How long does it take to build a normal-sized kitchen?

[Mikael_L]

I think you should consider exactly which steps you/you all will do and then calculate how much time each step takes.
For example:
Tear out the old: 8 hours
Lay flooring: 8 hours
Spackle walls: 4 hours
Paint walls: 4 hours
Assemble cabinets/drawers: 8 hours
Install cabinet frames: 6 hours
Trim: 8 hours
Tile: x hours
Etc.
Then maybe you can do some of the work beforehand. For example, assemble cabinets. And which things you might be able to do afterward, etc.
It's often easier to estimate times for smaller tasks.
This also helps you to figure out which materials you should buy in advance so you don't end up going to the hardware store over and over.

Already at age 18, with an old run-down car that constantly needed fixing, my friends and I soon came up with the right formula to calculate how long a task would take.
"Give it everything you've got, and then multiply by pi"

That formula has turned out to be quite accurate throughout life, in all sorts of areas.
But at heart, I’m a time optimist. If I were a time pessimist, it would probably be enough to just multiply by 3.14.

 

[Pin]

Yes, it's certainly expensive to transport stone, in this case it will probably be 2 pieces of almost 3 meters. However, I recall that Ikea had a version that wasn't solid but only a few centimeters thick, which was then placed on a particle board, maybe that would be sufficient? Otherwise, I suspect the price will be around 25,000 SEK. As for the countertop next to the fridge, we had probably intended to choose some sort of wood slab instead of stone (as shown in the picture).

I paid 19,000 for a granite slab about 100 x 300 cm with a cutout for the cooktop, so 25,000 sounds reasonable. Cheaper if it's not solid.
The shipping cost 12,000 :eek: I thought it was insanely expensive as the stone company is 5 km from here. Now, my slab weighed 300 kg and was large and cumbersome to get inside. The stone company had not been here to check first but had just given a price, so they came with a small truck and 5 strong men, or rather two strong men and three summer workers. It ended up that they couldn't manage, had to put the slab down, and scratched it. A crane truck was called in to bring it via the balcony. So 12,000 was probably reasonable for two attempts plus crane truck with driver, and of course, insurance that made them cover polishing away the scratch on the edge of the slab.
Stone slabs are fragile and it's unfortunate if you would accidentally damage something for 20,000 SEK. So I recommend paying for shipping and that they place it on-site unless there are several small pieces that you can handle yourself.

 

[snowjim]

I paid 19,000 for a granite slab about 100 x 300 cm with cutout for a hob, so 25,000 sounds reasonable. Cheaper if it's not solid.
The shipping cost 12,000 :eek: I thought it was insanely expensive as the stone company is 5 km from here. Now my slab weighed 300 kg and was large and cumbersome to get in. The stone company hadn't been here to scout first, they just gave a price, so they came with a small truck and 5 strong men, or rather two strong men and three summer workers. It ended with them not managing, having to set down the slab, and scratching it. A crane truck had to be called to bring it through the balcony. So 12,000 was probably reasonable for two attempts plus crane truck with a driver, and of course the insurance that made them take care of grinding off the scratch on the slab's edge.
Stone slabs are fragile and it would be unfortunate if you broke something yourself for 20,000 kr. So I recommend paying for the shipping and having them place it, unless they are several small pieces you can handle yourself.

Wow! The shipping doesn't sound fun even though it involved some work. I think a stone company should be pretty drilled on what's required to deliver a stone undamaged. I know my parents have a seam on their stone and it wouldn't bother me, at least not as long as the seam is in a place where it's less visible.

Did you pay 19,000 kr + 12,000 kr for everything?

We were at IKEA a few months ago and saw their stone options, it was a black stone, maybe 1 cm thick on both sides, and it lay on some form of particle board. This meant much less stone was used and probably easier to handle. The question is what's the downside? I don't think the stone will break, but sure, if everything's not perfectly straight, I suspect the risk of the stone breaking is greater.

 

[Pin]

In total, 19 + 12 = 31 is correct for the stone. It was worth it, very beautiful and enhances the kitchen. Note that 1 x 3 m is very large; you might manage with less. X running meters, 60 cm width. Wood panels can also cost quite a bit depending on the type of wood, thickness, finish, not glued, etc. The advantage, price-wise, is likely that less stone is needed, and it is probably crushed stone cast onto the chipboard, or how else would it be made?

Stone is easy to crack if not standing on edge. If you lay a large stone slab down in the trunk, there is a high risk that it will crack.

 

[snowjim]

Here's Ikea's equivalent: http://www.ikea.com/ms/sv_SE/catalog_categories/departments/kitchen/personlig/#quartz

From what I can see, 3 meters comes to about 9000 kr, which is quite affordable. However, I still don't know about the quality, continuing to search...

 

[Pin]

I think that type of slab is even more durable than stone (it's not real stone but crushed stone 95% and mixed with something else and then cast).
Check if you think it's nice.

 

[memike]

Hello,

We moved into a house about 8-9 months ago and are considering taking a week off to replace the kitchen, the dimensions are 4.7 x 3.7, i.e., around 17 square meters. The idea is for one of the short sides to be covered with kitchen cabinets, stove, sink, and stone countertop.

We haven't decided on the long side yet, except that it will consist of larger cabinets with a built-in oven, which may require some electrical work (considering that the oven is currently on the other wall).

The ceiling will be replaced with some form of drywall, probably with spotlights, which might also require an electrician.

The floor will be some form of parquet that can be sanded.

There will be two of us who have so far done simpler things, such as laying tiles, etc. We will also get help from someone with much more experience (though not professionally).

How long can this be expected to take? Are we talking 1 week? 1 month?

I understand that this is a very rough estimate, but you probably have a better idea of this than we do. Our estimate of laying 28 square meters of tiles over a weekend was quite miscalculated

1 week sounds like a rather optimistic estimate. First, you have to tear everything out, then the new has to be assembled (takes a long time), and the ceiling has to be lowered. That alone takes a day, especially if you're doing new wiring and relocating some existing electrical work, which you probably can't do yourself (I'm an electrician).

I did a similar renovation last fall, did all the demolition myself, assembled all the frames, and replaced the plumbing.
Then I had electricians who replaced the panel and did new wiring (580m PM flex conduit 1.5mm2 and 52 LED spotlights).
Carpenters who tore out existing plank flooring and laid floor chipboard and underfloor heating, new oak parquet, lowered the ceilings and drywalled, installed frames, etc.

In total, everything took about 8.5 weeks from the start of construction. I've worked in construction for about 14 years, and it always takes longer. You find something you didn't account for, you want to change something, something is missing, etc. So 1 week sounds a bit short to me. But good luck

 

[Exostor]

I renovated the kitchen last summer in 3 weeks. It was 1 week of work from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, after which the kitchen was usable, and then 2 weeks at a more normal pace of 8 hours a day for wallpapering/molding/tiling, etc. I tore out the old cabinetry, flooring, and plank ceiling. I chiseled out the wooden walls for new electrical wiring, plastered the ceiling and walls, laid new flooring, and installed new cabinet frames. Total cost was about 50,000.

 

[snowjim]

I did the kitchen last summer in 3 weeks. It was 1 week of work from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, during which the kitchen became usable, and then 2 weeks at a more normal pace of 8 hours/day for wallpapering/trim/tiling, etc. I tore out the old carpentry, flooring, and plank ceiling. Chiseled out the wooden walls for new electrical, plastered ceiling and walls, laid new flooring, and installed new cabinet frames. Total cost was around 50,000

Yes, 1 week is quite underestimated obviously, 2-3 weeks is probably more reasonable.

What kitchen did you choose? 50,000 SEK is half of what we chose, and our kitchen isn't particularly large.

 

[Exostor]

Ikea kitchen. I think it cost about 20k, we have a fairly small kitchen. Then it was 14k for new appliances, 1500 wallpaper, 3k flooring, and then some plaster, screws, paint etc...

 

[Hemligt]

For me, it only took a week.
But I had already assembled the frames in the garage and let the water/drain remain. I replaced the drywall but not the floor.

But I'm not quite finished yet. Need to paint, tile, install skirting boards and decorative moldings, LED lighting, and some cover panels.
But otherwise, I'm done. :wow:

As always, it's the finishing touches that take extra time.

 

[gpy]

Don't forget asbestos analysis and possible remediation of flooring adhesive and tile fix. It takes a few days lead time.