Don’t wait for Winter, Get Your Heating Sorted Now.

As Autumn draws in, if you haven’t already then now is a good time to get your home’s heating system checked over by a professional. In fact, if you’ve got some form of heating cover, then check your policy as these sometimes include a free annual health check of your homes central heating and hot water systems.

You might think it’s a little early to be thinking about burst pipes, but after a long period of relatively little use during the summer, now is the perfect time to have your home’s heating system checked over.

And if the very worst was discovered and you needed a new boiler, then you’ve a few weeks to get that sorted rather than taking the first one offered because you’re huddled up like Eskimos.

As well as checking the correct burning operation of your boiler, they’ll also inspect flues for blockages. Blockages that could lead to a deathly build up of the colourless, tasteless, odourless carbon monoxide.

And if you’re planning on using additional heating appliances, then these should also be checked – it’s probably a few months past they were stored away in the garage or shed. Check pipe connectors and their seals for signs of wear and replace if necessary. Check ignitors work correctly and safety guards aren’t damaged or loose. Check wiring and plugs for signs of fraying or broken plastic.

And once winter is here, don’t leave any portable heating appliances, whether they be electric, gas or liquid fuelled, on overnight. During the Winter months, house fires caused by heating appliances shoot up in numbers, very often with fatal or near death results for the occupants.

Tips:

• Always use a Corgi registered plumber or heating engineer to check and gas central heating.


• Check the exterior of flues for signs of obvious blockage – bird nests or rubbish piled up around the flu will stop deadly gases escaping.


• Get a carbon monoxide alarm fitted – just like a smoke alarm, they save lives.


• Check your carbon monoxide and smoke alarm batteries regularly.


• If you use wood or coal stoves, have the chimney checked and swept if required.


• Check your home heating cover policy – you may qualify for a free annual inspection!


• Don’t leave it till Winter to discover you need a heating engineer. They’ll be too busy to attend straightaway and you’ll be very cold indeed.


• Check your elderly neighbours OK. A few minutes checking timing clocks and smoke alarm batteries can make all the difference.


• Follow the safety instructions on all portable appliances and never leave them on overnight whilst your asleep.

Forget Flat-Pack Kitchens - Go Fitted

Forget flat-packed kitchens if you want something a little more unique and perfectly suited to your needs.

A fitted kitchen design will not only give you the perfect kitchen, it will also add value to your property and overcome those hidden jobs like plumbing, gas and electrics which can turn a flat-pack into a nightmare.

We've highlighted some of the more popular design choices below but it's your kitchen so don't be afraid to give your input when the designer calls.

For an instant online fitted kitchen quote, visit: kitchenquoter.co.uk.

Bursts of colour add a bold, contemporary statement without being overpowering or garish. Try bright splashbacks or work surface alongside neutral cupboards and flooring, to add a splash of your own personality.

Modern kitchens now focus on comfort and lifestyle as well as good old fashioned cooking. Using an island as a seating area means you won’t miss out on any of the conversation while you’re preparing dinner for family or friends and parents can also use it to spend more time with their children over breakfast or homework.

Not everything about a chic kitchen has to be black, white, silver and shiny! Don’t be afraid to incorporate a modern kitchen into your style of home – they can be perfectly mixed with natural wood floors and wicker furniture.

Bespoke kitchens not only make use of every little nook-and-cranny, but also keep the overall design as sleek as possible. Walls and ceilings flow into one another when kept the same colour and appliances, such as microwaves, add to the smooth finish if integrated into cupboard space.

5 tips to consider before getting a new kitchen

Getting a new kitchen is a great way to improve your home, and add considerable value to your property. Whether you are building a completely new kitchen or simply renovating the existing one, here are five tips you must consider before you begin:

1 – Plan early and thoroughly
Whatever the work you have in mind, getting a new kitchen is a huge task so it’s essential to plan thoroughly before you start. The first question you need to ask yourself is ‘what am I going to use this room for?’ – for some people the kitchen is simply a food preparation area, but for others it is the social centre of the house. Are you going to have a seating area? Do you want new flooring or wall tiles? Will you need new electricity points? Ask yourself these questions well in advance to avoid problems once the work has begun.

2 – Appliances – remember the ‘triangle’
Anyone who’s designed a kitchen will tell you about the famous ‘triangle’ theory, between the sink, fridge and oven/hobs. These three points are the main areas of any kitchen, so it’s important they are not cramped into one place together so you can move freely between them – by putting them in a triangle in your kitchen, you’ll probably find all the other elements of the room fit in around them. This is also the time you will need to think about units: most kitchens fall into one of four design categories: single-line, double-line, L-shape or U-shape – the space you have to work with usually dictates which one you’ll go for.

3 – Who will do what?
It’s always best at this stage to delegate jobs – if you are simply updating the current kitchen with a lick of paint, you may be able to complete the work yourself. Alternatively, if you’ve bought all the components yourself, you may only need to hire someone to fit it for you. However, it is always advised that if you are unsure of any of the aspects of the job then call in the professionals. It’s also a good idea to identify any specialist services you will require, such as removal firms, electricians, or water & gas specialists.

4 – Don’t forget the regulations
If the new development involves an extension of your house, make sure you contact your local council as planning permission may be required. There are all sorts of regulations around cooking areas, and the distances between certain items. One area in particular where you must be careful is the hob. There are very strict regulations regarding the location of wall units around hobs, and the proximity of electrical points – if you don’t get this right your kitchen could end up being condemned by the authorities, and before you know it you’ll have to fork out for even more work to replace them.

5 – Get the professionals in for the utility points
If you’re having major work done to your kitchen, it’s likely you’re going to have to move the gas, water or electricity points. Even if you intend to do most of the kitchen project yourself, get the professionals in for this part – although it might add a bit to the cost of your new kitchen, it’s simply not worth the hassle of breaking regulations, or worse still causing an accident by doing it yourself! If you’re moving or installing a gas boiler or hobs, ensure that you get a CORGI (Council of Registered Gas Installers) registered installation firm – there are around 50,000 of them in the UK.

When looking for firms to carry out work for you, the universal rule for all home improvement companies applies: make sure that you employ a reputable firm with a proven track record! www.kitchenquoter.co.uk can help you choose your supplier.

Supply only kitchens - are they real value for money?

Is that 'supply only' kitchen the value for money you think it is?

A price tag of £1000 or £1500 for a brand new kitchen sounds tempting doesn't it? For the sake of a few hours with a screwdriver and a drill surely that's a worthwhile saving over the price of a full installation?

Not always. Even taking advantage of many suppliers' planning and advice services may not provide the results you're looking for, and don't forget that the showroom that shows off supply-only kitchen units has been designed around the units – not the other way around.

At the KitchenQuoter.co.uk desk we receive calls every day from people who have got as far as half way through the installation of their flat-packs and then end up calling us to see if we can recommend a local tradesman.

Kitchen Quoter's Vernon Baptiste explains: “There's a lot more that goes into the design, planning and construction of a kitchen than people often think. Unless you happen to live in a brand new house, the chances are the kitchen will be far from square for a start, so off-the-shelf units will only fit to a point. After that you either put up with gaps and unused spaces or you have to embark on some pretty fancy carpentry.”

“The other difficult parts come along when you need to plumb in appliances. Modern integrated appliances will often need some degree of coordination with the cabinet design or require the manufacture of doors or panels to blend in with the rest of the kitchen. It's these touches that add those extra thousands of pounds of value to your house and that extra quality of life.”

“There are also lots of specialist and unusual products available that our network of installers can suggest and source for you. Taking a flat-pack design off the shelf probably means you're going to be limited severely by the range of the catalogue you're choosing from.”

By law you will also require competent certified tradesmen to make plumbing or routing changes to gas or electric supplies, and these are all costs that need to be factored into any price comparison. By the time these are added in and you've done with the hammer, chisel and plane yourself then there's always much less of a difference than you think.

If you're thinking about a new kitchen, make sure you get independent quotes from registered and approved local companies to you by using KitchenQuoter for an instant online quote. Click here to get your online quote now.