Kitchen advice

katejo

cddc wrote: »

If you learn anything from these kitchen threads, learn not to buy from Homebase. You really are overpaying for the quality of what you are getting.

Otherwise it is all opinions really at the lower end of the market. So for what is it worth here are mine........

Trade outlets like Howdens and Benchmarx are great if you already have a design and a fitter with an account you trust. Yes they will design you a kitchen, but they are not alwys very good at that bit of it. I have seen some terrible and in some cases illegal (under building regs.) so called designs from these places. If you get a well designed and fitted kitchen this way, they can represent very good value.

Ikea are good on a budget too if you are prepared again to do a bit of the design legwork yourself. At the lower end they do represent good value. Best warranty at that end too.

B&Q's Cooke & Lewis kitchens are decent for the price though the cheaper IT are pretty poor really. Their guarantee (1 yr) is pathetic though, even Homebase offer 10 years on cabinetry and Howdens 5 years (via the fitter however). You should get a half decent design from them in most cases.

Wren have a good product for the price but a terrible reputation for service. If all goes well they also represent value.

Wickes 2go kitchens are also good value basic units compared to Homebase or the B&Q IT. They are lower end though and do not have a huge range of cabinet sizes. The to order range are good quality (same units as Benchmarx) and they should do a decent design for you too. Will probably be a bit more expensive anything above, but they do have some decent offers on at the moment. Good warranty and backup.

Magnet are also very good for what you pay if you get in on the right offer.

An of course there is also the internet and our friends the indepenents both of whom can represent value, and you certainly should get an excellent design and good service from an indy.

Just avoid the sell it on the night types and you should be fine!

Get a recommended local fitter. Dont pay over the odds for the stores own fitting services. A good design and a good fitter can make a cheap kitchen look a million dollars.

Happy kitchen hunting!

Thanks for this info! I had just about decided to get a quote from a local fitter and from a small independent kitchen firm. Do you have a positive or negative opinion of John Lewis? A colleague of mine is having a kitchen installed by them at the moment and is impressed so far by the service received.

Leif

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

Yup, I was involved with the trade some years back, I used to have a saying (given you exclude cabinet maker made units);

There are only 2 different types of kitchen, cheap rubbish and expensive rubbish.

Not a million miles from the truth.

And who in their right mind ever decided to use MDF in cabinet and plinth and decor panel manufacture???????
1 water spill, (it's a kitchen remember), and it's replacement time :mad::mad::mad:, sorry, pet hate.

What about Smallbone et al?

And some companies such as PineLand and Kit Stone do all wood kitchens. Granted a flood would not be ideal, but I assume the damage would be cosmetic (stains) assuming the water is mopped up PDQ. Chipboard presumably falls to mush when wet. Not sure about moisture resistant chipboard, but I assume the water resistance is minimal. Mmmm, I have some lying around, so I will test it to see.

Leif

cddc wrote: »

A good design and a good fitter can make a cheap kitchen look a million dollars.

Sad but true, given that most kitchens seem to be cheap chipboard with Melamine facing.

ryder72

John Lewis -

Basic First range is Symphony Kitchen. Bought cheaper elsewhere. Its a very very basic kitchen. Personally I dont expect John Lewis to be selling that kind of kitchen.

Jonelle is a Mereway kitchen. Again quite basic and bought cheaper elsewhere through independents.

Alno is a midrange German kitchen bought much cheaper from Alno independents. Frankly, if anyone has the budget to get an Alno kitchen, they can do much better to buy a better quality/brand German kitchen for less-similar money.

Your'e paying to buy from John Lewis with their peace of mind. Its for you to decide what you think its worth.

katejo

kmdesign wrote: »

John Lewis -

Basic First range is Symphony Kitchen. Bought cheaper elsewhere. Its a very very basic kitchen. Personally I dont expect John Lewis to be selling that kind of kitchen.

Jonelle is a Mereway kitchen. Again quite basic and bought cheaper elsewhere through independents.

Alno is a midrange German kitchen bought much cheaper from Alno independents. Frankly, if anyone has the budget to get an Alno kitchen, they can do much better to buy a better quality/brand German kitchen for less-similar money.

Your'e paying to buy from John Lewis with their peace of mind. Its for you to decide what you think its worth.

I don't know which one my colleague has ordered except that it isn't the Basic first kitchen.

cyclonebri1

Leif wrote: »

What about Smallbone et al?

And some companies such as PineLand and Kit Stone do all wood kitchens. Granted a flood would not be ideal, but I assume the damage would be cosmetic (stains) assuming the water is mopped up PDQ. Chipboard presumably falls to mush when wet. Not sure about moisture resistant chipboard, but I assume the water resistance is minimal. Mmmm, I have some lying around, so I will test it to see.

That's exactly what I'm saying, the rest are sawdust and glue, mdf or chipboard.

You are right, green chipboard, the moisture resistant stuff is as you suspect only slightly more resistant than the bog standard stuff, but mdf is a whole load worse, 1 wet and it's gone, yet the likes of B&Q continue to supply splashbacks, upstands, decor panels to floor level and plinths in the goddam stuff.

triffybob

Just been through the whole process of designing and buying a new kitchen.
The best bit of advice I can give is be ready to walk away until you get what you want for a price you want. At th end of the day you're in control., especially in these climes, everyone is desperate to make a sale.
Ended up going to Howdens, B&Q, Ikea, Magnet, homebase, wickes and 2 local companies. Took 2 weekends to get quotes and ideas from all of the above. Most of the companies called us back to better their quote when they didn't hear from us (only after a week).
The phrase 'if you can come down to £_____ then I can put the deposit down today' came in very handy.
Ended up with Howdens - original quote £3,300 including appliances/ taps etc, went down to £2,600 'if we paid by the end of Jan'- ended up paying £1,800 (using above suggested line :-) ). At the end of the day as mentioned these kitchens are MDF and the cost of manufacture compared to what they flog them for is ridiculous. When faced with making a sale for a bit of profit as opposed to no sale at all they will always reduce the price (within reason).
:-)

cddc

Well done (he says though gritted teeth, work in K&B and though admiring your stance and agreeing with your strategy, I would get paid less if everyone was the same as you!:p).

Unless you have managed to deal direct with Howdens, just remember that your warranty will be with your fitter so dont fall out with him!

takeadvice

I am just amazed at some of the ignorance here!
you would'nt trail round car part suppiers and then get a mechanic to put them all together and produce a Car for you - and then Boast how little you paid for it.
In the Real world 'you get what you pay for'
A kitchen is an expensive purchase, which most families will endure approximately 3 times in their lives
"Buy Cheap Buy Twice"
Watchdog has files full of the cases of all those people who tried to cut corners and paid the Ultimate penalty
German kitchens are the BEST (just like their cars)
Use an Independant specialist who offers a full fitting service - Qualified fitting is essential (my Uncle is a Carpenter who has worked in the building trade all his life, he can build a staircase, do all the woodwork on a roof, but he got a Qulaified Kitchen fitter to install his German Kitchen - it is a completly different skill, requiring different tools and different attention to detail.
i would never ask a builder to install a kitchen - and a good builder would respect ad understand this!
The quality of every job is in the detail and this is gained by experience and knowledge.
i have spent a lot of time in Europe especially Germany - you cannot call yourself a builder / plumber / or any tradesman without spending years of training and qualifying. in the UK you only have to buy a Van and put a sign on the side of it, because there are lots of fools out there prepared to employ their cut price services and the risks that go with them!
you dont have to spend a fortune to buy a Good German kitchen - in reality the installation cost will be lower, because the Germans engineer their products better, so they are easier to install -- example UK flat pack type kitchen cost £3500 fitting £3000 = £6500
German kitchen cost £4500 Fitting £1500 = £6500
you have spent the same amount of money, but more has gone on product and less o Labour
a "Win" "Win" situation
we recently purchased our 2nd German Kitchen, the first one was 17 years old, (rational) perfect but we wanted a change of style. we bought a new Bauformat Cube kitchen - fantastic value and a lot of the latest technical features.
you work hard for your money spend it wisely!

cyclonebri1

takeadvice wrote: »

German kitchens are the BEST (just like their cars)

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:I wouldn't open that rats nest if I were you.

Typical stereotypical comment that that has no credence in reality.

All german is good all the rest is bad, yeah, of couse it is.