Which Kitchen

Author
Discussion

oblio

5,408 posts

227 months

Friday 12th October 2018
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Our new Howdens kitchen is being installed next week. We are also having their granite worksurfaces fitted by them/their contractors.

smile

mcg_

1,445 posts

92 months

Friday 12th October 2018
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RobXjcoupe said:
tell us about that ceiling?!

steve2

1,772 posts

218 months

Friday 12th October 2018
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oblio said:
Our new Howdens kitchen is being installed next week. We are also having their granite worksurfaces fitted by them/their contractors.

smile
Snap, ours has started today and living with lots of cardboard boxes in the lounge at th3 moment

sherman

13,265 posts

215 months

Saturday 13th October 2018
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Just bought a wickes kitchen today. Just need to arrange fitting date and all should be good. Gog a third off list price with all the discounts

oblio

5,408 posts

227 months

Saturday 13th October 2018
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steve2 said:
Snap, ours has started today and living with lots of cardboard boxes in the lounge at th3 moment
Nice one thumbup

Ours is the 'Bourton' from memory.

What appliances did you go for?

smile



forest07

669 posts

205 months

Saturday 13th October 2018
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I'm just finalising our design before ordering from DIY Kitchens.
Visited them twice and very impressed with both the quality and price in comparison to the other main suppliers.
Just need to learn how to use a router and start prepping the electrical changes needed.

V8RX7

26,868 posts

263 months

Saturday 13th October 2018
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TheOversteerLever said:
Wren do seem to get some stick on here but they were cheaper than DIY Kitchens for us on a comparable kitchen.

The unit quality actually appeared better than DIY Kitchens when we went to their showroom.
I'm very surprised as whenever I have compared them they were no where near as cheap

They certainly don't have the same range of options regarding carcass colour and when I last checked (around 18 months ago) they weren't the same quality of either carcass nor doors.

I've fitted many makes of kitchen but after ordering my first DIY kitchen, I've supplied and fitted nothing else.


Escort3500

11,907 posts

145 months

Saturday 13th October 2018
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V8RX7 said:
TheOversteerLever said:
Wren do seem to get some stick on here but they were cheaper than DIY Kitchens for us on a comparable kitchen.

The unit quality actually appeared better than DIY Kitchens when we went to their showroom.
I'm very surprised as whenever I have compared them they were no where near as cheap

They certainly don't have the same range of options regarding carcass colour and when I last checked (around 18 months ago) they weren't the same quality of either carcass nor doors.

I've fitted many makes of kitchen but after ordering my first DIY kitchen, I've supplied and fitted nothing else.
Very interested in DIY Kitchens as we’re looking to refit next year. We’ve looked at Wren and the quality was poor: cheap fittings, flimsy carcasses and just looked cheap.

FiF

44,086 posts

251 months

Saturday 13th October 2018
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Alucidnation said:
None.
Yep, my response too.

Find a localish (if possible) independent supplier who operates on recommendations only, and has some decent fitters. It's mostly in the quality of the fitting but you have to start with decent kit, and then get a reliable company. Some on that list meet neither of those criteria. Not the answer the OP looked for, sorry, but there it is.

V8RX7

26,868 posts

263 months

Saturday 13th October 2018
quotequote all
FiF said:
It's mostly in the quality of the fitting
I see this a lot but as I have only ever installed them myself / with the same carpenter I've used for 25 years I'm unsure how wrong people can get it.

They are simple boxes that you screw together along a level line on a wall, it's hardly rocket science

I'd suggest the worktops are the hardest part but again we've done chipboard, acrylic, granite and quartz with no training nor issue.

The hardest part I recall is getting the heavy / long worktops into the kitchen !


FiF

44,086 posts

251 months

Saturday 13th October 2018
quotequote all
V8RX7 said:
I see this a lot but as I have only ever installed them myself / with the same carpenter I've used for 25 years I'm unsure how wrong people can get it.

They are simple boxes that you screw together along a level line on a wall, it's hardly rocket science

I'd suggest the worktops are the hardest part but again we've done chipboard, acrylic, granite and quartz with no training nor issue.

The hardest part I recall is getting the heavy / long worktops into the kitchen !
If your kitchen consists of straight walls with no awkward little corners and maybe some boxed in sections which require units to be custom modified then maybe it's not so complicated. I was in the "how hard can it be" category after seeing one set of bodgers' efforts. Then having experienced some decent fitters, and seeing just how they dealt with issues that had previously had other firms scratching their heads and coming up with compromised designs because because, guess we're going to have to differ.

V8RX7

26,868 posts

263 months

Saturday 13th October 2018
quotequote all
FiF said:
If your kitchen consists of straight walls with no awkward little corners and maybe some boxed in sections which require units to be custom modified then maybe it's not so complicated. I was in the "how hard can it be" category after seeing one set of bodgers' efforts. Then having experienced some decent fitters, and seeing just how they dealt with issues that had previously had other firms scratching their heads and coming up with compromised designs because because, guess we're going to have to differ.
We've cut down heights and depths to suit, chopped in worktops to get over bowed walls and walls that aren't 90 degrees to each other

I think we merely disagree about what's hard.

When building my 8m x 8m kitchen extension the hardest bits were building / levelling / squaring the steel frame and laying the concrete floor - installing the actual kitchen was easy.

PositronicRay

27,019 posts

183 months

Saturday 13th October 2018
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V8RX7 said:
FiF said:
If your kitchen consists of straight walls with no awkward little corners and maybe some boxed in sections which require units to be custom modified then maybe it's not so complicated. I was in the "how hard can it be" category after seeing one set of bodgers' efforts. Then having experienced some decent fitters, and seeing just how they dealt with issues that had previously had other firms scratching their heads and coming up with compromised designs because because, guess we're going to have to differ.
We've cut down heights and depths to suit, chopped in worktops to get over bowed walls and walls that aren't 90 degrees to each other

I think we merely disagree about what's hard.

When building my 8m x 8m kitchen extension the hardest bits were building / levelling / squaring the steel frame and laying the concrete floor - installing the actual kitchen was easy.
Scribing to fit a ceiling or wall exactly without sealant or caulk helps too.

Hashtaggggg

1,773 posts

69 months

Saturday 13th October 2018
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sherman said:
Just bought a wickes kitchen today. Just need to arrange fitting date and all should be good. Gog a third off list price with all the discounts
So you paid their normal price then !

dickymint

24,341 posts

258 months

Saturday 13th October 2018
quotequote all
Hashtaggggg said:
sherman said:
Just bought a wickes kitchen today. Just need to arrange fitting date and all should be good. Gog a third off list price with all the discounts
So you paid their normal price then !
I shouldn’t laugh but yes

RobXjcoupe

3,172 posts

91 months

Saturday 13th October 2018
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mcg_ said:
RobXjcoupe said:
tell us about that ceiling?!
It’s wallpaper on the ceiling

flatsix3.6

Original Poster:

756 posts

181 months

Saturday 13th October 2018
quotequote all
V8RX7, you have mail.

FiF

44,086 posts

251 months

Saturday 13th October 2018
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PositronicRay said:
V8RX7 said:
FiF said:
If your kitchen consists of straight walls with no awkward little corners and maybe some boxed in sections which require units to be custom modified then maybe it's not so complicated. I was in the "how hard can it be" category after seeing one set of bodgers' efforts. Then having experienced some decent fitters, and seeing just how they dealt with issues that had previously had other firms scratching their heads and coming up with compromised designs because because, guess we're going to have to differ.
We've cut down heights and depths to suit, chopped in worktops to get over bowed walls and walls that aren't 90 degrees to each other

I think we merely disagree about what's hard.

When building my 8m x 8m kitchen extension the hardest bits were building / levelling / squaring the steel frame and laying the concrete floor - installing the actual kitchen was easy.
Scribing to fit a ceiling or wall exactly without sealant or caulk helps too.
Obviously we do disagree about what's hard, everyone will have different skills and capabilities. Though having seen the mess that some make, who by the way happen claim to earn their living at it, does raise some questions I would suggest.

PositronicRay

27,019 posts

183 months

Saturday 13th October 2018
quotequote all
sherman said:
Just bought a wickes kitchen today. Just need to arrange fitting date and all should be good. Gog a third off list price with all the discounts
Another one?

B17NNS

18,506 posts

247 months

Saturday 13th October 2018
quotequote all
V8RX7 said:
I've fitted many makes of kitchen but after ordering my first DIY kitchen, I've supplied and fitted nothing else.
Same here.