MeNext / Orpington
Bathrooms and kitchens in Orpington.
Orpington is where South East London meets Kent, and one of the areas I work in. Much of the housing there came later than in inner South East London, after the railway arrived.
Orpington, and the houses in it
Orpington railway station opened in 1868, south-west of the town centre, and housing followed in Crofton and Broom Hill, with Derry Downs to the east developed at about the same time. Orpington is in the London Borough of Bromley, so Bromley Council is the one to deal with for a skip on the road.
What that means for a bathroom or kitchen
With more space there are more choices: moving a bathroom, adding a shower room, or taking out a wall between a kitchen and a dining room. Every one of those starts with the same questions, which are where the water and waste can run and what the structure will take, and the answers come from looking, not from a photograph.
Whatever the house, the job runs in the same order: strip out, first fix, plaster, set out and tile, floors, joinery, then the suite or the units go in and I show you where the isolating valves are.
How a job runs
Every job runs in the same order: look first, strip out, first fix, plaster, set out and tile, floors, joinery, then fit and hand over. You can see each stage on my own jobs in the order of the work, and sixteen of them in the book of work.
Questions people ask in Orpington
Do you cover Orpington, Petts Wood and Chelsfield?
Yes. Orpington and the Kent border are among the areas I work in, and I travel further across Kent for the right job.
Can you move a bathroom or add a shower room?
Often, yes. It depends on where the waste can run and what the structure allows, so I come and look before pricing.
Do I need a skip licence in Orpington?
Only if the skip goes on the road rather than your drive, and then it comes from Bromley Council. I include the skip and any licence in the written price.
Who does the gas and electrics?
Gas work is done and certified by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and electrical work by an electrician. I run the job.
Postcodes: BR5 and BR6. Council: Bromley Council. Local history from Orpington on Wikipedia.