Cheap Kitchens - Wickes/Ikea/B&Q etc
Discussion
Condi said:
V8RX7 said:
A quick look seems to show:
DIY 1000 base unit (permanent 10% sale) £108+VAT = £129.60
Wickes (from the Spring Sale price list) = £214
What price list are you looking at ?
The printed quote from Wickes I have in front of me. Sale is 50% off list, then a further 20% which the sales girl added, then managers discount of £250 and there was probably a bit more to come had I pushed and offered to buy today. DIY 1000 base unit (permanent 10% sale) £108+VAT = £129.60
Wickes (from the Spring Sale price list) = £214
What price list are you looking at ?
I had a Benchmarx in my previous house - doesn't compare - the back panel is loose, only one shelf per wall unit etc.
DIY use a 2mm lipping, you can choose the carcass colour (won't matter for some kitchens) drawers are pre fitted, their doors are sprayed etc
However if you like the Wickes kitchen colour / finish that's all that really matters, it's a perfectly acceptable standard.
I've just ordered a kitchen from DIY. About 20 units in total. Went up to see them in Pontefract with mrs fossilfuelled and they couldn't have been more helpful. Called them a couple of times since to confirm a few things and again, nothing but knowledgeable and helpful. Can't wait to install it (i'm DIYing) Will post some pics up.
Mark300zx said:
On the strength of this thread I am nearly on the verge of ordering from diykitchens, my builders aren't too keen as they say as it is online it will probably be agro to return exchange items???
Why would they need to return items? cant they use a tape measure or are they expecting to fook up the design? Mark300zx said:
Neil - YVM said:
Why would they need to return items? cant they use a tape measure or are they expecting to fook up the design?
Not very clued up are we, there could be a defect with an item 
I had 2 scratched doors - replaced without fuss within 10 days - they aren't as quick as some because everything is made to order - equally as it's all in house, there shouldn't be any tales of massive delays as many have found with Wren and B&Q etc
Mark300zx said:
Not very clued up are we, there could be a defect with an item
10 Days seems to be a bit loose. One of our tambor units has a single dent in a single vain of the roller shutter. Sent them photos via thier support ticket, responce within a couple of hours and there is another complete unit on its way to us tomorrow (6 working days from the report)
Turely exceptional service from them both pre and post sales, MDF cabinets and doors, no visible chipboard at all and touch up paint supplied.
Will get a final set of photos of the three rooms we have done with them (one untility and two study / desk / offices)
V.
My experience with Ikea kitchens has been reasonably positive.
Their previous kitchen system, Faktum, was in production for 20 - 30 years and I imagine its replacement, Metod, will be too - so if you fancy a quick refresh at some point down the line you can be fairly confident of being able to source compatible replacement doors/drawer fronts.
The carcasses themselves are 18mm and the materials & fixings compare favourably with similar offerings from other manufacturers. In terms of worktops and doors, there's a pretty extensive range of options to suit a variety of budgets. You can also add on all manner of fripperies like in-drawer lighting.
In terms of fitting, the units are simple enough to construct and are hung on a rail - meaning they're all automatically aligned with each other (although you can adjust them if you need to for some reason).
As others have said, the only potential annoyance of any significance is the lack of a service gap behind the base units. Whether this is relevant will depend on the construction of your house. The last one I installed was in a house with a suspended timber floor in the kitchen, under which all the water/gas pipes ran. The dishwasher was next to the sink and both were on an external wall. Consequently, I didn't have to run any pipes/drains behind the base units. The lack of a service gap does have an upside though - increased cupboard capacity.
The only temporary issue I've ever had related to the incompatibility of the Ikea doors with non-Ikea integrated dishwashers. Because the base units sit quite close to the floor, putting an Ikea door on a non-Ikea integrated dishwasher means the dishwasher won't open properly. Fortunately I eventually discovered that they intermittently offer a £20 sliding adapter mechanism that resolves the issue, although they don't seem to publicise the fact much - perhaps worried about harming sales of Ikea dishwashers?
Their previous kitchen system, Faktum, was in production for 20 - 30 years and I imagine its replacement, Metod, will be too - so if you fancy a quick refresh at some point down the line you can be fairly confident of being able to source compatible replacement doors/drawer fronts.
The carcasses themselves are 18mm and the materials & fixings compare favourably with similar offerings from other manufacturers. In terms of worktops and doors, there's a pretty extensive range of options to suit a variety of budgets. You can also add on all manner of fripperies like in-drawer lighting.
In terms of fitting, the units are simple enough to construct and are hung on a rail - meaning they're all automatically aligned with each other (although you can adjust them if you need to for some reason).
As others have said, the only potential annoyance of any significance is the lack of a service gap behind the base units. Whether this is relevant will depend on the construction of your house. The last one I installed was in a house with a suspended timber floor in the kitchen, under which all the water/gas pipes ran. The dishwasher was next to the sink and both were on an external wall. Consequently, I didn't have to run any pipes/drains behind the base units. The lack of a service gap does have an upside though - increased cupboard capacity.
The only temporary issue I've ever had related to the incompatibility of the Ikea doors with non-Ikea integrated dishwashers. Because the base units sit quite close to the floor, putting an Ikea door on a non-Ikea integrated dishwasher means the dishwasher won't open properly. Fortunately I eventually discovered that they intermittently offer a £20 sliding adapter mechanism that resolves the issue, although they don't seem to publicise the fact much - perhaps worried about harming sales of Ikea dishwashers?
Edited by Risotto on Friday 27th May 17:41
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