Step 1: Define what the new kitchen must do

Start with the problems you want to solve: insufficient storage, awkward appliance access, limited preparation space or an unsuitable layout. Separate essential changes from preferences about colours and finishes. This gives the designer and installer a brief they can work to.

Decide whether you need a complete replacement or a more limited update. The guide to kitchen refurbishment versus replacement covers that decision. Once the scope is settled, list what stays, what goes and which appliances you intend to reuse.

Step 2: Survey the room before finalising the order

Record room dimensions, ceiling height, doors, windows, radiators and visible service positions. Include door swings, awkward corners and the route used to bring large items inside. Photographs help explain the space, but the installation design needs checked measurements.

Ask the installer to review the proposed plan on site. Identify what can be assessed now and what will remain concealed until removal. Agree a review after strip-out for any unexpected wall, floor or service repairs, with additional work authorised before it proceeds.

Step 3: Confirm the layout and appliance details

Check how people will move between storage, food preparation, cooking and washing up. Look at whether an open dishwasher, oven door or drawer obstructs another task. Consider everyday reach and access needs alongside appearance.

Give the installer exact appliance models and the chosen sink, tap and worktop details. Confirm dimensions, installation clearances and the required cabinet arrangements. Avoid ordering a substitute appliance without checking whether it changes the design.

Create one dated plan that everyone uses. When a decision changes, update that plan and tell the affected supplier or trade before work continues.

Step 4: Resolve services and approval requirements

Have the relevant trades assess water supplies, waste routes, electrical requirements and extraction against the proposed layout. Identify any gas work and agree who carries it out. Moving a sink or hob should be checked for feasibility before its new position becomes a fixed part of the order.

GOV.UK explains that building regulations approval is separate from planning permission and that requirements depend on the work. Check the route for your particular project before starting, especially where structural changes or substantial service alterations are proposed. Ask the relevant building control body if the position is unclear.

For a leasehold flat, establish any landlord, freeholder or managing-agent requirements. If the home is in a higher-risk building, check the applicable building control route rather than assuming the usual arrangements apply.

HSE states that anyone employed to work on domestic gas appliances must be Gas Safe registered and competent for that work. Agree responsibilities for the other specialist tasks, testing and relevant completion documents as part of the plan.

Step 5: Agree the scope, budget and responsibilities in writing

Make a single schedule covering removal, disposal, preparation, units, worktops, services, appliances and finishing. For each item, record who supplies it, who installs it and whether it is included in the quotation.

Check exclusions and provisional allowances before accepting the proposal. Keep a contingency matched to the uncertainties identified at the survey. The separate guide to kitchen installation costs in London explains the budget factors and how to compare quotations.

Agree a named contact, payment stages and a process for changes. A variation should record the work requested, its price and its effect on the programme before you authorise it. Confirm who coordinates separately appointed suppliers so that tasks do not fall between contracts.

Step 6: Coordinate ordering, delivery and access

Confirm availability against the final specification. Ask who checks delivered items for damage, missing parts and incorrect models, and how replacements will be arranged. Store materials where they can remain protected without obstructing access.

For a London property, check parking or loading arrangements, stairs, lift bookings and permitted delivery times where relevant. Explain these conditions before the installer agrees a programme. Do not assume a large worktop or appliance will fit through the available route.

Step 7: Agree the installation sequence and household plan

Use the following as a coordination outline; the installer should adapt the order to the selected products and property:

1. Prepare and remove: protect access routes, arrange safe disconnections and remove the agreed existing items.
2. Inspect and prepare: assess exposed areas, agree any additional repairs, and complete the planned service and surface preparation.
3. Fit the kitchen: install cabinets and coordinate worktop measuring, fabrication and fitting where required.
4. Complete connections and finishes: schedule appliance installation, testing, splashbacks, decoration and final adjustments in the appropriate order.

Ask where the programme depends on deliveries, checks or a separate supplier returning. Flooring and worktop sequences can vary, so confirm them explicitly instead of relying on a generic timetable.

Agree when the sink, cooking appliances and other services will be unavailable. Plan food storage, meals and washing up, and keep children and pets away from the work area. The guide to how long kitchen installation takes addresses duration separately.

Step 8: Plan the handover before the work begins

Arrange a walkthrough with the installer. Check that doors and drawers operate as intended, agreed fittings are present, finishes are complete and the installed equipment has been demonstrated. Ask the relevant trades to confirm their testing and provide applicable documentation.

Record outstanding items, who will resolve them and the agreed follow-up date. Collect operating instructions, care information and any supplied warranty documents. Clarify whether a surface or finish has a restriction on immediate use.

For help coordinating a whole-room project, discuss the layout and scope through our kitchen renovation service. Bring the current plan, appliance list and access details so the practical requirements can be reviewed.