2nd hand kitchens on ebay? finding a fitter willing to fit?

[Deleted member 212919]

I see a lot of expensive looking kitchens selling very cheaply on ebay - where the buyer has to go and remove the kitchen before a certain date.

Is this a viable way to save money in re-doing your own kitchen?

I'm worried about:

Am I likely to damage the units and work surface when removing from the sellers? Do you need to know what you're doing to remove a kitchen without damaging anything?

Am I likely to find a fitter willing to fit a second hand kitchen that I imagine might be in an unknown state?

How easy is it to fit a kitchen oneself (assuming I can't find a fitter)? I have no built-in appliances, the most complex thing will be the sink.

 

[junglistmatty]

Remove the kitchen carefully, if it was me, I'd take this approach:

1. Remove the doors and hinges, putting all the hinges and hinge screws into a box so they can be re-assembled easily without loosing any screws/hinges.

2. Remove any cornices and pelmets and put the screws and mounting clips into another box.

3. Remove kick-boards, make sure you put all the kick-board mounting clips in a safe place.

4. Remove the wall unit carcases one by one, they could be screwed together so start by checking this and remove any screws. If it doesn't budge, don't force it, there's likely to be a screw you've missed.

5. Tackle the kitchen sink:
5a. Isolate the water supply, if it's been done properly there will be isolation valves on the pipework going to the taps so you can just close these. Otherwise, you'll have to turn the water off, disconnect the taps and put stoppers on the end of the pipes before turning the water supply back on.
5b. Remove the waste from the plug
5c. The sink will be stuck down to the work surface using silicon, this will be tricky to free, but patience is key here. Carefully cut away silicon you can see with a sharp Stanley blade, you'll need to work it free and be careful not to damage the sink or the work surface.

6. Remove the work surfaces, these will be screwed down to the carcases and also at the joins, will have dogbone routed joins you'll have to free (if done properly) or those rubbish metal trims that can be easily removed.

7. Carefully remove any decorative end panels.

8. Remove each lower unit one by one, you may want to remove the shelves first to make your life easier.


Refitting it will be easy enough if you take your time and be patient. Make sure everything is plumb, that's really the key to a successful kitchen install.
If it were me, I'd probably scrap the work surfaces and sink and buy them new because it will make a huge difference unless the old ones are in really great condition, but they're usually not.

 

[big-all]

you need to know
will the gas electric and water be disconnected or are you responsible to disconnect and reconnect possibly requiring one or more trades to be paid for to comply with regs

the units internally may be in a bad state indeed the worktop may be shot in areas needing replacement

i personally would not bother unless i had been round looked over it pushed and prodded it taken many pictures and checked parts are still available

you also need to factor in 2 days van hire 2 days for a mate or 2 to help you
then what happens
when a unit won't all come out in one piece

they are cheap for a reason you are paying them to remove there kitchen and dispose off it for free

 

[geraldthehamster]

I bought and fitted a kitchen from Ebay, with cabinets made out of timber by a joiner. So everything could be moved as separate units - one with sink cut out and space for a dishwasher, two free standing cupboards with worktops, and a dresser. I modified it all to fit in my kitchen, with a new piece of worktop for the kitchen unit. The fitting was easy enough, just a bit of carpentry, though I needed help with the plumbing as I was less experienced then. Range cooker also came via Ebay, and I laid a slate floor.

I'd say this was a perfectly viable thing to do, but consider your skills and experience and whether you have people available to help and advise when needed. Not to mention lifting the other ends of things.

Also consider raising your sights, because you might be able to get a decent (ie not chipboard) kitchen for a good price - I paid £800 for my cabinets, Belfast sink and taps, and the whole kitchen cost me £2000 to complete.

Cheers
Richard

 

[Deleted member 212919]

Thanks everyone, the work wouldn't involve any gas or electrics - just plumbing the sink in. Even though, it sounds like something fraught with potential problems.

I'm wondering if I'd be better off just getting the cheapest standard sized units and worktop from B&Q new, and then buying nicer doors and worktop if/when I have more money.

 

[geraldthehamster]

I'm wondering if I'd be better off just getting the cheapest standard sized units and worktop from B&Q

That's hardly the spirit, is it?

Cheers
Richard

 

[ladylola]

I've just fitted a kitchen which was a combination of some second hand stuff and some new. Fitting wise it took slightly longer than everything being shiney and brand new. One reason for this was the worktop . The setting out was upto a point dependant on the lengths although I still couldn't avoid a joint towards the end of one section. There was also no edging so I ended up having to use a strip of timber to edge it around the cooker gap.
A lot of tradespeople don't seem to like using second hand or reclaimed stuff but I personally don't mind that much but the customer must be aware that savings in buying the kitchen may be offset by longer fitting time.
One thing this thread does show to me is that spending huge sums on kitchens ( and for that matter bathrooms) is in some cases money lost rather than money spent adding value to a house , if eBay is full of cheap nearly new kitchens that are being ripped out because it's quite common for people to change a kitchen when they move into a house.

 

[scbk]

If you're not fitting it yourself first off I would get pally with a joiner who is willing to get stuck in to something like this! He may even be able to do a deal on a kitchen he's taking out elsewhere.

I wouldn't pay too much money for the kitchen itself, maybe a couple hundred at the most, that's assuming it's in good condition and comes with some appliances!

 

[big-all]

Thanks everyone, the work wouldn't involve any gas or electrics - just plumbing the sink in. Even though, it sounds like something fraught with potential problems.

I'm wondering if I'd be better off just getting the cheapest standard sized units and worktop from B&Q new, and then buying nicer doors and worktop if/when I have more money.

my comment where actually meant for removing the kitchen as i am sure they would expect everything to work as normal with the kitchen removed??