ᐅ Ordering a Measurement Survey and Tips for Planning Your Kitchen

Yes, I meant it the way EinrichtungsNiete described it again.

I ordered the countertop measurement and even took time off work because my kitchen is "complicated." Two guys came and only took measurements. I wanted to explain to them that the countertop should overhang in one spot, but they weren’t interested. They just measure! I could have saved my time off and sent my mother to supervise instead.

A few weeks later, I received a professional CAD drawing of the entire kitchen by email. The drawing was made by someone from IKEA. The problem was that the drawing was incorrect. The measurements didn’t match at all (one side was drawn 20cm (8 inches) too deep)!

Luckily, I measured everything myself and found the errors. I then created a drawing on my own responsibility and ordered the countertop. Otherwise, my kitchen still wouldn’t be done today...

So, my advice for you is:

1. Measure carefully!:
- Don’t rely solely on the measuring service; measure yourself and compare.
- Get a good folding rule.
- Get a good measuring tape (10m (33 feet)).
- Measure as precisely as possible, down to the millimeter.
- Measure a wall at the top, middle, and bottom.
- Measure connections (electricity, water).
- Measure window sills and doors.
- Check the squareness of your room using the Pythagorean theorem.
- Create a detailed drawing; I used Open Office Draw for this.

2. Now you can plan your kitchen:
- Plan it yourself and take your time.
- Visit multiple IKEA stores and get advice from different staff members.
- Visit kitchen design stores and consult with them.
- You may need to add outlets or relocate the water connection.
- Use a kitchen planner or Open Office Draw to create your kitchen design.
- Use painter’s tape to mark cabinet boundaries on the floor of your empty kitchen; this gives you a virtual kitchen to walk through and test tasks like cooking, baking (space for hot baking trays?), taking food from the fridge, washing up... Make sure your outlets are in the right places (for cooking and appliances like coffee machines, toasters...) and ensure ergonomic workflow.
- Now your plan should be perfect! If not, repeat the previous steps.
- Once everything is to your satisfaction, you can order the materials from IKEA. They offer van rental so you can transport everything home.
- When assembling, the taped boundaries will help guide you during installation.

I ordered the countertop measurement service and even took time off work because my kitchen is "complicated." Two guys showed up and only took measurements. I wanted to explain to them that I needed the countertop to overhang at one spot, but they weren’t interested. They just measure! I could have saved my time off and just sent my mother to watch over it.

A few weeks later, I received a professional CAD drawing of the entire kitchen by email. The drawing was done by someone from IKEA. The problem was that the drawing was wrong. The dimensions didn’t match at all (one side was drawn 20cm (8 inches) too deep)!

Luckily, I remeasured myself and found the errors. I then created my own drawing at my own responsibility and ordered the countertop. Otherwise, I still wouldn’t have my kitchen done... .

So I can only recommend the following:
1. Measure carefully!:
- Don’t rely on the measurement service; measure yourself and compare
- Buy a good folding rule (e.g., from Stabilia)
- Buy a good tape measure (10m (33 ft))
- Measure as accurately as possible, down to the millimeter
- Measure a wall at the top, middle, and bottom
- Measure connections (electricity, water)
- Measure windowsills and doors
- Check the squareness of your room, for example using the Pythagorean theorem
- Create a detailed drawing; I used OpenOffice Draw for this

2. Only now should you start planning your kitchen
- Plan on your own and take your time
- Visit several IKEA stores and get advice from different employees
- Visit kitchen design showrooms and get advice there too
- You may need to add power outlets or relocate the water connection
- Now design your kitchen with the home planner tool or in OpenOffice Draw
- Use masking tape on the floor of your empty kitchen to mark the cabinet boundaries; this gives you a virtual kitchen space to walk through and try out tasks like cooking, baking (space for hot baking sheets?), taking food out of the fridge, washing dishes... Pay attention to having outlets in the right places (for work and appliances like coffee maker, toaster...) and ensure ergonomic workflow
- The plan should now be perfect! If not, repeat the steps above
- When everything is to your satisfaction, you can order the materials from IKEA; they also rent small vans so you can transport everything home
- When assembling, the taped boundaries will help you during installation

This would really be perfect!

A few weeks later, I received a professional CAD drawing of the entire kitchen by email. Someone from IKEA created the drawing.

No, the surveyor took the measurements and forwarded them to IKEA.

Fortunately, I measured everything myself and found the mistakes. I then created a drawing on my own responsibility and ordered the countertop. Otherwise, I still wouldn’t have the kitchen... .

Did you ask for the measurement report back? I wouldn’t pay if they can’t measure properly!

I already raised a complaint about this with Ikeahaus, as it was clear from the attached photos that the measurements couldn’t be correct. They offered me a new survey, but I want to actually finish the kitchen at some point. After all, there is still one month of countertop installation work ahead. (Yes, the usual delivery time is 3 weeks, but for me it’s obviously taking longer.)

I wouldn’t accept that... Either raise a complaint and make a fuss, or accept €70 for a service not performed... That’s my opinion.