How Hard Is It to Install a New IKEA Kitchen?

geek001 on 24/01/2015 - 21:55

Hi everyone,

My kitchen is looking a bit dated. So my wife and I are thinking of replacing it with a new Ikea kitchen. So far from what I read, removing the old kitchen should not be beyond my physical abilities. I got some quotes for installation today. Adding it all up, it looks like it might cost me almost half the cost of the kitchen if I get someone to do it! Anyone installed an ikea kitchen before? How hard is it? If I do it myself I will still need someone to cut the benchtop for the cook top and the sink as well as fitting it in under my window on one side.

Any advice? Thanks in advance.

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Comments

  • Oddmog on 24/01/2015 - 22:31
    +2

    Depends on the layout.

    Standard size boxes are good if you have a standard kitchen but if you have to work around odd sizes and stuff like water heaters it can get tricky. You do still have to cut the holes for the sink (or at least with the bunnings ones you do) and the old addage of measure twice and cut once definitely applies.

    If you can actually plan what you are doing it shouldn't be too hard but if you rush in and do half jobs you are going to have a hard time.

    My father has attempted to do his own kitchen using bunnings kits and well, he's still going after a full year on it as he just didn't think and plan out things and it has been half measure upon half measure.

    • geek001 on 24/01/2015 - 22:39

      With the quote that I got, there were 2 prices, $70 per cabinet for everything and $60 per cabinet if I have done pre-assembly of the cabinets. I am not sure if you are aware, but the ikea kitchen is quite modular. I am assuming that if I pre-assembled the cabinets from their flatpack, then all the installer need to do it glue/hammer them together to the walls?

      • Oddmog on 24/01/2015 - 23:12

        Well, I wouldn't be trusting just glue and make sure you have a decent depth on masonry fasteners and connect to the wood if it's only a plasterboard finish.

        But pretty much yeah, make the boxes fit and that they have the mechanical support. Don't go full bodge and do a bit of research as to what you want and how it will fit together.

        Not rocket science but if you don't think about it you can end up with dramas.

      • Geewhizz on 30/01/2015 - 08:20

        The preassembly of the cabinets is the hardest part of the job. For the sake of $10, if you're spending that sort of money anyway, get them to do it.

    • nikey2k27 on 26/01/2015 - 05:48
      +1

      If take some photo of the spaces if standard it easy if not it a lot harder. i feel you put easy all cabinet together that will save you money. I have put in more kitchen then i care to think about.

  • scotty on 24/01/2015 - 22:47
    +1

    We did the kitchen in my granny flat using IKEA's flatpack kitchen — relatively easy to assemble and secure to the (we have plasterboard wall). Cutting the hole for the sink is quite doable as well provided that you can get hold on a good saw. I'll imagine that the cooktop would be similar as well although we didn't have one as we just use the standalone induction cooktop. Ended up only getting the plumber to connect up the pipes.

    • geek001 on 24/01/2015 - 22:51

      What did you use to secure the cabinets to the wall? Did you have overhead cabinets? The ikea lady said that the flatpack came with instructions, did it come with instructions on how to secure to the walls?

      • scotty on 24/01/2015 - 22:59
        +1

        Yes have overhead cabinets. We also got a tall pantry next to it. To secure the cabinet basically just need to locate the stud behind plaster wall to install the holder, and then you can hook on the cabinet. Problem with plaster wall is that the stud might not line up with the hook on the cabinet, so we ended up doing a bit of modification + extra brackets to link the overhead cabinet & the pantry together. If you are securing it on masonry it would be a bit different.

      • Titus Canby on 25/01/2015 - 05:25

        yes they have instructions,pictures of a stick-man doing what needs to be done(no words).Do not rely on salepeople giving advice as I doubt they have ever installed a kitchen themselves.
        Hinges & runners are top notch but cabinets themselves are below par.
        An example being top cabinets are designed to be install only to a masonary wall through 2 top corner brackets,all backs are 3mm that need to be nailed to carcass(hello 1964).
        I've installed a Masters kitchen and found them to be better constucted but the hardware is the usual Chinese rubbish.
        The problem with flatpac kitchens is fitting them into an existing space,unless your lucky a filler will need to be placed somwhere.They will supply a panel that needs to cut to size.Not real hard but where do you place the panel,flush to the doors(no edging on cut side)or back to carcass,everything else is flush and it looks funny?
        If you do it yourself please do not glue anything to walls or the carcasses together,yes I've seen that,how do you get aything apart if there is a problem?
        If you need some advice on installation just P M me.

      • vocadata on 25/01/2015 - 08:05
        +1

        I've used Ramset ToggleMate heavy duty wall anchors on several occasions (kitchen, laundry, office). They take plenty of weight and you don't need to hang the cupboards off the wall studs — but naturally do some calculations so see if these will work for your needs.

        • SuiCid3 on 26/01/2015 - 14:14
          +2

          As handy and as great as these toggle plus are, I would still advise on anchoring to studs where physically possible.

  • airzone on 24/01/2015 - 23:49

    Actually I was wondering the same thing… I am contemplating making a laundry out of the stuff..

    • trex on 25/01/2015 - 00:23

      I recently put in overhead cabinets in my laundry. Bought them from Bunnings and it took me about a day to put them in. The end results looks great!

  • Charity on 25/01/2015 - 00:28

    If you have to ask, you will make a mess of it and don't have the tools.

    • GnarlyKnuckles on 25/01/2015 - 01:01
      +1

      "If you have to ask, you will make a mess of it and don't have the tools."

      This is perhaps a bit of a generalisation, and a pretty blunt way of saying it, but I'd tend to agree with SOZ.

      Maybe think about the cost of it in terms of how much time it may take you, and how much you usually get paid by the hour to do whatever it is you usually get paid to do/are good at. For example, if you usually get paid $30 an hour, and you reckon it might take you about 10 hours to construct/install this kitchen, then if you can pay someone else around $300 to do it that would be wise, I'd say (regardless of how long it takes them; they will do it a lot quicker, cause they are experts/have the tools/etc.). Particularly if you have the type of job where you can choose to do extra shifts or less shifts, i.e., if instead of building the kitchen you could work at your normal job for the same time, and give the money you earn to someone who's an expert in installing kitchens, to install yours. My advice would be not to do this yourself unless you have a carpenter or builder friend to help you, because the amount of time it will take, and the outcome (incidental costs, success/failure, perfect vs. 'jerry-built', etc.) are so unpredictable.

      There's large benefits to having IKEA install it. If they damage something (in your house, or any part of what you've bought), they will wear the cost to fix/replace it. They will do the job quickly (a day or less, if they start first thing in the morning). Their work will be guaranteed for a certain amount of time, but yours won't.

      Of course, if you're really keen to give it a shot as a learning experience/challenge etc. then don't let me talk you out of it! But do be aware that if you've not done anything similar before, and don't have a builder/carpenter (or very capable handy-person) to help you, it will not be 'easy', at all.

  • Charity on 25/01/2015 - 01:08

    Hahaha, Folks can paypal $5 to get a warm, wholesome, fuzzy version of any of my comments.

    Should I post this as a deal? :D

    • GnarlyKnuckles on 25/01/2015 - 01:32
      +2

      I dinnae reckon you'd be capable of delivering that SoZ! ;-P

  • altomic on 25/01/2015 - 01:13
    +1

    may I suggest that you buy an old Ikea kitchen from ebay/gumtree. then just buy new doors and bench.

    the inner cabinetry will be the same. and you will save a bucket of money.

    the doors will be a standardised size. you can then go into ikea and pick the colour of door which you like (and handles) and bench top and BAM save some cash/spend less cash.

    check this one out on ebay. $100 BIN - ugly as sin cobalt blue. but you only want the inside white cabinets.

    we have an Ikea kitchen which is looking a but dated and estimated it would cost about $1500 to replace the bench and doors. not bad.

  • ilsan0 on 25/01/2015 - 08:17

    My whole kitchen is from Ikea. We used a flat pack installer whom I can vouch for.
    He is based in Sydney. Let me know if you want to see pics etc.

    I think he did a fine job.

  • KeeperX on 25/01/2015 - 08:29

    I did our kitchen with Ikea about 4 years ago.

    It all comes together pretty easily, and to attach to the walls, you get metal brackets to screw through.

    For the hanging wall cabinets I used a combo of attaching to the stud where available, and anchors for the rest. The cabinets all attach to each other on the sides, so the load is shared anyway.

    For base cabinets, the adjustable legs they have make it really easy to get everything just right and stable before you need to attach them together and to the wall.

    I assembled all the cabinets and had them waiting in another room before starting to destroy the old kitchen, just to make the change over quick.

    Haven't had any problems since it was all installed.

    For the benchtops, you can either order a custom benchtop from them, or just buy the precut lengths of laminate and join them together using bench joining clamps you can get from bunnings, incredibly cheap that way.

    You should be able to do the plumbing for the sink yourself if it's all going in the same spot, but will need an electrician to hook up any new electrics for the warranty (cost over $150 for them to come and twist a couple of wires together in 10 minutes)

  • ramshead on 25/01/2015 - 08:56
    +1

    I like the idea of practising with a second hand kitchen.
    Biggest issue I've found is having everything square and level. If your're in an older house you can almost guarantee that things will be out of plumb, but your cabinets won't be.
    In some instances you can draw your proposed kitchen carefully on the floor to get a bit of an idea.
    Obviously if you can't survive with a make-do kitchen while doing the reno, consider paying someone with experience.

  • hornethomer on 25/01/2015 - 09:02

    Installed my own in the uk and was straight forwards even though I had done nothing like that before. I paid someone to install the sink.

    As long as you measure up and plan properly what units you can use its ok.

  • chrisburnett on 25/01/2015 - 09:05

    I built an Ikea kitchen last year and it is fabulous. It took a week of 15 hour days to put together though.

    The hinges and accessories were German or Austrian I think and of excellent quality. I bought the IKEA electric screwdriver and it paid for itself over and over. Saved me about three days and some sort of syndrome from turning my wrist over and over. Seriously, there must have been a thousand screws and that wasn't a big kitchen.

    When I started it took possibly an hour to put together the first box, the last, 4 minutes. You get good at building it.

    After I'd built it I met a fellow in Ikea that had built one too. He had wonky walls and paid IKEA to built it. Was only $1000. I reckon that would have been the best $1000 he'd ever spent. Mine wasn't that big and it was a big job.

    My builder mate that helped me cut the benchtops told me the kitchen would have cost $12,000-14,000 if I'd got it built anywhere else. Mine cost $3,000 including appliances.

    Also, I paid $80 to get it all delivered. There was a half a truck worth of boxes. If I'd tried to pick it myself it would have been a nightmare of small trips back and forth. And the nice fellows carried it in too.

    If you do fit it yourself, it just holds to the walls using the IKEA wall plug set. Costs around $15 and you'd peobably need two or three of them. Good luck.

  • RobMel on 25/01/2015 - 12:26
    +2

    Two simple tips.
    Assume no wall is straight and no angles are actually 90 degrees.
    Try before you screw stuff in or cut.
    Had one angle once in a corner was 105 degrees, that builder surly had a guide dog.

  • SuiCid3 on 26/01/2015 - 14:19

    If you are handy with tools and not afraid to give it a try, then you should be able to do it.
    Watch a few videos to help get you started.
    If you are putting in laminate bench tops, then it's not hard to make the cuts yourself as well, just make sure you use good quality blades to minimise bad cutting.

  • Logical on 26/01/2015 - 17:20

    If you assemble the flatpack yourself and want a tradie to install it then you are asking for trouble. If however you will install it yourself then at least you won't have anybody else to blame for the wonky looking kitchen. Flat pack assembly is not the easiest to get perfect and so the final installed look will depend highly on your skills with the screw gun.

  • geek001 on 10/02/2015 - 12:11
    +2

    Update: Decided to give installing it myself a go. Haven't done it yet, just decided. Life's not much fun if you always play it safe. Lol.

    Also, sold my old kitchen for $300 including the old appliances. Some might say $300 for kitchen and appliances is dirt cheap, you could have gotten a better price for it!

    But the way I see it, I got someone to pay me $300 to strip my old kitchen for me and take it away. :)

  • Euphemistic on 13/02/2015 - 12:02

    Don't forget you will need a sparky to disconnect and reconnect an oven or stove top as these don't just plug in, they are hard wired. You may need a plumber for taps and drains. If the plumbing is just unscrewing and then re screwing components together you might not need a plumber, but that could be illegal too.

    I removed our old kitchen myself with no dramas, sparky to disconnect unscrewed the plumbing myself, but paid a kitchen company to build ours as it had some unusual shapes etc, they provided the plumber to reinstall as the taps and drain were moving and required proper plumbing work

  • advalsol on 27/02/2015 - 16:18

    Yeah, I’d agree with GnarlyKnuckles that you should look at it from a time spent/money earned perspective. A professional will do it faster, better and usually cheaper (if you find a good deal).

    I’m not sure about the Ikea thing, but they do have a good reputation, so might be a safe bet, if it’s not too pricey. I needed some concrete cutting done a few years back, then I contacted Supercut(www.supercutwa.com.au) and I am really happy I didn’t try to do it myself. Some jobs are better left to the pro’s, I guess.

    • geek001 on 27/02/2015 - 16:47

      GnarlyKnuckles has a point if I had a money generating enterprise going on in the weekend. But I don't. I don't try and do everything myself.

      I am getting a tiler in to do my floor tiles because that could potentially be back breaking and I won't have the skills to do a good job.
      I got in a roof guy to put in mesh over my gutters, because I am afraid of heights and I could potentially die if I fall off the roof.
      I am getting a cement guy to put in cement outside my house, because I wouldn't know how to make sure rain flows the right way.

      The only 2 things I have left to do, is the painting and putting in the new kitchen. Painting is almost done. Piece of cake, just needed to buy good rollers and paintbrushes. :)

      I have the tools to cut the panels and make a hole in the benchtop and have lots of experience putting ikea furniture together. Should be fine. I know.. I know.. famous last words…

  • geek001 on 27/03/2015 - 14:56

    Hi guys, update on this. (If anyone cares, :))

    I have 6 base cabinets and 5 wall cabinets altogether according to my shopping list from ikea. It's quite handy that they provided a sheet with part numbers by cabinet, kinda like a picking list for each cabinet. I have assembled all 6 of the base cabinets. Took me maybe 3 hours? In terms of difficulty, not very. Maybe I speak too soon, still for the wall cabinets, fixing them to the wall, cabinet doors, benchtop and splashback to go.

    The cabinets are pretty flimsy imho. And the plastic legs. I looked at the instruction booklet, I am going have to crawl into the corner cabinet to screw in the benchtop later, not looking forward to that.

    One thing weird I found though, there are 4 plastic leg attachment in a bag of legs and each has space for 2 legs, but a pack of legs only has 4 legs.

    • Geewhizz on 31/03/2015 - 06:52

      It wouldn't be uncommon to have to get into the cupboard/s to attach the top.

      Good luck with the installation. Here's hoping your walls aren't too out-of-square, and it all goes fairly smoothly.

  • chrisburnett on 28/03/2015 - 10:13

    Once the cabinets get screwed to the walls and each other, then the benchtop goes on and gets screwed into place too it'll be solid as a rock. I think the leg holes are in different spots depending on if it's an end cabinet or two cabinets joined together. I just wish I'd known how cheap IKEA would have put it together for me because it took me ages.

    • geek001 on 28/03/2015 - 11:33

      Ikea don't do installation, they point you towards hipages.com.au and find an installer there. I got quoted around $1100 for installation. Assuming it takes me 20 hours altogether for me install the kitchen, I would still be paying myself $55/hour to do the installation. Not such a bad hourly rate I reckon.

      • chrisburnett on 29/03/2015 - 10:52

        You're doing well. It took me ages to get mine together. It came out really well but that's two weeks I'm never getting back.

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