Bank holiday renovations?

Buying a fitted kitchen this Bank Holiday weekend?  Take some advice from Consumer Direct . . .

If you're planning a trip to a kitchen showroom this bank holiday to take advantage of special holiday offers, taking some advice from Consumer Direct East of England before you make a decision could help you avoid some of the fitted kitchen pitfalls.

With people in the East of England spending an average of £5,891 on a fitted kitchen last year, the government advice service received over 800 complaints about fitted kitchens from across the region. Many of these concerned substandard work, faulty units and delivery and fitting delays.

Melanie Thornton, from Consumer Direct East of England said: 'Buying a fitted kitchen can be an incredibly expensive investment so it pays to shop around and do your homework. And if things go wrong, you need to take prompt action to help resolve the problem as quickly as possible.'

Consumer Direct East of England has put together a list of tips to help you avoid the most common complaints:

• Try to make it a term of the contract that work will be completed by a fixed date.
• Before you sign a contract, make sure you read the terms and conditions carefully to understand what is covered and what is not.

For more information, visit Consumer Direct  | (new window) online.