MFI Kitchens

suep

We desperatly need a new kitchen and I've been having a look on line at some. MFI had a few nice looking ones, but I'm sure I read something about MFI going bust or something in one of the forums recently, but I can't remember which one. I have a terrible memory so I might have the wrong end of the stick completely. I didn't know where to put this thread so I hope it's ok here. Also can anyone reccomend a good reasonable kitchen company if sucha thing exists
sue

jonesMUFCforever

They were rescued by an injection of cash.
Personally wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.
Ask around friends and family to see who put their kitchens in. IMO a local tradesman will do a better job cheaper.
If you do go down the MFI route make sure you pay by CREDIT card only (no credit card cheques) as you will be covered under the Consumer Crecit Act if they go belly up.

Mister_D

If you are after an MFI kitchen, the best way to buy them is through Howdens, the part of the MFI group which supplies to trade and is currently profit-making. As MFI as we know it is doing so badly, the group will be concentrating more on developing the Howdens business in the future.

I have had three kitchens put in over the last five years (on three different properties I should add!). The first one was through MFI and I liked the quality and style of the kitchen, but was let down twice by incomplete deliveries. I liked the kitchen though, and it being very good value (relative to others in the market) decided to risk it again when putting a kitchen into my next property. Again MFI let me down at the 11th hour, but this time my joiner rescued the day as he had an account at Howdens. He ordered up the bits that were missing from the MFI delivery, collected them the same day, and charged me only what he had paid on account (which happened to be cheaper than the highly discounted missing MFI bits, which I later arranged to be refunded). When I had my third kitchen put in this year I avoided MFI entirely, opting for a purchase from Howdens (using the same joiner) instead. The general view of kitchen fitters who I have got quotes from over the last few years is that MFI kitchens are good quality and value, but that MFI as a company is hopeless (and that is hard to dispute).

As Howdens don't have showrooms, the best thing to do is to go to an MFI showroom and choose the kitchen that you like, use their service for kitchen design if you like, even get a quote from them. Then find a joiner who has an account (or can get one) and try and get them to pass on their trade discount to you in his quote. You should certainly be able to get them to match the MFI discounted cost, as in my experience Howdens are marginally cheaper. While MFI kitchens come flat-packed, the kitchens from Howdens come as made-up carcasses, so all the joiner (or you) need to do is add the drawer and cupboard fronts. On a decent sized kitchen this is a saving in time compared with making up flatpacks, so you might be able to negotiate the joinery fee down.

It's worth pointing out that although Howdens stock the majority (but not all, as far as I know) of MFI kitchens, they name them different names, so you'll have to try to match one style with another (if in doubt, phone Howdens, they were happy to help me with this).

If you do go to MFI and not Howdens, another thing to say is that you can play one showroom off against another. Friends of mine recently bought an MFI kitchen and when they popped in to a different showroom to check out the kitchen they were interested in, one of the sales staff came to talk to them, and he suggested they buy the kitchen from his showroom and then proceeded to undercut the rival store in the same city who had originally quoted them! They got an even better deal. If that kind of behaviour is normal, no wonder MFI are doing so badly...

LizEstelle

There is a lot of anti-MFI snobbery about which is encouraged by the more expensive outfits and needs to be seen in that light.

We bought one ten years ago and it's still looking good and doing its job - i.e. functioning as a food and tools storage/ food preparation area. But then we bought it for that purpose.

There are some who hardly ever do anything so strenuous as cook and their kitchen is presumably for show purposes only, with just the occasional kettle being boiled.

I imagine they keep the Armani labels on the handles so that they can show them to prospective house purchasers...

Woby_Tide

had quotes from the various peopel over the last few weeks including MFI, B&Q, 'Kitchens' (some company in Oldham that advertise in backs of like of Hello etc. but were recommended to us), Wickes, Howdens (through independent joiner) and also a joiner who buys from another unknown kitchen manufacturer but is on the web at various other self-fit/DIY kitchen sites)

B&Q were OK, downsides are cabinets are 'thinner' carcasses that others 15mm rather than 18mm, also the insides tend to be white/speckled and put us off a bit, also can only offer the very standard cabinet sizes. Installation charges are exceptionally bad, half the quoted works didn't need doing, supply only charge was competitive as the others really

Wickes, seemed Ok and happy with plans but when it came down to it we didn't actually like any of their ranges.

Kitchens - odd company this lot, come to your home with samples, draw it all up on squared paper then leave you to it. Fairly competitive(for granite worktops they were very good), apparently source all their cabinets/wood from China and that is why they can be cheap. Was recommended to use another installer by sales people though, but the installation cost was fairly good has to be admitted. overall cost was one of the cheapest, offered different size cabinets than normal and also offered couolour matched carcasses. On another day would probably have used them, only offputting thing was they were cash or cheque only, didn't fancy the risk with that sort of money.

Howdens/joiner - I got a Howdens trade list and worked out that the cabinets could be quite competitive for what we wanted, have seen their stuff before and was impressed. Don't do colour match carcass though which we sort of decided we wanted. Their kitchen designer though was something else, having received the designs he sent the joiner today I can only say that Howdens now owe me 45 minutes of my life back. I appear to have allowed a spirit in my house that randomly took some measurements and then promptly closed his ears.

"Blind corner units sir? Yes course we do then."
plan arrives 400mm unit, 600mm of space in the corner wasted

"70 cm hob and hood? Of course sit."
plan arrives 90cm hob and hood

"Ovens? Course we do"
plan arrives. Oven, what oven?

I've also inherited a new pillar and wasted approximately 1m of wall space beacuse they couln't be othered drawing anything in. Sadly this appears to have lost joiner any possible job along with other issues we had with their carcasses

Other independent was originally from an advert in Homebase who said he'd install any make, rang him but he said would now only install units he sourced that he recommended. Been to view a couple of his projects and happy with it, his quotes aren't as cheap as a couple of the others (but we're talking £2-300 difference but genrally more happy that he will do good job. Offers colour matche dcarcarcasses, can supply odd sizes and doors if needed and willing ti customise for quirky elements of kitchen. Units are from range sold at this place here http://www.kitchenandbedroomstudio.co.uk/new_kitchen_doors.htm but not sure where he sources from himself

blabers

My new kitchen came from MFI - looks fab and couldn't fault them.

myrnahaz

MFI have a price promise on their appliances - I've just bought a cooker from there which was £100 cheaper than anywhere else. In fact it matched the cheapest online cost for the same model. BUT - it's not being delivered until 19th October, so I won't hold my breath.

JennyW_2

blabers wrote:

My new kitchen came from MFI - looks fab and couldn't fault them.

same as us. Good quality and very pleased with it.