‘Dying wish’ kitchen renovation left in tatters as Northamptonshire woman devastated by incomplete work

An Irchester woman with terminal cancer has been left without basic kitchen appliances after her dying wish of having a new kitchen turned into a nightmare.

Linda Rich of Townwell Lane has spent over £15,000 on the dream renovation, only for it to be ill-fitted and subsequently delayed, with no concrete start date confirmed.

Her daughter, Sharon Howland, has taken over the issue to preserve her mum’s health and has expressed her disappointment at seeing her mother have to resort to alternative means to perform kitchen tasks.

She said: “It’s upsetting enough to know my mum is going to pass away, and I want her dream to come true. This dream has failed on a massive scale.

“To put my mum through the trauma of getting a bowl out, opening a big bottle of water to wash a plate, knife, fork and a teacup, and put her stuff outside in the pouring rain in a cool bag to keep her fridge stuff cold, it saddens me beyond disbelief.

“I don’t want this to happen to someone else.”

Linda, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer in October 2022, decided to get a new kitchen installed to tick it off the list of things she’s always wanted before she dies.

It was purchased from Wickes and Linda forked out the bulk of the fee with a small amount to pay after the work had been completed.

A fitter arrived on October 16 but Sharon said that, after two weeks of work, the kitchen was left in a ‘dreadful’ state.

Sharon insisted that she went back to Wickes ‘on several occasions’ and that a representative of the company visited Linda’s home to confirm the shoddy job.

It was then decided after the survey of the area that a new fitter would be required, with work set to start ‘in seven-to-10 days’.

Sharon called this ‘bearable’ as her mum ‘has got no utilities.’

However, a seemingly sudden collapse in communication meant the date for work to finally begin would be January 8, though this was unconfirmed.

Sharon said: "The sink is there, but it’s not plumbed in, she’s got a dishwasher that doesn’t work, a washing machine that doesn’t work.

“She hasn’t got a fridge set up, so she’s putting all her food in a cool bag outside, she’s washing all her cutlery with drinking water we’re taking over in a bowl.

"Her conservatory is full of worktops and all the stuff that’s had to be reordered.

"For someone who’s terminally ill, she can’t live on microwave dinners for four months.”

The resulting debris from Linda’s previous kitchen has made its way into industrial bags outside the property, which has upset her neighbours as they are unable to access their meter.

In response to the claims, a spokesman from Wickes said: “We are very sorry to hear of Mrs Rich's kitchen installation issues as we always aim to complete our installations to a high standard.

"Our customer relations team is in contact with a representative on behalf of the customer to confirm a date to complete the installation, and a designated member of the team will remain in contact until the issues are resolved.”

Sharon regularly takes home-cooked meals to her mother, and works with her sister to pick up her washing and bring it back clean. They have each been caring for Linda while balancing her other responsibilities. Sharon called the situation ‘devastating’, ‘infuriating’, and ‘very frustrating’, putting stress on herself as she tries to look out for her mum.

Sharon added: “I don’t need this stress on top of trying to care for my mother anyway.

“I’m trying to work, I’m a single parent myself, it’s just so stressful, and there’s no need for it.

“I’d do it in a heartbeat for my mum because I love her to bits.”