Post Handover flooring advice

LL95 · Jul 25, 2025 6:44 pm

Hi everyone,
I’m planning to do the main flooring after handover for our new build. The plan is to install tiles on the ground floor (kitchen, living, hallway, etc.) and hybrid flooring upstairs in the bedrooms and hallway.
The builder will handle the wet area flooring, so only the main living and bedroom spaces will be done post-handover.
I understand I can request the builder to leave the skirting off to make things easier, but I had a few other questions and would really appreciate any advice:

Kitchen island – Do builders normally install the kitchen island on top of the flooring or on the slab? Since it’ll already be installed, is there any issue with tiling around it after handover?
Bedroom/Walk-in wardrobe cabinetry – Can hybrid flooring still be laid properly if the cabinets are already in?
Hybrid on stairs – Is it still possible to install hybrid flooring on the internal staircase after the stair posts have already been installed?
Transitions and height differences – With the builder doing wet areas and us doing the rest, should I expect any issues with floor height or transitions?

Thanks in advance!

Ashington Homes · Jul 25, 2025 6:56 pm

LL95

Hi everyone,
I’m planning to do the main flooring after handover for our new build. The plan is to install tiles on the ground floor (kitchen, living, hallway, etc.) and hybrid flooring upstairs in the bedrooms and hallway.
The builder will handle the wet area flooring, so only the main living and bedroom spaces will be done post-handover.
I understand I can request the builder to leave the skirting off to make things easier, but I had a few other questions and would really appreciate any advice:

Kitchen island – Do builders normally install the kitchen island on top of the flooring or on the slab? Since it’ll already be installed, is there any issue with tiling around it after handover?
Bedroom/Walk-in wardrobe cabinetry – Can hybrid flooring still be laid properly if the cabinets are already in?
Hybrid on stairs – Is it still possible to install hybrid flooring on the internal staircase after the stair posts have already been installed?
Transitions and height differences – With the builder doing wet areas and us doing the rest, should I expect any issues with floor height or transitions?

Thanks in advance!

LL95

Doing the floor after handover can be really problematic and honestly can leave you with a poorer looking finish especially with tiles and hybrid.

1. With the kitchen the best finish is to tile everything and then put your cabinets on top otherwise you end up with awful grout lines and tile cuts, This also occurs with your door architraves. We always tile first than install door jambs and architraves to avoid horrible tile cuts that look cheap and nasty.

2. Bedroom/ WIR again you should get your flooring in first otherwise you will have scotias and the ones they use for hybrid floors are nothing short of ugly

3. Stairs - not an issue

4. Transitions - This is a major one. We always determine the height of the external flooring before screeding and tiling wet ares so you can have a flat finish, So say the external floor is 8m we make sure the waterstop is 8m above and then screed and tile to that height to match.

I genuinely think the way you are going about it, whilst it may save you some money will be a terrible outcome from a quality perspective and I would recommend against it.

cheers

Simeon

Sleepless Knights · Jul 26, 2025 9:34 am

1000% agree with Simeon,

I also thought to save a few bucks by doing this post.

But i got a like for like quote and the builder couldn't / wouldn't match it, but still got to come down a little.

Good luck...