Kitchens - cheap vs expensive
Discussion
mikey_b said:
Road2Ruin said:
Yazza54 said:
We've just ordered a midnight blue shaker kitchen from magnet, was very happy with the design and pricing service, all timber doors etc. We originally went to Howdens and the Mrs was adamant she wanted to try magnet, I was convinced it would be dearer but they managed to beat Howdens by a decent margin for the same spec.
And if you had gone back to Howdens they would have beaten that again. Best to choose what you like, then haggle.princeperch said:
I've actually chronically underspent on my new kitchen for the value of the house. When the work is finished to the house it'll be worth about 1.1, perhaps a smidge over.
But I think I have managed to make a cheap kitchen look expensive and worth more than the sum of its parts anyway. I'll post pictures in a couple of weeks and you can all start the pile on.
I'd have liked to have spent more (and could have done so) but have shown some restraint. Ive got nursery bills to pay for a few years yet and life isn't getting any cheaper.
I'm a similar boat, spending £15k excl appliances on a DIY Kitchens, purely because multiple young children and focus elsewhere on our bungalow build just means it isn't a priority for us... Even if the rest of the house /value probably deserves something multiple magnitides more. But I think I have managed to make a cheap kitchen look expensive and worth more than the sum of its parts anyway. I'll post pictures in a couple of weeks and you can all start the pile on.
I'd have liked to have spent more (and could have done so) but have shown some restraint. Ive got nursery bills to pay for a few years yet and life isn't getting any cheaper.
I'm sick of looking at kitchens after seceral months. I'm not really fussed what it looks like as the main cook in the house more concerned with the layout and appliances.
We've settled on a local supplier and will use their fitters. We were splitting hairs over a few k in the end and decided we'd rather have our cash go to a local company but mainly as if anything goes wrong I'm confident they will sort it, we're also getting them to redo the main bathroom and utility new bathroom as part of a new extension.
Their supplier of appliances aren't too competitive though so are happy to fit if I source my own.
We've settled on a local supplier and will use their fitters. We were splitting hairs over a few k in the end and decided we'd rather have our cash go to a local company but mainly as if anything goes wrong I'm confident they will sort it, we're also getting them to redo the main bathroom and utility new bathroom as part of a new extension.
Their supplier of appliances aren't too competitive though so are happy to fit if I source my own.
Road2Ruin said:
mikey_b said:
Road2Ruin said:
Yazza54 said:
We've just ordered a midnight blue shaker kitchen from magnet, was very happy with the design and pricing service, all timber doors etc. We originally went to Howdens and the Mrs was adamant she wanted to try magnet, I was convinced it would be dearer but they managed to beat Howdens by a decent margin for the same spec.
And if you had gone back to Howdens they would have beaten that again. Best to choose what you like, then haggle.THEN he asked what Howdens quoted, and I stretched the truth a little, and he knocked more off again to seal it.
Edited by Yazza54 on Wednesday 28th December 13:45
You do wonder where the pricing could end up with all the suppliers - there's a thread on, I think, MSE, where someone was b
hing about a complete kitchen being £3K and got it down to £2K.
I think ours from Howdens was insane - but the builder wanted us to use them (I genuinely think due to their widely accepted high service level so his guys wouldn't be mucked about) and my wife seemed to think Howdens = Good. So I'd have been really up against choosing someone else. I did separately source the quartz but that ended up the same price as Howdens quoted and it went wrong (the wall behind the hob was done on one piece and didn't fit).
We got a quote from the kitchen place that had custom made our existing kitchen and it was pretty well 2x the price.
hing about a complete kitchen being £3K and got it down to £2K.I think ours from Howdens was insane - but the builder wanted us to use them (I genuinely think due to their widely accepted high service level so his guys wouldn't be mucked about) and my wife seemed to think Howdens = Good. So I'd have been really up against choosing someone else. I did separately source the quartz but that ended up the same price as Howdens quoted and it went wrong (the wall behind the hob was done on one piece and didn't fit).
We got a quote from the kitchen place that had custom made our existing kitchen and it was pretty well 2x the price.
Road2Ruin said:
Yazza54 said:
We've just ordered a midnight blue shaker kitchen from magnet, was very happy with the design and pricing service, all timber doors etc. We originally went to Howdens and the Mrs was adamant she wanted to try magnet, I was convinced it would be dearer but they managed to beat Howdens by a decent margin for the same spec.
And if you had gone back to Howdens they would have beaten that again. Best to choose what you like, then haggle.Pricing/tick
Quality of doors/tick
Happy wife/tick
Sounds good to me.
The cheapest anything is rarely the best.
Sheepshanks said:
You do wonder where the pricing could end up with all the suppliers - there's a thread on, I think, MSE, where someone was bhing about a complete kitchen being £3K and got it down to £2K.
Christ hing about a complete kitchen being £3K and got it down to £2K.
Yeah I'm talking about getting a 2k off a 20 odd grand kitchen.
It's still reassuringly expensive...
Promised Land said:
Yazza54 said:
Road2Ruin said:
Yazza54 said:
We've just ordered a midnight blue shaker kitchen from magnet, was very happy with the design and pricing service, all timber doors etc. We originally went to Howdens and the Mrs was adamant she wanted to try magnet, I was convinced it would be dearer but they managed to beat Howdens by a decent margin for the same spec.
And if you had gone back to Howdens they would have beaten that again. Best to choose what you like, then haggle.The flaw in the Howdens design would be down to the designer from that store, probably not as experienced as the Magnet rep.
End of the day, most main stream mass produced kitchens are very much the same, I fit all the major brands, it’s up to the individual where they go.
Fitting it is the key, you can have a bespoke hand made unit but fitted badly it wouldn’t be any better than a BnQ good home flat pack unit bought off the shelf.
Personally when fitting them I find each major brand has its plus points and negative as well, biggest negative with Wren for example is they don’t supply corner fillets, they give you 2 pieces the same as the doors (similar to a smaller decor end panel) you cut down and form a corner with assembly blocks, doesn’t look as good as a corner fillet that Magnet/Howdens for eg supply.
I could go on but it would derail the thread, there’s lots of bits in all brands.
Why all this point scoring?
If someone is happy, why not just be happy for them? Some have different priorities. In the Howdens/DIY Kitchens/B&Q etc etc debate all have plus points and minus. The pricing policy of Howdens is a PITA but then many are happy with the kitchen they get.
If I was in a home where I thought I may move within a decade I would choose one of the above. It really doesn't matter.
If someone is happy, why not just be happy for them? Some have different priorities. In the Howdens/DIY Kitchens/B&Q etc etc debate all have plus points and minus. The pricing policy of Howdens is a PITA but then many are happy with the kitchen they get.
If I was in a home where I thought I may move within a decade I would choose one of the above. It really doesn't matter.
Minsky said:
Why all this point scoring?
Because Pistonheads. 
Yes, came here just to basically suggest that Magnet may be worth a shout if anyone was looking and had a pre conceived idea like me that it would be overpriced... and get told that I've done a poor job of negotiating and magnet are all 15mm carcass so I've got a better deal because it's not as good, neither of which is true.
It's f
king annoying. (I do think promised land was trying to be helpful though)
Edited by Yazza54 on Wednesday 28th December 13:44
Joe M said:
They look good, and going by the website I would probably have assumed too expensive and skipped over it.
Did they do the fitting for you?
Sorry, missed this.Did they do the fitting for you?
Don't assume kitchens are too expensive, just because they are very good and above the level of the generic places.
We were shocked at the value, our units were probably about £13k all in (off the top of my head), but that's due to us speccing up corten steel powder sprayed finished on the island doors and panels, adding about 2.5k to the price.
We had our local trusted joiner fit (£1.4k), as it's the fitting which really makes a kitchen stand out and kitchen companies charge way over the odds. He loved the Leicht fitting as everything was made perfectly, came with all the fittings and loads of extras. It was just a case of put into the right place and fix them.
Dekton worktops direct from the kitchen supplier were twice the cost of going to the manufacturer direct, so do that yourself and get quotes.
Essentially, do some of the work and project management yourself, plus get stuck in with the design. It's going to be your kitchen not the "designer's".
Some tips:
- Go for integrated appliances, none of these horrible sticky out american fridge freezers that look like a crap afterthrought. If you have the budget, then go Liebherr.
- Lots of good pan draws and go for the largest width units possible. It's much cheaper to get a 1200 wide unit than x2 600 wide units.
- Quooker Hot tap - Do it!
- Insinkerator waste disposal - Always handy.
- If you have an island, don't put the ruddy sink on it, the sink is mainly for washing and cleaning up, keep it out of the way.
- Hob on island, especially if you have a flat induction hob that's easy to clean and an extension of the worktop.
-Ad- said:
...Lots of good pan draws and go for the largest width units possible. It's much cheaper to get a 1200 wide unit than x2 600 wide units...
IMO about 900 is the optimum width for a drawer unit, more than that and although the drawer can hold more it will take more effort to open it (unless you have electric drawer pushers installed). It doesn't matter how good the drawer runners are, the more that's in the drawer the more inertia that has to be overcome to open it.I suggest avoiding the type of drawer unit that consists of two pan drawers only. Much better to have the type that has a conventional drawer at the top (for cutlery, utensils, odd and ends) and two pan drawer below.
singlecoil said:
-Ad- said:
...Lots of good pan draws and go for the largest width units possible. It's much cheaper to get a 1200 wide unit than x2 600 wide units...
IMO about 900 is the optimum width for a drawer unit, more than that and although the drawer can hold more it will take more effort to open it (unless you have electric drawer pushers installed). It doesn't matter how good the drawer runners are, the more that's in the drawer the more inertia that has to be overcome to open it.I suggest avoiding the type of drawer unit that consists of two pan drawers only. Much better to have the type that has a conventional drawer at the top (for cutlery, utensils, odd and ends) and two pan drawer below.
Even with high quality runners a drawer that wide can rack and with an in-frame design with fine shut lines the fronts can bind if opened with one hand.
900/950mm is better.
The kitchen in my last house was from magnet.
The price started out at 24k. Then 12k. Then a load of special one time discounts applied, and then when I said I'd buy it then and there if he made it 6k he made it 6.5k.
It's all absolutely laughable really. It's just cheap chipboard wood which has been tarted up.
What is the profit margins magnet and wren etc make on their kitchens on average, does anyone know?
The price started out at 24k. Then 12k. Then a load of special one time discounts applied, and then when I said I'd buy it then and there if he made it 6k he made it 6.5k.
It's all absolutely laughable really. It's just cheap chipboard wood which has been tarted up.
What is the profit margins magnet and wren etc make on their kitchens on average, does anyone know?
princeperch said:
The kitchen in my last house was from magnet.
The price started out at 24k. Then 12k. Then a load of special one time discounts applied, and then when I said I'd buy it then and there if he made it 6k he made it 6.5k.
It's all absolutely laughable really. It's just cheap chipboard wood which has been tarted up.
What is the profit margins magnet and wren etc make on their kitchens on average, does anyone know?
Yeah their prices on the system are just nonsense, that's why there's always a sale on. Ours was 45k on the screen ... Ended up 17250 with appliances, less worktops. The price started out at 24k. Then 12k. Then a load of special one time discounts applied, and then when I said I'd buy it then and there if he made it 6k he made it 6.5k.
It's all absolutely laughable really. It's just cheap chipboard wood which has been tarted up.
What is the profit margins magnet and wren etc make on their kitchens on average, does anyone know?
Yazza54 said:
princeperch said:
The kitchen in my last house was from magnet.
The price started out at 24k. Then 12k. Then a load of special one time discounts applied, and then when I said I'd buy it then and there if he made it 6k he made it 6.5k.
It's all absolutely laughable really. It's just cheap chipboard wood which has been tarted up.
What is the profit margins magnet and wren etc make on their kitchens on average, does anyone know?
Yeah their prices on the system are just nonsense, that's why there's always a sale on. Ours was 45k on the screen ... Ended up 17250 with appliances, less worktops. The price started out at 24k. Then 12k. Then a load of special one time discounts applied, and then when I said I'd buy it then and there if he made it 6k he made it 6.5k.
It's all absolutely laughable really. It's just cheap chipboard wood which has been tarted up.
What is the profit margins magnet and wren etc make on their kitchens on average, does anyone know?
k me.That is ridiculous. Do some poor mugs pay the list prices?
Zarco said:
Yazza54 said:
princeperch said:
The kitchen in my last house was from magnet.
The price started out at 24k. Then 12k. Then a load of special one time discounts applied, and then when I said I'd buy it then and there if he made it 6k he made it 6.5k.
It's all absolutely laughable really. It's just cheap chipboard wood which has been tarted up.
What is the profit margins magnet and wren etc make on their kitchens on average, does anyone know?
Yeah their prices on the system are just nonsense, that's why there's always a sale on. Ours was 45k on the screen ... Ended up 17250 with appliances, less worktops. The price started out at 24k. Then 12k. Then a load of special one time discounts applied, and then when I said I'd buy it then and there if he made it 6k he made it 6.5k.
It's all absolutely laughable really. It's just cheap chipboard wood which has been tarted up.
What is the profit margins magnet and wren etc make on their kitchens on average, does anyone know?
k me.That is ridiculous. Do some poor mugs pay the list prices?
Yazza54 said:
Zarco said:
Yazza54 said:
princeperch said:
The kitchen in my last house was from magnet.
The price started out at 24k. Then 12k. Then a load of special one time discounts applied, and then when I said I'd buy it then and there if he made it 6k he made it 6.5k.
It's all absolutely laughable really. It's just cheap chipboard wood which has been tarted up.
What is the profit margins magnet and wren etc make on their kitchens on average, does anyone know?
Yeah their prices on the system are just nonsense, that's why there's always a sale on. Ours was 45k on the screen ... Ended up 17250 with appliances, less worktops. The price started out at 24k. Then 12k. Then a load of special one time discounts applied, and then when I said I'd buy it then and there if he made it 6k he made it 6.5k.
It's all absolutely laughable really. It's just cheap chipboard wood which has been tarted up.
What is the profit margins magnet and wren etc make on their kitchens on average, does anyone know?
k me.That is ridiculous. Do some poor mugs pay the list prices?
Utter shocking way to behave IM0.
Joe M said:
After putting it off for a long time, 2023 will hopefully be new kitchen time for me.
I've just read this complete thread and clicked on everyone of the PH kitchen builders names... All South of the Border...
Any recommendations for Glasgow /Central Scotland?
Fife OK for you? I had a kitchen fitted by a chap from there and can highly recommend.I've just read this complete thread and clicked on everyone of the PH kitchen builders names... All South of the Border...
Any recommendations for Glasgow /Central Scotland?
It was around Xmas last year that I contacted him and it was installed at Easter.
He powered through the installation and is a perfectionist.
We put in a kitchen by Zurfiz
https://blossomavenue.co.uk/kitchens/zurfiz-serica...
Day 2 Carcass internals
With front units
[url]Peninsula with hob
|https://thumbsnap.com/MMNbuffC[/url][url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/KV4fGEfk[/url]There was an issue with the induction hob - Neff have a trapezoid shape outlet and I hadn't got the correct adapter.
He worked out some modification (rather than tools down) and just got on with the job in hand.
we wanted the hinges changed to the other side for the fridge and freezer a couple of weeks after fitting and he came back and changed it to ensure we were happy.
Website isn't up to much, but service was brilliant
https://hifkitchens.co.uk/
Big D is the fella - happy to talk more over DM and welcome to see his handiwork if you want.
Nearly finished....
Edited by Meeten-5dulx on Friday 30th December 00:08
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