New kitchen - no idea where to start please help

CKdesigner

mwilletts wrote: »

Depends what you mean by the quality seems fine. The scope doors are a paper wrapped MDF and are the second worst quality doors you can get, behind MFC doors...

Hi Mr W.

I'd say a MFC or a laminate door with an ABS edge is far better than a PWS Scope foil wrap. The scope door is terrible quality.

Dear OP,

With a small budget as you have I would keep away from 'Shaker' /framed style doors. You will never get real wood doors for your budget unless it all comes from China (don't go there), and the foil/paper wrap doors at this lower end of the market just look so false and poor quality.

If I were you I would go for a flat panel/slab laminate door as this would generally be the cheapest door option from most manufacturers but should give you plenty of colour choice but it would also be the hardest wearing of any door, easiest to keep clean and would also mean by proportion you would be spending more on the carcass than the door. Really you should be investing in the carcasses rather than the doors as it is the carcasses that make the difference between a cheap kitchen and a quality one.

Good luck with your search.

dander

What do all these different types of door construction actually mean? How do you know what you are getting? I've never seen any of these terms mentioned in kitchen brochures.

Since this is a moneysaving site, I just feel I have to raise the question of what level of quality one actually needs in things like kitchen units - is there a danger of spending huge amounts of money in a search for the best quality when actually something much "lower quality" is all that is needed. My feeling is that most kitchen units start to look dated way before they start to fall apart - is there any point in buying a kitchen that will last 50 years if it's actually going to be replaced in 10? I've seen some pretty ancient kitchens in my time, and while I have seen worktop that looks worn out and doors that have slumped on their hinges, I can't recall seeing units that have actually failed or doors fading or peeling.

I can understand the sense in buying top quality items when you're talking about something like a boiler or a car, but it seems to be that there is often a tendency to discount things which are perfectly functional and do a good job in a 'keeping up with the Joneses" kind of hunt for "high spec".

rachbc

I agree Dander - I'm about to start a kitchen project and have gone for ikea depsite many knockers because I like the style, the one I had in my previous house stood up for 7 years of use and still going strong and I'm liable to want to change by that time anyway, plus they had the range of cabinet options and sizes I wanted. For the price I simply couldn't get tall larder units, pullout corner units and so on in any other range. Decent handles, well fitted worktops with proper joints rather than strips, clever lighting and finishing touches will hopefully elevate it beyond being a £3k kitchen.

Tozer

Hi, just my view. I've recently bought 2 kitchens - 1 for a property I let, and another for our own house.

For the let property, it cost about £2k all in. Wickes "Takeaway" flatpacks and shopping around for appliances. Impressed with it, but don't expect any 'service' (e.g. design, etc). That said, you can download software from Ikea's website and off you go.

The other (Magnet) has cost nearly £17,000. It is a dream kitchen - rangemaster oven, top quality stuff, even LED lights in the units. Service from Magnet has been second to none. That said, it has cost a lot of money.

Fitter that put the Wickes kitchen in actually said he preferred the Wickes kitchens to the Ikea kitchens as the doors are mroe interchangeable and he 'feels' that they are a little better quality. That said, I'm sure there isn't much in it.

Meepster

CKdesigner wrote: »

Hi Mr W.

I'd say a MFC or a laminate door with an ABS edge is far better than a PWS Scope foil wrap. The scope door is terrible quality.

I completely agree, however, PWS don't do a MFC door with an ABS edge and neither do any of the sheds. The sheds use fully wrapped MFC doors, which are, in general, shockingly bad and even use low density MFC...

Meepster

sec79 wrote: »

Ohhh that sounds worrying. Do you think I would be better having a look at the baltic maple colour again, as that is one of their most expensive doors? Thankyou

Well, depends on how light you want the colour of the doors to be. Baltic maple is nice, have you considered the Broadoak light? It's only a little darker than the Baltic maple and should be a bit cheaper.

I sell PWS kitchens (and Burbidge, KTW, Uform etc) but I'm based up in Scotland, so can't really supply to you, but if you get a quote from them, PM me the details and I'll let you know if you are getting a good deal or not...

sec79

I did have a look at Broadoak Light, but it was still a bit too darker than I had in mind. The Baltic Maple is still an option, but still not sure if colour is a little "too yellow".
I have had a competitive quote from a local firm who buy off better kitchens. The Kansas Maple Shaker and Kansas Pear Shaker are the fronts which I like.
I am going to get my Dad to go and have a look next week at these two places to compare them quality wise. I do prefer the better kitchens colours, but will go with which ever one has the best quality.
Whichever firm I go for, both supply the same type of carcasses which are already built.
18mm high density MFC
18mm MFC backs
Colour coordinated throughout
Rigid Cam and Dowel construction
I will keep you updated! Appliances have already been chosen

zolablue25

sec79 wrote: »

I know not to buy from B&Q due to supply issue,

What is the supply issue at B&Q? I didn't realise they had any issues. I believe they have a sale on their kitchens this weekend, but obviously this is no good if they can't supply the stuff.

clairehi

mwilletts wrote: »

The scope doors are a paper wrapped MDF and are the second worst quality doors you can get, behind MFC doors...

Just to let the OP know, my sister in law has a Scope Calvados oak (I think) kitchen which was installed 5 years ago and it still looks perfect.

clairehi

dander wrote: »

What do all these different types of door construction actually mean? How do you know what you are getting? I've never seen any of these terms mentioned in kitchen brochures.

Since this is a moneysaving site, I just feel I have to raise the question of what level of quality one actually needs in things like kitchen units - is there a danger of spending huge amounts of money in a search for the best quality when actually something much "lower quality" is all that is needed. My feeling is that most kitchen units start to look dated way before they start to fall apart - is there any point in buying a kitchen that will last 50 years if it's actually going to be replaced in 10? I've seen some pretty ancient kitchens in my time, and while I have seen worktop that looks worn out and doors that have slumped on their hinges, I can't recall seeing units that have actually failed or doors fading or peeling.

I can understand the sense in buying top quality items when you're talking about something like a boiler or a car, but it seems to be that there is often a tendency to discount things which are perfectly functional and do a good job in a 'keeping up with the Joneses" kind of hunt for "high spec".

I couldnt agree more with this. The kitchen salesman is always going to try and up-sell you, by claiming low-end stuff will fall apart as they will have better margins on the more expensive kit.

My SILs kitchen is a case in point, according to another poster her kitchen doors are apparently the "second worst" type you can get. However her kitchen looks absolutely fine after 5 years in a house with 4 kids and a dog(and believe me, I have checked carefully as also in the market for a new kitchen).

we have just replaced a 15 year old oak kitchen with cathedral arch doors ugh , and the units were fine, except that some of the fixings for the plinths had broken. no sign of doors slumping, shelves bowing etc etc.