Howdens Kitchens compared to B&Q

muskoka

Howdens kitchens win hands down. I'd only ever seriously look at Howdens kitchens as their cheap....and they last. And the fact that the carcases are already made up is a huge bonus

oldcodger

I have 'stornoway' kitchen units from Howdens, they have white doors & drawer fronts, which looked great at first with solid beech worktops. Hubby said daft colour for us with outside jobs and pets, but it isn't keeping them clean which is the problem, all the doors have gradually turned offwhite/yellow and now look mismatched. Just looked at the bill from the fitter it was put in in 2003 perhaps this should be expected from plastic coated doors? Carcases and standard hinges are ok.

Ruski

And another minus mark for Howdens:
I was asked to fit two new tall larder units for a customer: units already on site.
Wrong colour carcasses supplied. Minor damage to one panel on each unit.
Wrong doors supplied.
Wrong hinges supplied.
Too few hinge hole plugs supplied.
Nobody thought to mention the fact that tall end panels would also be needed (List price >£800 each (Phew) But I got them for a bargain £200 each (tongue firmly in cheek here!!!) Oh, and had to go to two seperate depots - only carry one each.

So - for two measly cupoboards I don't think they could have messed up much more - do you?!?!?

Rant over.

HTH if you're considering using Howdens in the future

Russ

debbyjg

Howdens kitchen units are fine but don't touch the appliances. They have got to be the worst ever the gas cooker set fire, repaired 6 times then replaced to have the same faults until out of warranty. The goods come with a 2 year warranty but repairs only 1 and will go within 6 months. Friend had same with washer dryer, she also had the same very poor customer service.

eddie490_0

howdens are ok but be careful with them
i use howdens a lot so i now there little tricks.
get them to come out and do you a quote.
then go throe the list of prices
you will save a fortune on there mistakes i:e very overpriced
units that have no discount.
my last kitchen came to £4745.00
i ended up getting it for £3124 a big diference:T

Katiesummers

I would advise that you don't use Howden's under any circumstances!! I had a kitchen designed by them and there was a serious error in the design which meant two cupboard doors would not function properly and would not open properly. As it was a bad design expected them to sort their mistake however the manager flat out refused to solve the problem, leaving me with a kitchen which doesn't work. I have tried to talk with management for month and months and they pass me around or ignore my calls completely. In desperation I when to a branch to be told the manager wasn't there, only to see him leave the building after I left and was sitting in my car. They are cowboys that make all the promises in the world, until you sign the dotted line. Then they are no help at all. A friend had a problem with a B&Q and they bent over backward to help and sort the issue ...I so wish I went with them instead. would have save month of frustration and have a kitchen that worked!!!

phill99

Katiesummers wrote: »

I would advise that you don't use Howden's under any circumstances!! I had a kitchen designed by them and there was a serious error in the design which meant two cupboard doors would not function properly and would not open properly. As it was a bad design expected them to sort their mistake however the manager flat out refused to solve the problem, leaving me with a kitchen which doesn't work. I have tried to talk with management for month and months and they pass me around or ignore my calls completely. In desperation I when to a branch to be told the manager wasn't there, only to see him leave the building after I left and was sitting in my car. They are cowboys that make all the promises in the world, until you sign the dotted line. Then they are no help at all. A friend had a problem with a B&Q and they bent over backward to help and sort the issue ...I so wish I went with them instead. would have save month of frustration and have a kitchen that worked!!!

But your contract is with the people that installed it, not Howdens. That's why they won't do anything.

Katiesummers

phill99 wrote: »

But your contract is with the people that installed it, not Howdens. That's why they won't do anything.

The issue wasn't with the fitter or how it was installed - it was the design of the units in the space. I paid to have a design done by Howdens so an 'expert' kitchen designer makes sure the it fits together and presumably works. The Fitter fitted the kitchen as per the design that Howdens did - which turned out to be wrong . If it was an error he did, then of course the issue would need to be taken up with him but it was a design issue - surly a reputable business that are 'supposedly' experts in that area would not produce a kitchen design that doesn't work.

joinaman

Then you used a poor fitter !!


Any good kitchen fitter always checks the design and sizes BEFORE fitting and then if he does find any problems during fitting he should have stopped and notified both you and Howdens


Have had many so called designs, by Howden's and other sheds, with them often having the wrong units, missing panels, etc., but have always gone through the sheets before ordering the kitchen, saves a lot of time a money.
At least with Howdens you can simply swap units and doors on the same day

Katiesummers

joinaman wrote: »

Then you used a poor fitter !!


Any good kitchen fitter always checks the design and sizes BEFORE fitting and then if he does find any problems during fitting he should have stopped and notified both you and Howdens


Have had many so called designs, by Howden's and other sheds, with them often having the wrong units, missing panels, etc., but have always gone through the sheets before ordering the kitchen, saves a lot of time a money.
At least with Howdens you can simply swap units and doors on the same day

I agree perhaps the fitter could have realised the problem, but the main issue is that the problem was only discovered when the doors were put in and this was the final thing done.

The fitter did check the plans, and I don't believe he was bad. He did a great job on the rest of the installation and took a lot of care over his work.

The issue was that the designer of the kitchen did not take into account a slight uneven wall which caused the whole issue. Am not technically minded at all but someone who designs kitchens should foresee this!! Since this has happened I found that uneven walls is not uncommon.

The designer at Howdens should see this problem and designed accordingly - maybe a fitter could have seen this but its shouldn't be up to them to respectively redesign the kitchen on the morning of the build.

Am glad you have agreed their designs are frequency poor.