Elfin Kitchens

Property developers creating accommodation for multiple occupancy, whether it is a new build or a conversion, have a number of areas that need they need to consider before installing a kitchen into that property. Bob Andrew, managing director for kitchen supplier Elfin Kitchens, discusses the reality of multiple kitchen installation and how he has tackled these issues.

When it comes to fitting a kitchen into a house with multiple occupancy (HMO) developers know that there are a number of government legislations they must stick to, to be in line with the local HMO requirements. There is also the issue of the amount of space available and the speed in which the installation can be completed.

It is up to the kitchen manufacturers to consider these issues and think of how to help the developer overcome them. By creating a kitchen which can be altered to fit in with the local government’s requirements, cope with time restraints and spatial restrictions would take the pressure off the developer and ultimately make the process simpler.

A recent installation highlighted these issues. We were contacted by property development firm O’Neill’s Design and Build, based in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, to supply eight kitchens into a house which was being converted into a HMO property.

The kitchens were installed into bedsit style rooms in the converted property specifically for accommodation for Kingston University students. It was crucial to this project that it would be completed by September when the new university term started and occupants would move in.

John O’Neill, managing director of O’Neills Design and Build, explains:  “One of the biggest hurdles to overcome for landlords with Houses for Multiple Occupancy is making sure that what you create fulfils all the specifications required by the HMO regulations. We were on a very tight deadline to get the property finished and ready for the students to move in and so we needed to find a kitchen supplier who understood our needs and could cope with the speed and volume required by our project.”

When these circumstances arise it is important to listen to the developer and work together with them to create a kitchen which fits exactly to what they need and be completely open and honest when setting the timings of the delivery of the kitchen to the property.

The kitchens we supply have a number of additions which can be added so that they can adhere to any HMO regulations. It is very important that a designer does research into the specific requirements for the area they are planning on having their kitchen installed into.  We have developed a process where by the kitchens can adapt to the area where they are to be installed.

John continued, “As all Elfin Kitchen designs come with a range of additional features they were perfect for this project, we could choose features to meet the requirements we both wanted and needed to have. Because of this we could easily meet the legal requirements without having to look elsewhere. As these kitchens are going to be used in student accommodation they need to stand the test of time and constant use; all the Elfin units are made from powder coated steel so they are hard wearing, look good and defiantly ‘Student Proof’”

Safety within HMO accommodation is another key factor that needs to be addressed by all landlords, and as recent statistics show, around 60%* of all accidental fires started in the home originate from the kitchen with 53%* occurring whilst cooking.  As there can be a number of people cooking at one time the risk of fire within this type of property increases accordingly with the number of rooms and tenants.

With a property designed for students, kitchen safety is paramount as most will have just left home and are living by themselves for the first time and so may not be fully aware of the dangers of a kitchen. One moment of careless can result in causing potentially devastating damage to the property.

Within this niche area of kitchen market, an understanding of what can go wrong and creating a solution to that problem is an important part of a design process. For example the hotplates, which are supplied as a standard appliance with our units, are on timers so if accidently left on they will shut down once the timer ends and if they are knocked on they will not work until the timer has been set, so the likelihood of a fire or damage caused by the hotplates is significantly reduced.
Within the current economic climate time is money for the developer and any delays with installation can be disastrous for a project.

Anthony O’Neill, the Operations Director for O’Neills, explained the benefits of a speedy installation “To fit a traditional kitchen would have taken a few days and time we did not have, but Elfin’s kitchens only take a few hours each. The kitchens came ready assembled and the electrical and plumbing work had been completed prior to delivery from the detailed plans which Elfin had supplied- once the kitchen units are hooked up they are ready to use and fully functional. The benefits of a speedy installation are great from a developer’s point of view as the sooner the property is complete the sooner we can move onto the next project.”