Kitchen renewals

We believe that it is important to ensure that our customers have a choice in how their home looks and feels.

We work hard with our supplier, Howdens, to provide an attractive range of options for you to choose from for your kitchen’s design and overall look.

If you are due a kitchen replacement, Howdens will visit you in your home to discuss your preferred options and seek to design the kitchen alongside our standards but with your input as best as we reasonably can.

Prior to this home visit, you may want to start thinking about what you would like to have now.

Our kitchen choice guide details all the options available, so please take a look.

Before we can begin works to the kitchen at your home, we need to ensure that our contractors are working in a safe environment and that you and your belongings are protected.

Please ensure that:

• Corridors and walkways are free of personal belongings that may cause obstruction
• All cupboards are emptied of items before your installation commences
• Kitchen appliances are relocated prior to works commencement
• Any pets are kept away from work areas, to protect your animals from any hazards or materials in those areas.

 If you are unable to move items out of your kitchen safely, please contact us and we can discuss ways in which Westward and our contractors can support you.

What we expect our contractors to do?

• Protect floors from the main entrance point to the home, through to the kitchen areas.
• Control dust as best as possible
• Clear rubbish as soon as possible
• Communicate with you throughout the process
• No radios
• They are not permitted to use the toilet at your home unless you explicitly give them permission.

If you have any queries relating to preparing for a kitchen replacement, please contact us using this form. 

 

• How long will the kitchen take to install?

A kitchen replacement takes approximately 10 working days to complete depending on the complexity of the works involved.

This can sometimes take a little longer if there is a lot more work involved. Our contractor will of course keep you informed throughout the process to ensure that you are aware of any likely delays.

We will ensure that you have cooking facilities returned as soon as possible.

• When will my kitchen be replaced?

We aim to replace a kitchen every 20 years, so we wouldn’t consider renewing your kitchen until it has reached this age.

When your kitchen is due for replacement, we will contact you and provide further details on the process.

If you believe your kitchen requires replacement or repairs, please contact Westward.

• Will I have choice in what my kitchen looks like?

Yes – All customers receiving a kitchen improvement will have a choice of how the kitchen looks. Our supplier Howdens will visit your home and discuss the options available from our agreed range.

In advance of this visit, you can take a look at our kitchen design options guide on this page.

• Will I get more storage space in the new kitchen?

Within our Westward Standard, we set target storage capacity levels which our contractors are required to meet.

If your kitchen already meets these targets, we wouldn’t seek to increase storage capacity unless there was a specific reason for doing so.

If your kitchen current exceeds the storage capacity targets, we wouldn’t seek to reduce your storage from existing.

• Will I get more worktop space in the new kitchen?

Within our Westward Standard, we set target worktop quantities which our contractors are required to meet.

If your kitchen already meets these targets, we wouldn’t seek to increase the worktops unless there was a specific reason for doing so. If your kitchen current exceeds the target levels, we wouldn’t seek to reduce them from existing.

• How long will I be without cooking facilities?

Typically, you wouldn’t have access to your cooker/oven for the first four days of the installation. Your home will still have power, so you will still have the ability to use a microwave or other smaller cooing appliances (if you have one) or our contractor can lend a temporary cooking facility to you.

Our contractor will aim to get your oven back in and connected as soon as possible.

• What can I use to cook with whilst my cooker is disconnected?

Your home will still have power available to use other cooking appliances during the first four days of the installation until your cooker is re-connected.

If you don’t have a microwave, air fryer or other appliance, our contractor has temporary cooking facilities that can be loaned to you for free during the works period.

• What are the working hours of your contractors?

Typically, our contractors work from 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday. If you have any concerns around these times, please let us know or discuss with the contractor who can make reasonable adjustments to support you.

Please be mindful that reductions in the working hours or days, may impact on the duration of the works and delay the completion of the kitchen.

• Will my kitchen be decorated during the work?

Yes – Your new kitchen will have the walls and ceilings decorated. You will be given a choice of the wall colour. This can be viewed in our kitchen design options guide.

• Will you remove the pantry/larder cupboard in the kitchen to make more space?

Decisions to remove pantries or larders will be made by our surveyor based on the complexity of the works involved and done to benefit the overall design of the kitchen.

Our supplier will complete designs that include for the larder/pantry to be removed and a complete an alternative design to retains it. This will allow our surveyor overseeing the works to make an informed decision.

• Will you install a gas cooker point?

We would not install a new gas cooker point in any home. We would however re-connect an existing gas cooker point only.

• I have built in appliances; can I keep them?

Our supplier will include for integrated appliances in the kitchen designs based on what is currently installed at the point of design survey.

• Will Westward install items in my kitchen if I buy them?

At present we do not support the installation of tenant purchased items. This is under constant review.

• Do I have to agree to improvement work being completed?

The following planned works are considered mandatory as they impact on the building and present increased risks if not completed:

·       External decorations and repairs

·       Roofing replacement works

·       Window replacements

·       Fire Door replacements

The following works can be refused but only if the condition of the item planned for replacement is satisfactory or if there isn’t a legal/safety compliance requirement:

·       External Doors

·       Kitchen Replacement

·       Bathroom/Wet room replacement

·       Heating replacements.

• Will I get the same improvements as my neighbour?

We will try and complete the following works areas on a scheme-wide basis:

·       External Decorations

·       Pitched roof replacements

·       Window replacements

This means we will aim to complete one or more of the above on all Westward homes on that street.

Improvements such as kitchens, bathrooms, heating, external doors and other smaller replacement items are replaced based on the specific age or condition of the improvement and done so on a property-by-property basis.

This means we may not do the above improvements to all homes on a street as a number of the improvements may be varying cycles or in varying condition.

• What if my home is not included in planned works programmes but I think work needs doing?

If your home is not on our programme and feel that it should be, please contact us. We aim to undertake improvements to our homes as per our Westward Standard. If you home isn’t due for replacement due to age, we may still need to complete the improvement due to condition.

If you believe any part of your home requires replacement due to condition you need to report this as a repair. Our repairs team will then review this requirement to understand whether a reasonable repair can take place. If this isn’t a feasible option, it will be referred for early replacement due to condition.

• • Will I be charged for any improvement works?

  Whether an improvement is chargeable to you, is dependent on your legal agreement with Westward and dependent on the circumstances that the improvement is required.

  Charge guide

  Home owners/shared owners	Typically responsible for the management of works in their homes and for paying for these works.
  Leaseholders	Typically responsible for paying a contribution towards the costs of works. This depends on the details set within their specific lease agreement.
  Tenants	Westward are responsible for the management and costs relating to improvements. The exception to this is where works are paid for from service charge provisions which are a separate arrangement.

  •  
  • Who will be doing the work on my home?

  The contractors undertaking works will be dependent on the location you are in and the works being undertaken.

  Contractor guide

  Area	Contractor
  North Devon and Bude	Westward Property Services (WPS)
  South Devon	Westward Property Services (WPS) or Westcountry Maintenance Services (WMS)
  Cornwall	Westcountry Maintenance Services (WMS)

• Will the work be disruptive?

Our contractors will work to minimise disruption as best as possible but planned works can be noisy and messy at times. Our contractors are expected to keep their work area as tidy as possible, but there may be periods of any work item where mess is inevitable.

If you are concerned about this, please let us know or discuss with our contractors at their initial survey of your home.

• Do I have to be present during the works?

All works that involve entry within your home will require you to be present to allow access.

External works do not need your attendance at all times. If you have a side gate to allow rear access, we urge you to leave this unlocked during any external works. This will allow our contractors to complete their work without delay.

• Will I have assistance moving heavy goods/white goods?

If you are able, we would ask that you move all freestanding items out of the kitchen to allow our contractors to progress with works promptly.

If you are unable to move items, please let us know so that we may explore what support Westward or our contractors can offer.

Westward and our contractors will not be responsible for damage caused to any appliances during works if left in the work area or if moved by our contractors.

• Will my property be protected from damage i.e. carpets/flooring?

Yes – It is expected that our contractor will lay protective coverings to hallways or rooms that run from the entry point of your home to the kitchen area.

If your kitchen is accessed from a rear door directly and there is side access, this door will be used as the route of entry for the works, mitigating the need for any access through your home.

• I have had a letter from Westward but not heard from a contractor yet?

If you have received a letter from Westward regarding a planned improvement at your home, typically this means your home is on our programme for the current financial year which runs from April to the following March. 

Our contractors are required to complete the entire programme within this time period.

If you haven’t heard from our contractor yet, do not worry. It is likely that your home is planned later in the year. Typically, our contractors will commence communication with you a few months before works would be planned, sometimes sooner.

If you have a specific time of the year that you are unable to have the works completed, please contact us and we may be able to discuss this with our contractor to ensure that this period of the year is avoided.

Similarly, if you believe that your improvement is more urgent, please let us know and we can assess it for prompter action on the programme.