At H&H we are passionate about high-quality kitchens that you will enjoy for many years to come.

A positive customer experience with us during design, manufacture, and while the renovation works are completed, is of utmost importance to us, and it is something we are very proud of.

Given that we are renovating inside your home, it’s important to us that you are aware of some disruptions that may occur. We will do our best to minimise these, but as an open and honest company, we like to make sure that you are forewarned before we start.

OUR TEAM OF TRADESPEOPLE

We may ask that trades contact you directly.

This may be to arrange visits during and potentially after hours. Our trades are all carefully selected and it is most often much less complicated for them to communicate directly. Often, our clients may find other small tasks that a plumber or electrician can help them out with around their homes during a kitchen renovation – this is absolutely fine to organise with them directly (payment to be separate to the kitchen work).

You will deal with a builder for building works.

Most building tasks such as removal of walls or changing of doorway/window locations are conducted by a carefully selected builder, either engaged separately or subcontracted by H&H. Like all construction, these works can generate a lot of dust and debris. It is always recommended that you cover up any furnishings in the affected areas, or close doors to adjoining rooms. Depending on the work being undertaken it may also affect/disrupt your power-supply or even plumbing. You should always ask the builder what may be involved, and what back-ups you might need to put in place, and for how long.

Building works may require a Skip Bin to be brought on site. If the need for it arises, suggest a location to the builder or Bin Delivery Driver where the bin can be placed so it will minimise any disruption to your access – but also be relatively easy for the truck to access when it’s full.

Stone benchtop installations.

The stonemasons will come to take final measurements of your benchtops upon the completion of the cabinet installation. From that point, you will need to allow usually a minimum of 10-business days for them to return to physically install the tops. If you think you will need some form of work surface over those two weeks, please feel free to discuss with your H&H team about your options. This will also affect the connection of services.

Glass splashback installation.

Unlike a tiled splash, glass splashbacks usually go in as one or two whole pieces. Like stone benchtops, this requires very accurate measurements to be taken by the Glazier before they manufacture. These measurements can only be undertaken once all benchtops have been installed and again, can take a minimum of 10-business days before they return to install the finished pieces. So, in the case of a stone benchtop and glass splashback, your kitchen may not be completely finished for nearly 4-weeks from the day the cabinetry has been completely installed. Personally, we think it’s worth the wait for these quality components.

Disconnection of services.

On the day of removal of your existing kitchen, the electrician and plumber will need to temporarily disconnect your services. Depending on the complexity of the renovation, this is usually a minor disruption and your water, gas and electricity are back on soon. Most of the time our plumber will relight the hot-water service as a matter of course, but always check with him before he leaves. If the location of your sink and cooktop are changing in the new kitchen, then the gas and water may have to be off for extended periods – it pays to check with the plumber on the day as to how long he thinks you’ll be disrupted for. And – don’t forget to reset the alarm clock and microwave!

HOW YOU CAN HELP

We will ask that you completely empty your kitchen.

It will make your removal day go much more smoothly if you have your old cabinets completely emptied before our tradespeople arrive. You will be contacted ahead of time when we intend to begin work at your property so that you can set aside some time a few days beforehand to empty your belongings.

You may be very surprised by how long this process can take. Often what happens is that clients take the opportunity to have a ‘Spring Clean’ of their pantry items, crockery, cutlery and little-used appliances, to donate or throw away, and you should give yourself time for these decisions.

In some cases, such as an open plan dining area, you may wish to consider moving any nearby furniture pieces off to the side as well.

Providing space for kitchen removal.

As part of a normal kitchen renovation, H&H will have generally allowed for the removal and disposal of your old kitchen (please refer to your quotation to verify if this has been included).

Of course, as much as we try, it may not all happen on the first day H&H are at your home. If there is room, please allow for a space- such as a driveway, lawn, loading dock – where you can direct our tradespeople to place the rubbish for a short-term – an area that won’t unduly interrupt your access to your own home.

Having an alternative to your kitchen sink.

You may be without a functional sink for up to 3 weeks, depending on the complexity of your project. Most clients will have the use of a laundry trough or a secondary bathroom that they can use for dishes, filling the kettle, etc.

Having an alternative to your cooktop.

You’re going to be without a fully-functioning kitchen for 1-4weeks. Give some thought to evening meals for you and your family. A lot of the time, we’ve found that our clients fall back on the BBQ/Weber. Also consider your microwave, and having pre-prepped meals that you can freeze and then re-heat as needed. Camping stoves are also handy here if you happen to be in an apartment and have no access to a BBQ. Of course, this is a good excuse to try out that new restaurant you’ve had your eye on!

Protecting your home from dust during installation.

Whilst our tradesmen do take great care to minimise any mess, the removal and installation processes will stir up a bit of dust.

We recommend keeping any closable doorways into the kitchen space closed, and cover up any furnishings with drop sheets, especially in open-plan living situations.

It is also quite common for our tradesmen to need to plane/cut some parts.  Feel free to indicate an outdoor location our tradesmen can use for these tasks to keep the mess out of the house.

Another helpful idea, if it’s possible in your place, is to discuss with our tradesmen what you would consider to be the easiest and shortest way to access the kitchen, basically to minimise the need for them to be moving all through your home.

Expect the unexpected.

In any renovation, there are always going to be unexpected surprises that crop up from time to time. H&H Cabinets strive to take as much as possible into consideration during our design and pre-start processes. However, if a hiccup does occur, please bear in mind that we will always do what we can to minimise any extra disruptions to your renovation to the best of our ability. The hiccup may mean that we add to the total time that you’re without a fully-functioning kitchen, but our job is to ensure you get a quality finish, not just a quick finish.

We are so excited to be working with you to bring your new ideas to life. You are in safe hands with H&H and we look forward to getting started.