When is the Best Time of Year to Get Work Done?
As with any large project, the best time to start work is when you’re ready: when you’ve got the funds, the time and ideally haven’t got an urgent deadline. But if you’re having a significant amount of work done – installing a completely new marble kitchen or building an extension, for example – you’ll want to time the project to minimize disruption at home. Here are our insider tips.
Avoid busy periods for the industry
No one books a granite kitchen installation for 28th December, and no one wants their project done by 8th January. Major festivals – particularly Christmas – are a natural deadline so tradespeople tend to be booked solid in the weeks ahead. Add in bank holidays and office closures, and you might want to avoid November to January entirely. Conversely, February, March and April are often quiet periods, while May, June and July are a rush as people get ready for summer.
Avoid busy periods for you
It’s not always possible, but try to avoid times you know you’ll be busy with family or work commitments, such as back to school or end-of-year budget season. This is particularly important if works require water or electricity to be turned off for multiple days. Camping out in your own home while starting a new job and with a new baby sounds like a nightmare, although some people do it and thrive!
Think about the weather
One reason the summer is a popular time to fit a new marble kitchen is that the weather is better. Warmer temperatures make having windows open more pleasant, and help paint dry and mortar set quicker. If you’re considering work that will leave your home open to the elements for a time, such as replacing windows, mid-summer may be best.
Book the big bits first
If you’ve got a big project planned, then get the major works scheduled first. For example, if you’re building a kitchen extension, then getting the walls down and back up, and being able to cook and eat, will be the focus. Choosing the perfect granite kitchen counter is more fun but much easier to fit in with the larger build than the other way around.
Make sure the dependencies work
This is a key project management tip. Essentially, what it means is that you can’t install a granite kitchen worktop until the cabinets are in, so you should book the kitchen fitters before the worktop delivery. This applies on a much larger scale and can get very intricate (you need the electrician to finish before you plaster before you paint before you fit the cabinets…). At Surrey Marble and Granite, we offer fitting and installation, and are used to working with and around other trades. We liaise with your contractors to make sure the work’s done when you want it to be.