There are a few points in here that u must consider when fitting yourself for the first time.
ok guy's are u ready for this.......
Remember, I'm blonde and female....lol
a couple of years ago, i bought a kitchen from MFI. I went there with measurements of kitchen, sat down with the assist, who done a plan for me on the computer. They ask your measurements (of the kitchen that is...lol)
ask where the door is and windows, they then ask wot appliances you will be having (not nesscary from them) as they have to put in the correct way...i.e..cooker opposite fridge, rather then next to each other, (for obvious reasons) cooker not to near the sink or not near the window (again for obvious reasons) something i wouldn't of thought about. Then there are the infills, something else i didn't know about. They put in intergrated fridge, intergrated freezer, oven with hob above it and intergrated washing machine. Chexked with me that there was no fans or anything else like that where units couldn't go. they put all that in the computer and it laid everything out for me in the correct places, also telling me wot size units could go where. This was so usefull cos for example...the sink under window, i could only have an 800mm unit under it, because of adjenct appliances, then i had to have infills either side of it, this would allow for the fridge and washing machine to fit on the adjecent walls. My kitchen is a U shape upside down. Anyway, it was so much easier, she then printed of a list of everything i needed....i.e...3 X 600mm doors only for intergrated appliances, 2 X draw covers (with no draws) for under the sink, (dummy draws) how much infilss i would need, plinths, cornice, corner posts etc....they wanted £1000 to fit it for me. So i just bought from them everything i need, like the computer said, also they give u a 3D image of how it will look at the finsh and excactly where everything should be laid out. It then got delivered and picture instructions for everything that i had bought how to assemble it all. I bought my work tops from B&Q. I already had a jigsaw and circular saw, screw drivers etc.. (as i am a bit of a diy'er...lol) and then .....bob's your uncle...i fitted the whole kitchen myself. The only thing i couldn't do was mitre the work tops, so i did the awful thing and used the joining strips...(which i wouldn't recommened u do) and it's strange that this thread should come up now, cos it was only last week that i got someone in to replace me worktops for me, well i bought, they fitted them...He was a friend of a friend, didn't get it done any cheaper (yeah.. some friend...lol.,) but this guy is a builder and charges £130-£150 a day. so it was 2 days money, but believe me mate, i have done almost everything in flat, from arches, ripping door frames out, tiling bathroom, dropping toilet cistern and boxing a plastic one in, then tiling it...etc....but when i see how these worktops where done, with the jig, router, then cutting the underneath of them all to allow for the clamps to go into place...etc, i'm so glad that i didn't hire the tools and do it myself.
Take my advise mate if you've never done it before, like i hadn't, go to somewhere like MFI, who can put it into the computer and lay it all out for, tell u excactly what u need, then everything comes delivered with, like the screws, fittings etc..for ewverything u have bought, then fit it yourself, believe me, if u don't do it this, u will come accross many obsticles which hadn't realised at the time of planning. U have to remember that is it rare for all units to fit wall to wall when buying a kitchen, as many of them have little infils to fill the gaps. Do it this way then afterwards get a builder or kitchen fitter to fit the worktops. Oh just one other thing to remmber, as this is where i went slightly wrong, but i got round it, if u are channeling in plug sockets around the worktops, leave about 6 inches from the worktop to allow for the plug to go into socket...lol also,with appliances, like fridge, freezer, washing machine,cooker..etc have a socket in the wall behind them all, then have fuse switches above work tops for saftey, in case they have to be turned off in case of fire..etc.
There is so much thinking ahead to be done when doing this job. Luckily i had someone to guide me on these tips before going out and buying and fitting it, then finding out these problems as i go along. But honstley, i fitted the whole kitchen myself.....good luck
