dannymack Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 The unfortunate situation I'm in is that my 'new build' house is no longer new with the cheap and cheerful fixtures and fittings now showing ware and tear. The main concern for my lovely wife is OUR kitchen, it's dated ( despite its young age ) so it needs replaced, the whole lot ! We're not going down the road of Cosmetic surgery as we both feel that's just a temporary fix at a cost. So what we're looking for is someone to recommend a company whether it be B&Q, IKEA, Wrens, Wickes etc etc to see who does the best finance deals as we're not in a position to drum up 6/8k cash on the hip to pay a mate/private joiner/ mates mate to do the job. Anyone out there who recently got a refit done and is so happy with the finish that they're practically never out the kitchen these days ? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real Maroonblood Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 I got mine refitted with B&Q and to be fair they did a good job. You hear different stories about kitchen fitters. It can be just your luck how it works out.. My first kitchen was John Lewis which was also good but expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
systemx Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 Howdens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Brown Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 27 minutes ago, systemx said: Howdens ok, but you need a fitter to have an account with them. If you don't know one, I'm sure someone will recommend one. It's the cheaper way, but you'll not get finance. But, you can get all the appliances yourself on finance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Long Tall Sally Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 Ikea piss all over Howdens these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konrad von Carstein Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 We used B&Q to buy the kitchen units and appliances.. Decent finance deal too... We got a cousins husband to fit it as B&Q fitting cost was ridiculous we saved over £2.5k on the install costs. Yours truly took out as much of the old kit hen as safely possible and built up all the flat pack stuff too. Good times ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micole Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 We used Wren and had no probs whatsoever , got our own fitters and everything went smoothly. The good thing is all the cabinets are pre built which saves time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabienleclerq Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 I've had a howdenskitchen twice now and happy both times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real Maroonblood Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 48 minutes ago, fabienleclerq said: I've had a howdenskitchen twice now and happy both times. Boom boom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meadows Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Howdens ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ri Alban Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 The new Yankee workshop. Norm Abram is the man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmfc_steve Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 1 hour ago, ri Alban said: The new Yankee workshop. Norm Abram is the man! Ha ha ... Not seen that programme for years ... He'd take about 2 years to build a kitchen ... Top notch though ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_R Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 (edited) Go to Howdens. They'll digitally plan it and give clear quotes. Hook you up with a fitter or source one yourself . Was impressed and by far best value I found. Saying that, my best mate just ordered from b&q so he could pay up. Was a few thousand more than I paid but for what they got and payment options seemed a reasonable deal, being them I expected more Ikea from my quotes seemed expensive and if there furniture is anything to go by not sure if trust their stuff in a kitchen. Edited June 7, 2019 by Alan_R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_R Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 14 hours ago, micole said: We used Wren and had no probs whatsoever , got our own fitters and everything went smoothly. The good thing is all the cabinets are pre built which saves time. Wren were flippin extortionate!!! My job with Howdens ended up being literal quarter of wren quote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabienleclerq Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 1 hour ago, Alan_R said: Wren were flippin extortionate!!! My job with Howdens ended up being literal quarter of wren quote. I've never heard a good thing about Wren tbh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tian447 Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 17 hours ago, Long Tall Sally said: Ikea piss all over Howdens these days. 2 hours ago, Alan_R said: Ikea from my quotes seemed expensive and if there furniture is anything to go by not sure if trust their stuff in a kitchen. My girlfriends flat has an IKEA kitchen fitted, and holy **** can you tell it's an IKEA Kitchen. None of the cupboard doors line up with each other, the finish is already chipping away on some of the surfaces, and the worktop is all swollen around the sink where it's absorbed a load of water. A lot of that might be down to whoever installed it, but it's absolutely horrific quality, and it all just feels hollow and cheap. I have no idea when it was installed, she's only been in it a year, but it doesn't look too old. Maybe 2 or 3 years, tops. Would never ever recommend one or even consider having an IKEA kitchen in my own home after witnessing what hers is like!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micole Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 2 hours ago, Alan_R said: Wren were flippin extortionate!!! My job with Howdens ended up being literal quarter of wren quote. Well we got a great deal, bit of haggling mind and!! we got a quote from Howdens ( as per our fitter) and there was nothing in it. As I said our kitchen went without a hitch and my next door neighbour got Wren and he had no probs ( same fitter as me) ....still that's not to say people have not had probs with Wren as do other kitchen suppliers as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diadora Van Basten Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 (edited) I got mine from Magnet. For nine months when the washing machine went onto spin the whole kitchen shook. If you put a glass on the work top it would bounce along topple over and smash. Magnet kept sending back the same fitters who denied there was a problem. Magnet sent the appliance engineers who said the washing machine was fine. Magnet then decided we were cranks and refused to come out and see the issue themselves and the fitters refused to come back out. In the end it turned out the plinth the fitters had put the washing machine on was only 90cms rather than the required 110 cm. Once we put it on a 110cm plinth the issue was resolved. I am though still very annoyed that Magnet chose to believe the fitters over us and to add insult to energy the fitters have a five star rating on Facebook that I assume is down to friends and family rather than customers. Edited June 7, 2019 by Diadora Van Basten Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diadora Van Basten Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 17 hours ago, Long Tall Sally said: Ikea piss all over Howdens these days. It used to be a problem that IKEA units were flush to the wall so pipe work under sink was exposed whilst Howdens were able to hide pipe work. Not sure if this is still the case but that’s what a joiner friend told me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ModJambo Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 I'm currently going through the process of getting a new kitchen in. Went and spoke to Wren last week and they seemed decent enough. Some decent finance options you can use with them too. Got a fitter coming round tonight to fit everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CF11JamTart Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Got mine from Ikea. All positive. Paid them the £40 or so to get their kitchen designer to do the design.... measure, collate the bill of materials, identify any "gotchas". The bloke was good. Knew what to look for, and kept to out design/cost constraints. Ikea did interest free credit, which was handy We then used an independent fitter who we got by personal recommendation. It all went well... all things considered. I've heard some nightmare stories about kitchens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe.gausden Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Not sure if they do finance but worth an ASK. http://www.andrewstoutkitchens.co.uk/ Good Jambo and also posts on here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felix Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 2 hours ago, tian447 said: My girlfriends flat has an IKEA kitchen fitted, and holy **** can you tell it's an IKEA Kitchen. None of the cupboard doors line up with each other, the finish is already chipping away on some of the surfaces, and the worktop is all swollen around the sink where it's absorbed a load of water. A lot of that might be down to whoever installed it, but it's absolutely horrific quality, and it all just feels hollow and cheap. I have no idea when it was installed, she's only been in it a year, but it doesn't look too old. Maybe 2 or 3 years, tops. Would never ever recommend one or even consider having an IKEA kitchen in my own home after witnessing what hers is like!! Has she kept the receipt ? Think most Ikea Kitchens come with 25 year guarantee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tian447 Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 37 minutes ago, felix said: Has she kept the receipt ? Think most Ikea Kitchens come with 25 year guarantee. It's a rented flat, so ultimately not much to do with her! The owner seems like a penny pinching scrooge, so I'm going to bet they done it themselves, badly, instead of paying to have someone install it! The guarantee will be worth nothing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannymack Posted June 7, 2019 Author Share Posted June 7, 2019 Many Many thanks for all the responses. I've used Howdens before on more than a few occasions with previous properties and yes they tick all the boxes. I got a quote from them 4 years ago and it was sitting at just under £5k without the fitter so I'm expecting a bit more on top of that but as stated originally I've not got the cash off the hip to pay full whack. B&Q may well be the first option due to they're payment plans but yet again thanks for all the advice and responses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psychedelicropcircle Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 Alba kitchens ask for my neeboor terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Brown Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 (edited) 21 hours ago, tian447 said: My girlfriends flat has an IKEA kitchen fitted, and holy **** can you tell it's an IKEA Kitchen. None of the cupboard doors line up with each other, the finish is already chipping away on some of the surfaces, and the worktop is all swollen around the sink where it's absorbed a load of water. A lot of that might be down to whoever installed it, but it's absolutely horrific quality, and it all just feels hollow and cheap. I have no idea when it was installed, she's only been in it a year, but it doesn't look too old. Maybe 2 or 3 years, tops. Would never ever recommend one or even consider having an IKEA kitchen in my own home after witnessing what hers is like!! That's down more to shit fitting than unit quality. DIY job by a complete amateur. Edited June 8, 2019 by Tommy Brown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bull's-eye Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 Mine cost about 1k from Wickes. Put it all in my self on a Saturday, took about 12 hours right enough. Piece of piss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obua Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 43 minutes ago, Artful Dodger said: Mine cost about 1k from Wickes. Put it all in my self on a Saturday, took about 12 hours right enough. Piece of piss. Are Wickes units flat pack or pre assembled? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bull's-eye Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 Flat packed. Very easy to build. Minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunks Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 23 hours ago, Diadora Van Basten said: It used to be a problem that IKEA units were flush to the wall so pipe work under sink was exposed whilst Howdens were able to hide pipe work. Not sure if this is still the case but that’s what a joiner friend told me. Still the case - gives you way more storage space, but you need your pipework just right. In mine, all the pipes are under the units, so still hidden away. Even managed to hide my boiler. Wall units come in different heights too,, so you can pretty much go to the ceiling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CF11JamTart Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 6 hours ago, Dunks said: Still the case - gives you way more storage space, but you need your pipework just right. In mine, all the pipes are under the units, so still hidden away. Even managed to hide my boiler. Wall units come in different heights too,, so you can pretty much go to the ceiling. That was the benefit that we found from getting IKEA person to notionally design it. He knew what the potential issues were with pipework, so could advise what was and wasn't do-able. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamtartan74 Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 My partners dad just got his kitchen finished eventually not sure who done it but what a joke, said it would take no more than a week, it took them 3 weeks, excuse after excuse, only a small kitchen as well, nightmare. Never using that crowd for anything again, bloody cowboys. Looks good now but 3 weeks is a joke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real Maroonblood Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 44 minutes ago, jamtartan74 said: My partners dad just got his kitchen finished eventually not sure who done it but what a joke, said it would take no more than a week, it took them 3 weeks, excuse after excuse, only a small kitchen as well, nightmare. Never using that crowd for anything again, bloody cowboys. Looks good now but 3 weeks is a joke. I won’t use them either whoever they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamtartan74 Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 26 minutes ago, The Real Maroonblood said: I won’t use them either whoever they are. ? quite right mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whatever Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 IKEA. Unit carcasses being flat pack being the only negative. Superior build quality, better appliances and very innovative with their space saving ideas. I got drawings made and quotes from Howdens, I also checked out their appliances and build quality closely. I got far more for my money with IKEA and I’m delighted with the finished job. Their customer service was also bang on which is always welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridge of Djoum Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 **** that. Just move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmfc_liam06 Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 I was told Howdens would pretty much price match B&Q. Guy I know is one of their preferred fitters in one of their Fife stores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forza Cuore Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 Ordered through Wren at Hermiston Gate yesterday. Digital planning after boy came out to survey. All smooth so far. Also 0% interest finance for 3 years. My mate is a joiner and has done numerous kitchens in the past and he has quoted me half what Wren want. Would recommend Wren for the actual kitchen and planning but look for your own installer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel-J Posted March 24, 2020 Share Posted March 24, 2020 Sometimes it's worth changing a few elements in the kitchen to add comfort rather than remodeling the whole kitchen. For example, you can partially change items or the interior and see what you can get out of it. In my kitchen, all I had to do was change the chairs and the dining table with this fan. I made these items into one tone and the kitchen was immediately transformed. Experiment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horatio Caine Posted March 24, 2020 Share Posted March 24, 2020 On 07/06/2019 at 10:35, tian447 said: My girlfriends flat has an IKEA kitchen fitted, and holy **** can you tell it's an IKEA Kitchen. None of the cupboard doors line up with each other, the finish is already chipping away on some of the surfaces, and the worktop is all swollen around the sink where it's absorbed a load of water. A lot of that might be down to whoever installed it, but it's absolutely horrific quality, and it all just feels hollow and cheap. I have no idea when it was installed, she's only been in it a year, but it doesn't look too old. Maybe 2 or 3 years, tops. Would never ever recommend one or even consider having an IKEA kitchen in my own home after witnessing what hers is like!! Joiners tend to not quite understand the Ikea kitchens for some reason. They never read instructions, they don't realise that everything needed for the job is supplied so there should be no items `left over`. Yes, the kitchen to which you refer was probably installed by someone who thought they knew what they were doing. If I were renewing my kitchen, I'd have no hesitation in getting an Ikea one, but I'd get their guys to fit it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Potter Posted March 24, 2020 Share Posted March 24, 2020 On 06/06/2019 at 15:53, dannymack said: The unfortunate situation I'm in is that my 'new build' house is no longer new with the cheap and cheerful fixtures and fittings now showing ware and tear. The main concern for my lovely wife is OUR kitchen, it's dated ( despite its young age ) so it needs replaced, the whole lot ! We're not going down the road of Cosmetic surgery as we both feel that's just a temporary fix at a cost. So what we're looking for is someone to recommend a company whether it be B&Q, IKEA, Wrens, Wickes etc etc to see who does the best finance deals as we're not in a position to drum up 6/8k cash on the hip to pay a mate/private joiner/ mates mate to do the job. Anyone out there who recently got a refit done and is so happy with the finish that they're practically never out the kitchen these days ? Cheers Went with Wren last month 2500, tbf our kitchen is not big,son did the units and he supplied a sparky and plumber. Great job but nightmare not having a cooker and sink for a few days, put in a gas cooker so a pipe installed for that, a lot cheaper to run than electric. Bit messy when all the new sockets were put in but thats us for life now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinks Posted March 24, 2020 Share Posted March 24, 2020 Bought kitchen from Magnet.Opened a platinum account.70 % discount. 25 units,Samsung american fridge freezer,Smeg range cooker and hood,AEG dishwasher and fitted microwave £9600 all in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbo1874 Posted March 24, 2020 Share Posted March 24, 2020 Done ours recently. Just bought basic IKEA one and I sprayed it all. Got a pile of expensive handles from a client.. Getting the trades to coordinate was like herding cats though and I'm a tradesman 🙄 I'll post a couple of photos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbo1874 Posted March 24, 2020 Share Posted March 24, 2020 (edited) Was pretty cheap (relative) and we got a look we like. Piece of piss for me to change colour when time comes.. Obviously photos in wrong order 😬 Edited March 24, 2020 by robbo1874 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbo1874 Posted March 24, 2020 Share Posted March 24, 2020 6 hours ago, Horatio Caine said: Joiners tend to not quite understand the Ikea kitchens for some reason. They never read instructions, they don't realise that everything needed for the job is supplied so there should be no items `left over`. Yes, the kitchen to which you refer was probably installed by someone who thought they knew what they were doing. If I were renewing my kitchen, I'd have no hesitation in getting an Ikea one, but I'd get their guys to fit it. Definitely getting a proper kitchen or highly skilled joiner makes a massive difference Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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