We understand that undertaking a large project on your home can be one of the largest investments you are likely to make (aside from buying a property) and is often exciting and stressful in equal measures!
In our experience, people tend to worry about the same issues, so to help, we’ve collated answers to the questions we’re asked most often.
How do I choose the most appropriate fitting company for my project?
Do your research. Ideally, get a personal recommendation from someone you know. Looking online is also helpful, including review sites and social media.
Look for specialists! A general builder hardly ever fits a kitchen or bathroom to the same standard as a specialist fitter. Make sure they have experience in your particular project requirements and look out for similar projects in their online gallery and customer reviews. You can also request examples of their work and customer reviews in specific areas or in a similar finish to what you have in mind to help make one particular company stand out. At this stage, you can also ensure they have all relevant qualifications and accreditations to complete the work to the required safety standards.
It’s also worth looking for companies that can provide several different services rather than you having to find and appoint lots of different tradespeople. A kitchen or bathroom refurbishment often requires tilers, plasterers, electricians, plumbers, decorators, and fitters, and you may want just one point of contact to complete the entire project for you.
At this stage, you’re likely ready to request a quotation. Most people would recommend getting three quotes. We understand that having contractors in your home can feel intrusive and uncomfortable, so take the opportunity when they visit to ensure the decision feels right for you.
We feel it’s rarely a good idea to base your decision purely on price.
There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only, are this man’s lawful prey. – John Ruskin
What services do Thomson Properties offer?
We are kitchen and bathroom refurbishment specialists working across Surrey and Sussex. We welcome the opportunity to provide an estimate for any of the following additional services within complete kitchen or bathroom refurbishments:
- Plumbing and carpentry work
- All plastering work
- Wall & floor tiling
- Electrical work
- Karndean and Amtico flooring
- Underfloor heating
- Insurance work
Do you offer additional work, like adding en-suite bathrooms or knocking through and extending rooms?
We offer additional refurbishment works directly related to your kitchen or bathroom.
Please give us a call to discuss your specific requirements.
Can you provide references?
We take tremendous pride in our work as well as our reputation and take great pleasure in going the extra mile for our customers. This is reflected in our customer feedback, and we also invite you to view more at www.checkatrade.com and www.houzz.co.uk as well as Google and Facebook.
We can also put you in touch with the many happy customers we’ve had the pleasure to meet over our 20 years of trading. They will happily speak to you and put your mind at rest.
What’s the process if I choose to use Thomson Properties?
After receiving your initial enquiry, we’ll arrange to visit your property to discuss your project, and then provide you with a written estimate within seven working days. If you decide to proceed, please notify our office, who will send you our Charter, which helps to explain the process in more detail. We will secure a booking for you once a signed copy of the Charter is returned and your £600 deposit is paid. Please keep in mind that our lead time may keep changing up until this point as new work comes in.
Who will do the work?
We have a fantastic team of highly skilled, polite and conscientious tradesmen who will do the work for you. You can find out more about them on our Meet The Team page. They love their work and will always do their best to exceed your expectations (and each project is overseen by Jamie or Liam to make sure our high standards are always upheld).
Do all of your tradespeople have the relevant qualifications and are they able to provide any certification we might need for the work?
Yes, we hand-pick only the best tradespeople to join our team, and each member has the required skills to carry out any work for you. We use Gas Safe engineers for gas work, and electrical work is either completed or tested and checked by NICEIC/ ELECTRA electricians. You will receive all relevant certifications on payment of your final invoice. Our fitters are also DBS checked for peace of mind.
Is your work guaranteed?
All workmanship (labour) on new installations is guaranteed for 3 years; we are insured and members of the Installsure insurance-backed guarantee scheme. That means you can, for a nominal administration fee, upgrade your guarantee with us to an insurance-backed guarantee with Installsure. We are also members of the Guild of Master Craftsmen and registered with the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineers.
Why aren’t your labour guarantees transferable to subsequent owners of the property?
This is because we often carry out work according to a specification determined or requested by the existing owner.
For example, in some situations, we might recommend going beyond our scope of works to strengthen or reinforce a particular aspect of the existing bathroom as an added precaution. We don’t mind if the customer declines; however, it’s hard to guarantee this particular element of the bathroom if a new owner takes over the property.
How much will it cost?
Our labour-only estimates are solely for the fitting aspect of your project, allowing you the freedom to purchase your bathroom/kitchenware from your supplier of choice. Based on our experience, a typical project for us usually costs between £5000 to £7500, plus materials and VAT. The size of a room will impact the cost of tiling, plastering and lighting, as would moving sanitary ware and appliances to different locations. Our estimates exclude the cost of materials that will be used on your project (e.g. tile adhesive, floor protector, plasterboard, pipe fittings etc), because each job is unique.
We have no hidden fees. You can be confident that our estimate is precise, and you won’t pay a penny more unless you ask us to carry out additional work, or unforeseen issues require our attention. If anything unexpected does arise, we will inform you as soon as possible. We will only proceed with any significant remedial works at your instruction, and we will keep you updated regarding any significant additional costs every step of the way.
You can find more about our pricing here.
Can I buy my kitchen / bathroom through Thomson Properties?
Our estimates are for the fitting aspect of the project and are labour-only estimates. You are welcome to purchase your kitchen or bathroom through our trade accounts if you wish. Please enquire for more details.
Can I measure up how many tiles I will need?
Yes – it’s quite simple to do yourself:
- Measure the length of the wall area in metres
- Measure the height of the wall area in metres
- Calculate the area of the wall by multiplying the length by the height which will provide the answer in square metres
- Do the same for all the walls you are tiling and then add them together to get the total area in square metres
- Add on the additional 12.5% to allow for cuts and breakages
Are you happy to come and measure up for us for tiling?
Yes, once a booking deposit has been paid, we will be more than happy to come and measure up on your behalf.
Do you do the decorating?
We are more than happy to decorate if required. However, using your own decorator rather than our multi-skilled fitter will most likely be a more cost-effective option for you.
I don’t know where to start – can you help?
Of course! We’ll happily give advice when asked and can point you to some quality local suppliers.
Can we reuse our existing appliances?
Yes. If you already have appliances, we are happy to refit them.
How long will the work take?
As a very general rule, an average kitchen or bathroom takes 2-3 weeks to complete. We understand that having contractors in your home can feel intrusive and uncomfortable, so we want to minimise this inconvenience for you and will discuss a schedule of works with you so that you can see how long the project will take and the various stages it follows. Once a project has begun, Jamie or Liam will visit the site regularly to check works and discuss progress and any potential changes to the schedule, or to give advice where appropriate.
Can I use my bathroom/kitchen at all while the work is being done?
Water, electrics and heating may need to be turned off temporarily, typically for a matter of hours, very seldom longer. We will always notify you prior to turning these off and let you know for how long.
If you don’t have an additional bathroom to use while the work is being carried out, we will try to minimise the time you are left without being able to use it, and if necessary, we can ensure we refit the toilet for you every night.
When installing a kitchen, we keep the sink, oven and washing machine available for as long as possible before moving over to the new appliances.
What if I want to change something once work is underway?
Our aim is to ensure you get exactly the bathroom you envisage, so if you decide to change something, kindly raise it with Jamie or Liam, and we’ll make every effort to accommodate your request. Note that alterations may impact the original estimate and schedule, and any associated additional charges will be discussed with you and agreed upon before proceeding.
Do we need to be at home during the project while the work is taking place?
No, we often work in empty properties or while our customers are out. Leaving us a key allows us to focus on completing the work, minimising disruption for your return at the end of each day, or preparing to welcome you back to the completed project. If we have any questions for you under these circumstances, we find video calls useful.
What condition will my house be like for the duration of the work?
A bathroom or kitchen installation will inevitably generate dust, but our goal is to leave your home in the condition in which we found it that morning, or better! Our fitters take tidiness seriously and arrive armed with carpet protectors, dust sheets, a hoover and cleaning products so you can rest assured you will not be living in a building site!
Will you remove all the rubbish? / What will happen to my old kitchen or bathroom suite?
We will usually arrange for a skip to be delivered to your property. The average kitchen or bathroom requires a 4 yard skip and the approximate cost of delivery to Cranleigh is £242 + VAT; to Guildford it’s £218 +VAT. If there is no space for a skip, we will make alternative arrangements to ensure any rubbish is removed and disposed of responsibly, for example, Hippo bags or a ‘man and a van’ service.
You are of course welcome to make your own arrangements; however if you would like us to coordinate this, there will be a £20 + VAT handling charge.
What if there is damage to my house during the project? Are you insured?
We do our utmost to avoid accidental damage, but it is always sensible and reassuring to have protection; therefore we have public liability insurance for your peace of mind.
How soon can you start?
Our work schedule continually changes depending on our customers’ needs and requirements. We usually work on a first-come-first-served basis, but if you have already purchased all your bathroom/kitchenware and it has been delivered on-site, then we may be able to fit you in sooner.
Contact us to discuss your project and when you would like work to start to see if we can work within your dates.
Please let us know if you can be flexible with scheduling, i.e. you don’t mind us coming and going from your job. It may mean that we can get your work booked in and completed much sooner than we would generally be able to.
I was hoping to have the work carried out sooner than you can start – is there another company or installer you can recommend?
There are several websites that can help you choose an alternative company that may be available sooner, including www.checkatrade.co.uk, www.which.co.uk and www.mybuilder.com. Your chosen kitchen supplier may also have recommendations.
For bathrooms, both Jeremy Colson Bathrooms and Gregmar Bathrooms & Plumbing have exceptional reviews online (Houzz, Checkatrade), although we have never met or worked with them.
When do I need to pay?
Once you’ve received and agreed your estimate, a deposit of £600 is required to confirm your project start date. During the project, weekly interim payments are usually required. The final balance is paid upon completion of the project. If there is anything outstanding, we will itemise and invoice for this separately, once completed. All payment is requested via BACS.