Buying a new kitchen

Beenie

This is such a headache. I have a budget of £5K and all I want is a simple kitchen, Shaker style, with a new hob/extractor/bowl and half sink unit and good quality worksurface.

The worksurface alone is doing my head in!

I want an underfitted sink and have been told not to use a laminate (so that's B&Q and the other affordable places out) but to get granite or quartz. I've been quoted silly prices for a quartz worktop (£3500, and that's just the worktop) which is more or less the same price as the cabinets. And I don't like the harsh sound of granite when you put a cup down on it - I think I'll soon get irritated with that.

I am useless at measuring but don't want to use one of those kitchen companies who seem to double/treble the price you pay for a fitted kitchen.

What would you do? Buy something at IKEA or Magnet and do the measuring yourself and arrange your own carpenter to fit it (but then how do you organise the worktop and sink fitting?).

I'm worried about being ripped off as I've been quoted £12K+ for units and a new dishwasher and washing machine for my tiny 3m x 3m kitchen (nothing fancy either, just the basic units. Larders, carousels, divided pan drawers are extra).

Which companies have other people used, and did they have the full works or did they do the measuring and fitting themselves?

katiekins_2

I would not recommend an underfit sink. Our kitchen has one, with a granite work surface, and you tend to get grimey accumulations just under the lip of the granite, no matter how careful you are and how well you clean.

If I had enough money to re-do our kitchen, I would not choose an underfit sink, even if it was free!

Unfortunately, we have what should be a dream kitchen, but the previous owners who put it in obviously never cooked as it is laid out so badly. The oven is really small, and the 5 ring gas hob is so small you can't use the middle ring at the same time as any of the corner 4 rings !!:mad:

Its beautiful to look at though!!:D Farrow and Ball apple-green painted painted wood cupboards with a black granite work surface..........

Try a small local supplier - my work colleague is doing that and saving loads over Homebase/Magnet. Just try shopping around. A good local supplier will have testimonies from other customers that you can check. Most importantly, get them to do the measuring - if you make a mistake, they won't pay to put it right. Again, to save money, my colleague is ripping out the old kitchen units/tiling himself, and the lcoal company is fitting it.

Have fun!

cadmus

there are worktops made by CORIAN . they are priced inbetween laminate and stone. the tops are man made and the sinks can be seamlessly mounted / joined to the underside of the worktop leaving no ridges / lips protruding . the sinks are formed out of the same material as the worktops . they look stunning . google there website, may give you some ideas.
regards a fitter, dont skimp on this because a cowboy will make an expensive kitchen look aweful and vice versa

Beenie

I didn't know that about granite and the under-fitted sinks. You've saved me making an expensive mistake!

Will look up the corian website. Thanks for the advice.

deanos

If you have a joiner you know get Howdens round to measure up and do a CAD drawing, they are cheap but trade only your joiner will then give you the price.

Debt_Free_Dreamer

There are lots of threads on here about kitchen experiences, you need to do a search. Things like:-

Ikea have no space behind the cupboard for plumbing

Howdens won't let you buy part of cupboard if a bit breaks, you have to replace the whole unit.

And loads of other stuff.....

Andersonmam

After getting ridiculously expensive quotes from the big suppliers I eventually went with a local kitchen supplier and a fitter who was recommended to me by a relative. The fitter then recommended an electrician.

My fitter did all the measurements and the supplier did the design for free to fit in with what I wanted (including making amendments when I changed my mind!) and supplied all the units, handles and worktops. I bought my appliances, sink and tap, splashback, chimney hood etc separately and got some fabulous bargains by shopping around on the internet eg a Franke sink and all the fittings at half price. It was time consuming and stressful but well worth in the end as I now have my dream kitchen.

eslick

inlaws used these a couple of years ago, made a really nice job and quick fitting and a great price

http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Granite-Fitters__W0QQ_armrsZ1

jaymac_2

take a look on ebay, there are often bargains when people move into new houses and rip out nearly new kitchens with all the appliances too.

DurhamWolf

If you're looking for worktops which aren't granite and allow for an undermounted sink then look at Silica - they're made of a product a lot like Corian but cheaper.