Another What kitchen? thread
Discussion
I'll be renovating a house I rent out soon, so want to have a decent quality but good value kitchen to go in there.
Are diy-kitchens.com still the best option (after having someone like Wickes or Wren plan the layout first
)
I heard of a company near me (Bristol) called kitchen worx or something like that but I can't find it now (edit - http://www.benchmarxkitchens.co.uk/ is the one)
Are diy-kitchens.com still the best option (after having someone like Wickes or Wren plan the layout first
)I heard of a company near me (Bristol) called kitchen worx or something like that but I can't find it now (edit - http://www.benchmarxkitchens.co.uk/ is the one)
Edited by gmaz on Friday 22 September 12:45
B17NNS said:
I've fitted quite a few Benchmarx kitchens (part of Travis Perkins). On a par with Howdens in terms of quality. Usually a bit cheaper.
That said I've only heard good things about DIY kitchens.
just fitted a diy kitchens kitchen. the whole process was fairly painless. the only criticism is that the clips for the plinths were rather brittle.That said I've only heard good things about DIY kitchens.
very happy , overall.
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 need to refresh it 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 but tend to be usefully cheaper too. In terms of worktops and doors, there's a pretty extensive range of options to suit a variety of budgets.
Quality wise, the more expensive of their two drawer mechanisms are excellent, as are the hinges the units use. Wall and tall units are very solid and they also offer standard depth and shallow depth base units, which can be handy. The base units have a couple of metal rails in place of a traditional top, so they're a bit wobbly until they're all screwed to each other and the worktop.
Their online 3D planner can be slow and frustrating at times, although it tends to work better in store. How good the staff are probably varies from store to store but I've always found them pretty clued up and they've made some good suggestions whenever I've been in to order kitchens.
With regard to fitting, I usually do it myself. The units are simple enough to construct and are hung on a continuous rail - meaning they're all automatically aligned with each other (although you can adjust them if you need to for some reason).
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, 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.
Their previous kitchen system, Faktum, was in production for 20 - 30 years and I imagine its replacement, Metod, will be too - so if you need to refresh it 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 but tend to be usefully cheaper too. In terms of worktops and doors, there's a pretty extensive range of options to suit a variety of budgets.
Quality wise, the more expensive of their two drawer mechanisms are excellent, as are the hinges the units use. Wall and tall units are very solid and they also offer standard depth and shallow depth base units, which can be handy. The base units have a couple of metal rails in place of a traditional top, so they're a bit wobbly until they're all screwed to each other and the worktop.
Their online 3D planner can be slow and frustrating at times, although it tends to work better in store. How good the staff are probably varies from store to store but I've always found them pretty clued up and they've made some good suggestions whenever I've been in to order kitchens.
With regard to fitting, I usually do it myself. The units are simple enough to construct and are hung on a continuous rail - meaning they're all automatically aligned with each other (although you can adjust them if you need to for some reason).
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, 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.
Edited by Risotto on Friday 22 September 13:55
jmsgld said:
If the service gap and Ikea only dishwasher aren't an issue i would use Ikea. Straight forward pricing, good value and quality.
At least price it up, my local Howdens price matched an Ikea kitchen for me...
They don't advertise the fact very openly but Ikea sell an adapter mechanism that allows you to use any integrated dishwasher rather than one of their own. Think it's called a Behaljplig or something equally improbable.At least price it up, my local Howdens price matched an Ikea kitchen for me...
Edit: here ya go http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/appliances/dish...
Edited by Risotto on Friday 22 September 18:17
Having fitted Benchmarx, Howdens, Magnet, B&Q kitchens in the past, the last 3 have all been DIY Kitchens and I'm just ordering two more.
Their advantages are:
Price
Quality
Colour choice (including carcass)
Their disadvantages are:
No planning service (not a problem IMO as many "planners" are useless)
You can't get hold of replacements immediately - it takes 2 weeks
They did make a mistake on my last kitchen - I'd asked for the plinth to be lipped on all sides and it wasn't - rectified within 2 weeks at no cost and a unit was damaged - they offered a discount or replacement - no arguing, no hassle, a very good company IMO.
I would add that if the others don't have the item you need in stock it can take them 2 weeks or longer.
Their advantages are:
Price
Quality
Colour choice (including carcass)
Their disadvantages are:
No planning service (not a problem IMO as many "planners" are useless)
You can't get hold of replacements immediately - it takes 2 weeks
They did make a mistake on my last kitchen - I'd asked for the plinth to be lipped on all sides and it wasn't - rectified within 2 weeks at no cost and a unit was damaged - they offered a discount or replacement - no arguing, no hassle, a very good company IMO.
I would add that if the others don't have the item you need in stock it can take them 2 weeks or longer.
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