Kitchen Planning

Monkeymagic

We are in the very early stages of planning a new kitchen. There are some walls to come down to make it much bigger than it is now. Before we start all that, I wanted a price (for kitchen, not building work) so we know if it is feasible, and what we are working towards.
Having stalked this forum for a while, read all about various companies and decided Howdens would be best bet. Thought would also get quote from B&Q so have a comparison. They came last week and did a design for me - wasnt bad but was over £9k :eek:.
Howdens also came and measured up. I gave them a very specific list of must haves and dont wants. Have waited 7 days (and 2 moany phone calls) for their design and finally arrived today with a cooker hood in front of my window! Now I'm no designer but even I know that wont work! Couple of other glaring mistakes on there too. The designer has invited me in next week to discuss design and tweak it to my requirements.
My dilemma is this - firstly my pet hate is bad customer service. this designer missed 2 promised deadlines and then sent me something which is worthless. My instinct normally would be to tell them in no uncertain terms they would not be getting my custom. However, I recognise that I cant really afford to do this. Secondly, I havent got much faith in her abilities as a designer. So, should i try and 'fix' the design myself so I can just spend as little time as possible with the designer, or should I just point out her mistakes and get her to re-do it, or should I got to the next nearest branch of Howdens (she is only designer in my local one) and ask them to start again? Or should I just bite the bullet and go elsewhere all together? Dont want to cut off my nose to spite my face and hoping they will be much cheaper (she said she will email me the price tomorrow - this also goes against everything I have read about them as understand price goes to my fitter).
Grateful for any help or advice

KateLiana27

It's a lot of money to spend on a company you appear to have lost faith in (with good reason).

Go elsewhere. We are having a local company who have been recommended by friends and family design, supply and fit our kitchen, and we couldn't be happier with their service so far (plus we've seen two kitchens they have done previously that look great). Try to get some personal recommendations. I'd never go with a company I didn't trust, or had to chase excessively - what will they be like once they've got your money!

BOBS

Have you considered ikea ?? - lots of positive comments here ... https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3379962

Doozergirl

Howdens are primarily trade and they service people like trade. We would go in with a list and ask for a price. If it's for a customer then we'd usually give them a layout and they'd draw it up to give the customer a visualisation of a plan. We don't sit around in there drinking coffee etc.

You've found a branch that's happy to deal with you directly and it's worth hanging on to, but you are far better getting it established what it is exactly you want and asking them to provide it for you, which they will do very quickly. Their type of customer service is geared towards their type of customer - people who talk kitchen language already, know what they want and want it fast.

You'll get a good kitchen and if you barter hard you'll get it at a much better price than B&Q but you're unlikely to get frilly service from them. It sounds like they're trying to with you but that isn't really what they're geared up for. Don't mark them down on it, you're 'in there' and that's a pretty valuable place to be if you want to save some money.

If you already have the plan from B&Q and are happy with it, let them work with it.

phill99

I fit quite alot of Howdens kitchens. I find that their design quality varies from branch to branch. Many are not really designers but people that try and get as many units into a space as possible. I usually do the design myself and then get Howdens to put it on their software so that there is something tangible to show the customer.

Remember you don't get an all frills design service at Howdens as they are Trade suppliers, not retailers like B & Q and Wickes. Howdens margins are lower than B & Q and they work on high volume which means they don't employ loads of designers who can spend masses of time with each customer - that really is the job of the trade account holder.

As Doozergirl says, don't cut off to your nose to spite your face. Howdens do a decent mid range kitchen that is much cheaper than the major retail brands. Even if you have to do some of the leg work yourself, the savings could well be worth it.

The fact that they have given you something.

Monkeymagic

Thanks for replies. I hadnt considered Ikea to be fair but just read through that thread and does seem to be worth looking at. Doozergirl when you say establish what I want, do you mean play with the design myself (or someone with some idea!) and then present it for them to quote to my tradesperson? Just making sure I have read it right. B&Q plan wasnt bad but would still need some amendments which I could have a bash at as long as they would then be able to point out obvious errors. My concern is that Howdens designer put a pull out and swing larder cupboard behind the bi-fold kitchen door which I would have thought would be another no-no. If she didnt see this as a problem, will she be capable of highlighting other less obvious potential problems, or will they just go ahead and provide what I ask for, mistakes 'n' all? does that make sense?

phill99

Its also worth going through your design with your proposed installer. They will be experienced at dealing with the minutae of installations and the problems thay create. Its not until you actually come to fit the kitchen that problems (obvious and not so obvious) come to light. Remember that all designers are just that and are not fitters. I've often said to my local branch of Howdens and Magnet Trade that the deigners should work with fitters on at least 3 installations so that they can realise that that many of the designs thay come up with don't actually work.

MaggieBaking

Tweaked a few things when we got our design from Howdens. I was extremely pleased with them.

If you're unhappy with the local branch and she's way off in her design I'd go to the next nearest and explain and start again. If you know the changes you'd want to make then just go in and talk it through.

Monkeymagic

Sorry to bump my own post but had the quote in from Howdens today (along with the plan for someone else's kitchen - see why not v confident!) and it was £10k! Gutted doesnt even describe it. I dont understand why my Howdens middle range (Burford cream) is more expensive than the B&Q top range (Carisbrooke)? admittedly there are a couple of extra cupboards, i.e. where the hood will need to be when I point out its in front of the window, but that wont make much difference.
The breakdown shows we have got mix of discounts, mostly 70% on basic units and 65% ofo the most expensive ones (!) like the pull out larder. It also includes appliances which i will get from elsewhere. Would like to post picture of plan so can see what I am talking about but dont know how to. can anyone help me out? thank you

phill99

Don't buy your appliances from Howdens - they are well over priced. Also, they are good at selling you things you don't need like jointing compound. Plus check they haven't loaded it with extras ie all the pull out baskets and stuff like that. Their worktops are not overly competitive too.

When they have sorted all that out, tell them that you have a better price from Magnet Trade or Benchmarx - then see what they can come up with. the 70% is their standard discount and they can increase that if they wish too, especially if you ask to get the manager to price it as they can apply better discounts.

Meepster

OP have you thought about getting a REAL designer to plan your kitchen for you? Sounds to me like your local Howdens are pretty poor (not all designers for Howdens are rubbish, but typically most of them just put boxes in rooms, they don't have any flair)