Kitchen quotes seem high

Kitchennightmare_2

Hi,

We're having a lot of fun trying to get a new kitchen. I confess we don't know much about this sort of stuff... we are happy to pay a reasonable amount for it (so long as we can afford it), but it feels like we're being quoted very high amounts right now.

We want a fairly basic white gloss kitchen with NO new appliances. There will be six base units (one corner), two wall cabinets, and some shelves. We want about 2m of wall tiling, and about 10m of laminate flooring. We have a new dishwasher which would need to be plumbed in & wired etc, but that's about it.

B&Q quoted over £6k for supply & installation, but later came back with £5.5k. Then a local kitchen company quoted £7.5k, before saying they could do £6.5k. Most recently we found a local builder who someone we know has used, but he is quoting £6.5k to supply & install a Howdens kitchen - but that's with us supplying the work surface and flooring too.

All of this seems like an awful lot, since we're not after top of the range kit or anything - and we're not actually getting a huge amount of equipment. It's basically a pretty small kitchen.

I was initially thinking this would cost no more than about £5k for what we are after. Can anyone please tell me if I am being unrealistic? We're in London, which is no doubt assisting with the high costs..

Thanks.

cool_pinkie

Hi,

I recently bought a new kitchen and just units ranged from £3800 to about £6000 with B&Q and Homebase. In the end I went for B&Q and was a discount on at the time so got if for about £3100. Its the basic high gloss white too. Mine is also with appliances so maybe urs does sound a bit high!

Installation quotes for me were around £700 to £1000 for private fitters'joiners.

Kitchennightmare_2

Hi, thanks for your response.

I definitely think mine seems a bit high. The independent builder has basically quoted £3,000 for installation, and another £3,500 for the units etc. Plus I'll have to spend another £500 on the work surface and flooring.

McKneff

Howdens high gloss units are about 30% more expensive than their matt ones I'm afraid.

Mind, I had a kitchen fitted last year in matt and in hindsight, I would rather have had gloss,

Steve_the_fitter

If B&Q have quote £5.5k for supply ans installation it could be an idea to buy the kitchen from them and find a local independent fitter to quote on fitting it. I imagine they would be able to knock of £500 without to much difficulty

Alisha2008

Have you considered IKEA? You would save a lot on the units and quality is good...

Kitchennightmare_2

Yeah, thanks - was thinking something along those lines might be sensible.

I just checked the B&Q quote, and their labour charge was £3,500. I don't know whether I'm being unrealistic, or whether we have been unlucky with the quotes we've had so far. It just seems more than I'd have expected.

Edit - @ Steve

Kitchennightmare_2

Alisha2008 wrote: »

Have you considered IKEA? You would save a lot on the units and quality is good...

It was the first place we looked, but haven't progressed it. I know the materials were much cheaper than elsewhere: basically £1.5-£2k.

Funnily enough I went back to the independent builder and was pretty up front: I said we can't afford his quote, but that I knew the IKEA kitchen we'd looked at was cheaper. I asked if the installation price would be the same if we went with IKEA stuff instead, in which case we could look at proceeding. He replied saying in that case he wasn't interested.

I know IKEA stuff is different sizes so may be a pain to install, but I can't help but think it might be because he'd bumped up the materials costs... plus the £3k installation fee, which makes me wonder if I was just being taken advantage of.

I don't know. I don't feel the need to screw people into the ground on price; just want to pay a reasonable amount for what I get. It's all a bit frustrating!

jstallan

I think IKEA do a fitting service. A guy I work with is in the process of using them.

cosworth_monkey

Have you thought about asking a chippy?

Day rate of around £200-250 and would take around 2weeks. A basic kitchen is not difficult to fit at all for a competent person.

Steve_the_fitter

It depends what needs doing but I imagine if b ans q are charging £3.5k a kitchen fitter would charge £2k. Thats going from my experience anyway

Kitchennightmare wrote: »

Yeah, thanks - was thinking something along those lines might be sensible.

I just checked the B&Q quote, and their labour charge was £3,500. I don't know whether I'm being unrealistic, or whether we have been unlucky with the quotes we've had so far. It just seems more than I'd have expected.

Edit - @ Steve