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Kitchen advice

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  • Dilly wrote: »
    The carcases are all the same. The door fronts make the difference
    Thats unless you are buying 100% timber units

    That's what we always thought, but apparently its not true. I agree with what was said above about finding an independent designer. We spent a long time trawling around places like Howdens, B&Q, Magnet et al, and eventually (after nearly loosing hope!) found a company called Mustard Kitchens. For us it was very important to feel part of the design process and not feel that what we wanted was too much, or wasn't possible....not that i am saying we are fussy :rotfl:.....BUT....we knew what we wanted and fair enough we were on a budget, but we expected to receive the same attention that someone on a 50k budget would get!

    Anyway as I say we were really happy with the designer we saw and found out loads of info that we hadn't known before, i.e carcasses being the same! The kitchen we went for was made by Crown and had an 18mm back board whereas the places we were looking at before just had a thin bit of board. My husband was adamant we didnt have that, plus the front edges where the doors hit are a lot thicker. The only places that kept banging on about carcasses being the same were the ones that had really thin back panels! As I say, you can see how long we spent researching stuff and no doubt bored our friends senseless:D

    Have to say we really liked the John Lewis stuff but was a little too much for us. Maybe in our next house!
  • phancey
    phancey Posts: 11 Forumite
    hi takeadvice,

    where did you get your Bauformat cube from? We are looking for one of these but have been quoted £24k!! Want a cheaper version of the same.....

    thanks
    Phil
  • missbargain
    missbargain Posts: 222 Forumite
    edited 5 February 2012 at 2:15PM
    If you want a kitchen on a budget, you could do worse than Ikea. However, find your own joiner, as their fitting service is appaling (personal experience). We combined an Ikea kitchen with a granite top bought separately, and appliances bought elsewhere and 8 years later, they still look like new and work like a dream (smooth drawers, nothing ever fell off, doors not warped/bent, good storage). We also get lots of compliments from people who walk in, they are suprised it is the Ikea kitchen as it looks good.
    Perhaps it is because it is combined with quality granite + nice floor+ great appliances. Our neighbour did the same and is very happy.

    The one caveat: Ikea being Ikea, they sometimes send you wrong bits and bobs, so don't book the joiner until you check that everything you have is correct, or pick it up yourself. Their design service was very good, too made good use of corner areas, chimney breast restrictions etc. Basically, for the price we paid then, we got a really good kitchen.

    Another issue may be that the depth of their cabinets is standard, so if you want your worktop deeper, it may not be possible. Although, a clever joiner may be able to make allowances for this behind the cabinets, everything is possible if you have a good tradesperson.
    A tip: Get some great designer cabinet handles from elsewhere, as Ikea handles are pretty common and bog standard. They are usually very expensive, but they will contribute to the kitchen looking great (some cabinet styles are handle free, so this tip doesn't apply in that case). Sometimes, it is the detail that makes or breaks the look, it is worht investing in some great handles, IMO.
    Our kitchen was done 8 years ago, so I can't vouch that their quality is still as good (relative to the price, of course,), but this was our experience then. No, you won't get the Smallbone quality, but for the price, we have been extremely happy.
  • cyclonebri1
    cyclonebri1 Posts: 12,827 Forumite
    That's what we always thought, but apparently its not true. I agree with what was said above about finding an independent designer. We spent a long time trawling around places like Howdens, B&Q, Magnet et al, and eventually (after nearly loosing hope!) found a company called Mustard Kitchens. For us it was very important to feel part of the design process and not feel that what we wanted was too much, or wasn't possible....not that i am saying we are fussy!


    Sorry, you are wrong, what the heck is an independant designer going to give you that a supplier can't??? They simply charge you for what the suppliers give free.

    Truth is the industry uses standard unit sizes and blanks in the useless bits, even a dork at MFI could do that before they went to the wall for being toooooo cheap, and they were, , by about 50% over B&Q and a 100% over the rest as a minimum.

    A piece of A4 graph paper can save a fortune, MSE remember, ;)
    I like the thanks button, but ,please, an I agree button.

    Will the grammar and spelling police respect I do make grammatical errors, and have carp spelling, no need to remind me.;)

    Always expect the unexpected:eek:and then you won't be dissapointed
  • ryder72
    ryder72 Posts: 1,014 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Sorry, you are wrong, what the heck is an independant designer going to give you that a supplier can't??? They simply charge you for what the suppliers give free.

    Sorry mate -this is where I think you are wrong. Sheds or companies making kitchens from bog standard bought in doors will give you kitchens in standard sizes and will be restricted by what flexibility you can have.

    Good independents supplying quality kitchens with flexibility in design can customise a standard unit in a manner that your 'free' suppliers cant.

    Our German supplier can take a 60cm base unit (795mm high and 580mm deep) and supply it ANY height, width and depth you wont know it was modified in any way. Its the ability to be able to design and supply kitchens this flexibility, endlessly tailored to a customers requirements that makes an independent worth considering.

    A typical German kitchen supplier will at least 4-500 various cabinet options on offer, each of which can be endlessly modified. Your 'free design' supplier from a shed will have what? 100 units to offer?
    We’ve had to remove your signature. Please check the Forum Rules if you’re unsure why it’s been removed and, if still unsure, email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com
  • cyclonebri1
    cyclonebri1 Posts: 12,827 Forumite
    kmdesign wrote: »
    Our German supplier can take a 60cm base unit (795mm high and 580mm deep) and supply it ANY height, width and depth you wont know it was modified in any way. Its the ability to be able to design and supply kitchens this flexibility, endlessly tailored to a customers requirements that makes an independent worth considering.

    A typical German kitchen supplier will at least 4-500 various cabinet options on offer, each of which can be endlessly modified. Your 'free design' supplier from a shed will have what? 100 units to offer?


    Sorry but something is wrong here, if you take a 600mm cabinet and modify it in height/width/depth, it never was a 600mm cabinet:rotfl::rotfl:

    Similarly, a supplier of 4 to 5 hundred various sized cabinets is neither supplying a small number of budget cabinets or a bespoke size, ie, I want size 501???.

    This is getting way away from high st kitchen options at MSE prices.
    I like the thanks button, but ,please, an I agree button.

    Will the grammar and spelling police respect I do make grammatical errors, and have carp spelling, no need to remind me.;)

    Always expect the unexpected:eek:and then you won't be dissapointed
  • Leif
    Leif Posts: 3,727 Forumite
    Go to a shed, and they will subcontract the fitting, and take a large cut. So the fitters won't be too keen to take their time as they need to earn a living. I went to an independent (Optiplan), who run a small chain of shops. I dealt with one person on the phone, who arranged installation around me whenever practicable e.g. rescheduling the first visit by the fitter at the last minute when she heard I was at the house (I lived elsewhere). The money I paid for delivery went directly to the delivery people, who were very careful. And all of the money I paid for fitting went to the fitter, so he made a good wage, and he did a good job. They have their own team of fitters who do little else, apart from the odd side job in the case of the chap who fitted my kitchen. They monitor them carefully i.e. I got a questionnaire to fill in, and I was asked on several occasions if the fitting was okay, if he cleaned up afterwards etc, real attention to detail. Overall it was very well organised, and pricewise competitive with the sheds et al. So would I ever buy at a shed? No, unless I was buying cabinets, and I had a known good fitter on tap. But to be honest the experience was so good I would use them again, unless I could find a reliable source of solid wood carcasses.

    Quality wise the units are on a par with the competition e.g. Magnet, Cooke and Lewis etc, but from what I have read, they are not up to the standard of the better German kit. Then again, from what I have read the better stuff from the Sausage Munchers is not exactly cheap ...

    I also dealt with a company called Conquest who do bespoke kitchens, with cabinets made to order. Prices are not low, and the materials are chipboard and/or MFC from what I could see. But they could provide designs out of the reach of Magnet et al. I did not go with them as the price was beyond my budget.
    Warning: This forum may contain nuts.
  • cyclonebri1
    cyclonebri1 Posts: 12,827 Forumite
    edited 6 February 2012 at 1:48PM
    Leif wrote: »
    Go to a shed, and they will subcontract the fitting, and take a large cut. So the fitters won't be too keen to take their time as they need to earn a living. I went to an independent (Optiplan), who run a small chain of shops. I dealt with one person on the phone, who arranged installation around me whenever practicable e.g. rescheduling the first visit by the fitter at the last minute when she heard I was at the house (I lived elsewhere). The money I paid for delivery went directly to the delivery people, who were very careful. And all of the money I paid for fitting went to the fitter, so he made a good wage, and he did a good job. They have their own team of fitters who do little else, apart from the odd side job in the case of the chap who fitted my kitchen. They monitor them carefully i.e. I got a questionnaire to fill in, and I was asked on several occasions if the fitting was okay, if he cleaned up afterwards etc, real attention to detail. Overall it was very well organised, and pricewise competitive with the sheds et al. So would I ever buy at a shed? No, unless I was buying cabinets, and I had a known good fitter on tap. But to be honest the experience was so good I would use them again, unless I could find a reliable source of solid wood carcasses.

    Quality wise the units are on a par with the competition e.g. Magnet, Cooke and Lewis etc, but from what I have read, they are not up to the standard of the better German kit. Then again, from what I have read the better stuff from the Sausage Munchers is not exactly cheap ...

    I also dealt with a company called Conquest who do bespoke kitchens, with cabinets made to order. Prices are not low, and the materials are chipboard and/or MFC from what I could see. But they could provide designs out of the reach of Magnet et al. I did not go with them as the price was beyond my budget.



    Agree with the highlighted stuff, and it puts things into perspective right enough, you get what you pay for, there are options either way, ie, quality and price. Plus the DIY aspect is always going to be the best and cheapest, given a diyer that knows his stuff. :A

    I'm going to edit this and say that I'm not sure solid wood is an advantage here, why would you want to pay for prime material that in what we all accept to be standard kitchen cabinet design is not seen???

    Ok, oak or pine framed units wouls look very very nice from the outside, but the cluttered framework and joints internally are not what 'er indoors' wants.

    The only issue I have with chipboard cabinets is water ingress, but plassy legs have largely alleviated this, (remember the old MFI units that were chipboard framed and sat on the floor on packers????)

    So given that failing why the hell do b/q and such still use MDF, (that once wet is gone), as spashbacks:eek:, and plinths and decor end panels?, plus it's not just been and que'd.
    I like the thanks button, but ,please, an I agree button.

    Will the grammar and spelling police respect I do make grammatical errors, and have carp spelling, no need to remind me.;)

    Always expect the unexpected:eek:and then you won't be dissapointed
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