New kitchen quote

Cristy · 25 March 2006 at 5:17PM

We'll soon be moving to a new home and we're toying with the idea of replacing the kitchen. Last time round we used Kitchens Direct and, although the units are great and the final result was excellent, we had so much grief from them that we never ever want to go with a high pressure sales company again. Also, it felt like they were plucking numbers out of thin air and to this day I feel we were ripped off to the tune of £6000, which by the way only included three fitted appliances apart from the cabinets (one of them claimed to be 'free'!).

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience of John Lewis' kitchen service. Also, are Magnet any good?

We are seriously considering also getting quotes from local kitchen companies. We're moving to Basingstoke, does anyone have any recommendations?

Finally, our top budget including installation will be around £5k, to include oven, hob and possibly dishwasher. Would this amount get me a decent quality kitchen?

Thank you muchly

silvercar · 25 March 2006 at 11:25PM

Magnet are good, best value is magnet trade. You choose the kitchen from magnet trade showroom, they supply and you get a fitter in. Sweet talk or slip the salesman a tenner for the name of a good local fitter - they will know who regularly fits their kitchens.

John Lewis kitchens will be more expensive, I doubt you'd get it all in for under 5k, but their service is excellent.

BlueDog333 · 25 March 2006 at 11:28PM

I work for a marketing company that used to do work for Magnet.. (they swapped agencies as clients are want to do

) so you might think I had an axe to grind in dissing them.. BUT, seeing behind the scenes and how they improved the product a lot over last few years, I would say Magnet were well worth looking at.
As I said, I don't have any tie with them (I did have 18 months ago, in a way) so this is impartial. We are looking at a new kitchen also and Magnet will probably be on the list for a quote at least.. they have good products.
I also believe B&Q have pretty decent kitchens for a £5K budget level (btw: you can pay a lot more when you get excited by the appliances they can source, or more groovy work tops etc.. beware!).

[agree with SilverCar's comment also - good point]

tesuhoha · 26 March 2006 at 10:06AM

We bought a really excellent kitchen from Wickes. This was a few years ago and it still looks stunning. We are moving soon and would not hesitate to go there again.

loopylass30 · 26 March 2006 at 1:29PM

Ive recently just purchased a kitchen from B&Q , well in december i paid for it but its only just arrived due 2 a fire, kitchen is of really good quality, worktops and units are very well built and sturdy, i got my kitchen in the sale with 15% off, this offer is currently back on , so i saved my self about £600, B&Q will also fit your kitchen.... but i was shocked to see that the cost of there fitting almost £2,500 was more than i had actually paid for my kitchen which was just under £2,000. Aslo i found B&Q customer services to be terrible to the point where i made a complaint against them, but once i did that i recieved a call from head office offering me compensation and since then i have to say its all been plain sailing and my new kitchen is lovely

Cristy · 26 March 2006 at 2:37PM

Thank you for your replies. Well it sounds like JL might be a bit beyond our reach but we might get a quote anyway. Wickes I hadn't even considered yet, it's a good idea. How was their customer service? How quickly did they deliver the units?

B&Q units look nice enough and so do MFI's but for me customer service is a major issue and would not give business to another company that is useless at dealing with its customers - especially after they paid thousands! Kitchens Direct was a shocking enough experience. Sorry B&Q gave you grief, loopylass. Kitchens Direct made me loopy too

For the people that have dealt with Magnet, do they do the high pressure salesperson routine, staying at your place for 6 hours, calling their managers to get a discount etc? I can appreciate that the units are good quality, but having been cornered by a sales guy like that before, I'd like to avoid the experience!

Many thanks again guys, keep'em coming.

jockettuk · 26 March 2006 at 2:46PM

Cristy wrote:

Thank you for your replies. Well it sounds like JL might be a bit beyond our reach but we might get a quote anyway. Wickes I hadn't even considered yet, it's a good idea. How was their customer service? How quickly did they deliver the units?

B&Q units look nice enough and so do MFI's but for me customer service is a major issue and would not give business to another company that is useless at dealing with its customers - especially after they paid thousands! Kitchens Direct was a shocking enough experience. Sorry B&Q gave you grief, loopylass. Kitchens Direct made me loopy too

For the people that have dealt with Magnet, do they do the high pressure salesperson routine, staying at your place for 6 hours, calling their managers to get a discount etc? I can appreciate that the units are good quality, but having been cornered by a sales guy like that before, I'd like to avoid the experience!

Many thanks again guys, keep'em coming.

my brother had 3 window companies all come round the same day, he gave them each 2 hours to do the hard sell with a half hour in between for over runs lol a couple he had to ask to leave as he had others coming round and it was funny to see there faces as one leaves another turns up and of course they all know each other.. the discounts he got from that were fantastic.

Tom_Jones · 27 March 2006 at 9:20PM

Cristy, Why don't you measure your kitchen, draw a plan, and jot down ideas of what you require then go into your local Magnet branch and they will design the kitchen for you and show you samples of products and state that when they give you the price it must be their best offer with all discounts included, if your not happy with the price get up and walk out.

Cristy · 28 March 2006 at 7:21PM

Thank you for your replies.

Jockettuk, I'd just rather avoid the hardsellers, with a little anklebiter I have very little time to waste in a day, even if it were for the sake of a bargain

Tom_Jones, I intend to do that as soon as we've moved into our new home and can take accurate measurements! I think in a way it is better to go to a shop rather than having them come to your home, as you can get away more easily

battybird_2 · 28 March 2006 at 8:49PM

i purchased my kitchen from wickes five years ago and it still looks as good as new my friend got hers from mfi and is on her third set of doors both are the same age [i am not saying that mfi kitchens are worse you make up your
own mind]
if you take your measurements to wickes they plan it free

BlueDog333 · 28 March 2006 at 9:40PM

I agree with Tom_Jones's approach.. get a plan together first before visiting a store, then you are in control and on thier patch, which actually gives you more control to leave when you want to.
The Magnet web site did have a great kitchen planner on it (I would say that as we created it .. lol) but we don't run the site anymore so would have to check.. but it was a step-up from squared paper and cut-out units. Though that can work well and is still fun trying to work out where the fridge will go ;-)
Good luck with it all.

New kitchen quote

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