem very low, so I think that rules him out.
@Doozergirl We have recently had the electrics/plumbing etc done, so there isn't too much extra needed. We also have a window so no bathroom extraction required.
I'll wait for the other quotes and then make a decision.
Thanks again!