We have embarked on a new kitchen for the house. The other had been in the house for 20 years, the doors were beginning to break at the hinges, and the drawers were closing with difficulty.

First we chose the kitchen. In this time of recession you would have thought people would have been falling over each other to do you a kitchen. No. Two companies sent out people to look at the existing room, measured up and discussed the design. Weeks later, and despite nagging neither had produced a design or estimate. Eventually we went to Magnet who came out, measured up and designed the kitchen in front of our eyes. They would have installed it, but we were already down the path of independent contractors. The savings made by getting the kitchen at trade prices were quite substantial. Delivery was quick. Now the kitchen is being installed.

Wednesday and Thursday the old kitchen was ripped out, the walls had their cladding removed and the first fixing of the electrics was completed.

Friday the walls were dry-lined (we’ve got to do our green aka economy bit) and plastered.

The delivery of the kitchen also took place early in the morning. Really quite neat in checking all the goods had been delivered, the driver ran a scanner over all the boxes in the house, this produced a list of missing items. So back to the lorry to search for the items. Eventually a complete list of items were accounted for, which were then signed for on the scanner.