Recommend a mid range Kitchen supplier?
Discussion
Looking at replacement kitchens. Have installed a couple of Ikea kitchens in the last 2 projects and while they are great for what they are, i want to step up the finish a bit more for our next project.
Any recommendations that aren't silly money? I've seen bad reviews of Wren and they installed my sister-in-laws kitchen for a lot of money that ended up looking worse than the Ikea one i installed myself.
Howdens seem to get good ratings but would need to order through a builder. Some of the Wickes kitchens look OK but i'd rather not have flatpack again and have pre-built units.
Any recommendations that aren't silly money? I've seen bad reviews of Wren and they installed my sister-in-laws kitchen for a lot of money that ended up looking worse than the Ikea one i installed myself.
Howdens seem to get good ratings but would need to order through a builder. Some of the Wickes kitchens look OK but i'd rather not have flatpack again and have pre-built units.
IMHO if the flat pack is made of the right quality, then that is probably still the cost effective option.
I bought a single Wickes unit in the January sale for use in our utility and the quality of the particle board carcass disappointed me. The door was fine however. It was fine for the intended use but I'd have been upset if I'd bought a whole kitchen to that standard.
I don't know how to overcome that however.
I bought a single Wickes unit in the January sale for use in our utility and the quality of the particle board carcass disappointed me. The door was fine however. It was fine for the intended use but I'd have been upset if I'd bought a whole kitchen to that standard.
I don't know how to overcome that however.
For me the quality of the chipboard in the carcass is unimportant, I'm not going to see it, and the inside of one cupboard looks much the same as another. The important parts, the ones to spend money on, are the bits you see and touch. I bought cheap carcasses (MFI in those days) and expensive appliances/fittings. No regrets.
mattman said:
Howdens seem to get good ratings but would need to order through a builder. Some of the Wickes kitchens look OK but i'd rather not have flatpack again and have pre-built units.
We fit Howdens, wren, magnet and diykitchens (not bandq). Howdens often do a no vat deal around this sort of time try and buy then. Magnet often chuck in decent appliances or offer 0%. I have never dealt with wren just fitted the kitchen.Wren are decent kitchens if you can get the kitchen in a sale and get a decent fitter - we charge between 2 and 3 grand to fit a kitchen however service and quality is 5x that of a wren/howdens/magnet fitter as they are working on a low price and want to bash it out quick.
I have a benchmarks kitchen in my house and its OK I know they are cheap but 5 years on its still fine with no problems.
Always get your stone worktops from an independent, they will be cheaper and better, allow 10 days from template to fit (roughly).
rustyuk said:
DIY Kitchens come pre-built. Just ordered one myself, tot top quality but ok for the price.
The delivery charge is a total rip off though!
Same here - just fitted the first phase of our kitchen. Excellent quality and all fully built including all wire racking etc. They even sent me a replacement door front FOC even though Wifey grassed me up and tell them It was me who slashed it with a Stanley knife!!The delivery charge is a total rip off though!
Simpo Two said:
For me the quality of the chipboard in the carcass is unimportant, I'm not going to see it, and the inside of one cupboard looks much the same as another. The important parts, the ones to spend money on, are the bits you see and touch. I bought cheap carcasses (MFI in those days) and expensive appliances/fittings. No regrets.
I agree but only to an extent. The carcass is the part to which the eurohinges are attached, probably the only moving part in the whole kitchen (excluding appliances). The cheaper carcass is more likely to fail at the hinge mounting point due to the less dense composition of the board. Of course you then have to factor in anticipated lifetime and extent of use and abuse.The Wickes carcass is a good case in point. There are only adults in our household and the unit is in the utility and will be used only occasionally. I don't think that the carcass is sufficiently robust to withstand the anticipated use and abuse in a family with young children. As in all things, it's finding the balance to fit the budget. I admit I bought mainly on price and convenience with the Wickes cupboard but I'm not sure how to really inspect the quality of the online suppliers other than through these types of forums where you can get actual user experience. Even in showrooms they only show door and worktop samples, not usually a section of carcass to enable you to judge the quality.
mattman said:
rustyuk said:
DIY Kitchens come pre-built. Just ordered one myself, tot top quality but ok for the price.
The delivery charge is a total rip off though!
Who did you use Rusty?The delivery charge is a total rip off though!
Paid £300 for delivery though!!!
rustyuk said:
Paid £300 for delivery though!!!
So a 1 man delivery will get it to the back of the lorry for £75 and they recommend you need 2 people to get it into your home, but a 2 man delivery will get it into your home for £150. Why can't the 1 man delivery work with 1 other 'man' to get it into your home or do they use old knackers for the 1 man delivery?S6PNJ said:
rustyuk said:
Paid £300 for delivery though!!!
So a 1 man delivery will get it to the back of the lorry for £75 and they recommend you need 2 people to get it into your home, but a 2 man delivery will get it into your home for £150. Why can't the 1 man delivery work with 1 other 'man' to get it into your home or do they use old knackers for the 1 man delivery?I found the cabinets from cheaper places like Ikea, b&q etc bow when filled with plates etc. We are 2 adults and a baby so not a big household and I’ve had to fit supports underneath the centres on all the carcasses. Even the doors feel hollow.
Howdens and wren are good. Not used diy.
I prefer Howdens and wren as if something is damaged or missing then you can get the replacement on the same day.
Howdens and wren are good. Not used diy.
I prefer Howdens and wren as if something is damaged or missing then you can get the replacement on the same day.
Make up a business card via vista print. Take it in to Howdens and open an account. Not sure if you can do it that way now but that's what I did 9 years ago.
And that was on the advice of the branch manager. The economy was down the toilet at the time so they may have tightened up now.
And that was on the advice of the branch manager. The economy was down the toilet at the time so they may have tightened up now.
rustyuk said:
DIY Kitchens...
The delivery charge is a total rip off though!
Their kitchen are BETTER and CHEAPER than Magnet, Howdens, Wren etc The delivery charge is a total rip off though!
I've used them on 4 kitchens now IIRC I paid £75 or £150 which is around the price of one pallet delivery in the UK.
I have always been there to help unload hence paid for a one man delivery - yet 2 have always turned up and haven't wanted any help and have unloaded into the garage.
I will admit they weren't the friendliest but every time they've delivered after 5pm so I suppose they've had enough by then.
Their call centre staff are excellent and the only criticism is that replacement items can take 2 weeks as they are all made to order - if you google other suppliers whilst they hold some stock for immediate replacement delays can be much longer than 2 weeks.
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