Need a new kitchen. Where from?
Discussion
Been doing a little bit of shopping around for a new kitchen, but am getting a bit worried by the things I read on the internet.
We had the B&Q planner round last night and she produced what looked like a good design and with some heavy discounting it seemed like a good price. Today though I have read some pretty awful reviews on their kitchen quality (even the Cooke & Lewis range) and even worse about delivery cock-ups, crappy installation and shoddy customer support.
I'm now not sure where to go. The main 'high street/big shed' sellers all seem to have poor feedback and I fear that and independent is going to be far too expensive.
Any thoughts/experiences/good advice or recommendations?
We had the B&Q planner round last night and she produced what looked like a good design and with some heavy discounting it seemed like a good price. Today though I have read some pretty awful reviews on their kitchen quality (even the Cooke & Lewis range) and even worse about delivery cock-ups, crappy installation and shoddy customer support.
I'm now not sure where to go. The main 'high street/big shed' sellers all seem to have poor feedback and I fear that and independent is going to be far too expensive.
Any thoughts/experiences/good advice or recommendations?
I found it best to design the layout myself. Took a long while, and lots of changes, but eventually happy with it. Then I approached B&Q and another local supplier to cobble together a design, and when I decided theirs was rubbish, I showed mine and got them to do all the technical drawings. Using a different supplier now, but still my design! Got a trustworthy and creative fitter lined up, and it's someone I know, so I'm comfortable that no issues will be hidden. I'll let you know if that's the case at the end!
Kitchens are extremely complex things and the chance of one being designed, delivered and installed perfectly with no mistakes whatsoever are pretty slim I think.
For mine, I sourced cabinets from one place, worktop from another, main appliances from another, and sundries like taps from various places. Fortunately I had the ability (just) to fit it myself, but if not, then the only other link you need is a fitter. (I know a very good one, but he's 200 miles too far east for you!)
Design options were limited as the kitchen is not large, but several different designers visited, and two of them came up with good ideas I hadn't thought of - so I incorporated them.
Problems - well, several of the cabinet doors arrived scratched and had to be replaced, but it didn't delay the work and the spare doors gave me useful extra material for fillets later on. One of the glass splashback panels was cut from the wrong side and had to be remade, which took another 3 weeks but again, no real harm done.
For mine, I sourced cabinets from one place, worktop from another, main appliances from another, and sundries like taps from various places. Fortunately I had the ability (just) to fit it myself, but if not, then the only other link you need is a fitter. (I know a very good one, but he's 200 miles too far east for you!)
Design options were limited as the kitchen is not large, but several different designers visited, and two of them came up with good ideas I hadn't thought of - so I incorporated them.
Problems - well, several of the cabinet doors arrived scratched and had to be replaced, but it didn't delay the work and the spare doors gave me useful extra material for fillets later on. One of the glass splashback panels was cut from the wrong side and had to be remade, which took another 3 weeks but again, no real harm done.
Edited by Simpo Two on Friday 16th October 17:56
Avoid B&Q - waited 9 months for my cooker to arrive then they delivered the wrong one. I immediately noticed and the delivery driver basically scarpered and wouldn't take it back. Yout hen have to deal with a central warehouse place that doesn't give a toss.
If you want a cheapo kitchen then you can't go wrong with IKEA. I ordered online it was delivered at 7am (!) on the daythey said they would and nothing was missing although it was a mammoth task checking the delivery! I bought cheap units from IKEA then used expensive worktops and appliances sourced online for the best price to finish off.
If you want a cheapo kitchen then you can't go wrong with IKEA. I ordered online it was delivered at 7am (!) on the daythey said they would and nothing was missing although it was a mammoth task checking the delivery! I bought cheap units from IKEA then used expensive worktops and appliances sourced online for the best price to finish off.
Thinking about buying out units from 'Buildbase' and fitting them myself, but paying for a firm to fit the stone worktops for the final finish. We've compared various DIY places, the usual Magnet and similar places and a couple of smaller local places. The quality varies between them all, with the Buildbase seeming to come just below the best of the local suppliers, but well above the DIY and Magnet places.....anyone else had experience of them? I can't believe how much money these firms want, but I've always done DIY so I'm not used to paying others to do work I can do myself (just takes a lot longer 
).
http://www.cusinakitchens.co.uk/
).http://www.cusinakitchens.co.uk/
As a surveyor we have just finished refurbishing some flats for a client in Kilburn and that included 6 new kitchens.
I left selection of the kitchen supplier to the contractor, who I know very well, and he proposed Benchmark, which is part of Travis Perkins. Have to say that I'm very pleased with the result. Good solid backs to units and easy to get and install. They also tell me that Wickes kitchens are very good as well.
We didn't have soft close drawers on the Benchmark ones, which is a shame in my view, and I don't know if they are available.
I left selection of the kitchen supplier to the contractor, who I know very well, and he proposed Benchmark, which is part of Travis Perkins. Have to say that I'm very pleased with the result. Good solid backs to units and easy to get and install. They also tell me that Wickes kitchens are very good as well.
We didn't have soft close drawers on the Benchmark ones, which is a shame in my view, and I don't know if they are available.
Its a bit of a minefield as you have spotted.
After a great deal of procrastinating and shopping around, we have decided on an Ikea kitchen, solid oak work tops from a bloke selling them on ebay, buying the appliances ourselves, I've used the Ikea planning tool to design it. We have a carpenter a few doors along, he's highly reccomended by 3 neighbours he's fitted kitchens for, he says he'll do it in a week and its £120 a day.
I'd ask around your neighbours, see if anyone comes reccomended.
Ours is going in on 9th Nov.
After a great deal of procrastinating and shopping around, we have decided on an Ikea kitchen, solid oak work tops from a bloke selling them on ebay, buying the appliances ourselves, I've used the Ikea planning tool to design it. We have a carpenter a few doors along, he's highly reccomended by 3 neighbours he's fitted kitchens for, he says he'll do it in a week and its £120 a day.
I'd ask around your neighbours, see if anyone comes reccomended.
Ours is going in on 9th Nov.
Huntsman said:
Its a bit of a minefield as you have spotted.
After a great deal of procrastinating and shopping around, we have decided on an Ikea kitchen, solid oak work tops from a bloke selling them on ebay, buying the appliances ourselves, I've used the Ikea planning tool to design it. We have a carpenter a few doors along, he's highly reccomended by 3 neighbours he's fitted kitchens for, he says he'll do it in a week and its £120 a day.
I'd ask around your neighbours, see if anyone comes reccomended.
Ours is going in on 9th Nov.
Good choice - exactly what I did. Saved £ thousands.After a great deal of procrastinating and shopping around, we have decided on an Ikea kitchen, solid oak work tops from a bloke selling them on ebay, buying the appliances ourselves, I've used the Ikea planning tool to design it. We have a carpenter a few doors along, he's highly reccomended by 3 neighbours he's fitted kitchens for, he says he'll do it in a week and its £120 a day.
I'd ask around your neighbours, see if anyone comes reccomended.
Ours is going in on 9th Nov.
We used a local kitchen manufacturer who build all the units in their own little factory.
Couple of advantages are that they could do units in any size which meant we didn't have wasted space and they could build around our American side-by-side fridge/freezer, and they worked around a chimney breast. They also supply the units already built - don't underestimate how long it takes simply to assemble a kitchen full of units from flat-packs!
The only snag in our case was that they were really supply only at the time (they have moved ona a bit since). The did arrange most of the work but we had to sort out the appliances (which they fitted) tiling, flooring etc when at the time I really wanted them just to do the whole job.
Couple of advantages are that they could do units in any size which meant we didn't have wasted space and they could build around our American side-by-side fridge/freezer, and they worked around a chimney breast. They also supply the units already built - don't underestimate how long it takes simply to assemble a kitchen full of units from flat-packs!
The only snag in our case was that they were really supply only at the time (they have moved ona a bit since). The did arrange most of the work but we had to sort out the appliances (which they fitted) tiling, flooring etc when at the time I really wanted them just to do the whole job.
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