First time buying a kitchen - quality and process of Ikea or go with B&Q/Wickes etc.

NannyV

katejo wrote: »

How did you get on in wickes? I am making a similar visit tomorrow.

So far:

Wickes -very brief quote and she seemed to think they will be more expensive than the other places because of quality etc.
Quoted £3530 but probably need to add on an extra £800 worth of units etc. that we missed off, this is not including fitting etc. Just sink and taps too no appliances.

B&Q - £3869 - Again no fitting thats an extra £2,500 estimate for that and electrics.

Homebase £4615

katejo

NannyV wrote: »

So far:

Wickes -very brief quote and she seemed to think they will be more expensive than the other places because of quality etc.
Quoted £3530 but probably need to add on an extra £800 worth of units etc. that we missed off, this is not including fitting etc. Just sink and taps too no appliances.

B&Q - £3869 - Again no fitting thats an extra £2,500 estimate for that and electrics.

Homebase £4615

I have just returned from getting my quote done at Wickes. Certainly not cheap and these were sale prices. The basic fitting cost was 2.5k but there were lots of extras which were not included but which would add another £650 if I needed them all.

cddc

Just to let you know how it works with Wickes fitting, it comes in two parts. A dry fit, ie: physical removal of your old kitchen and fitting of your new one. The cost of this includes the removal bit whether you want it or not, it cannot be removed by the consultant if it is, say, a new build. It also includes any administration charges and is the part on which Wickes make a bit of money.

The "extras" are anything else that needs doing which include electrical and plumbing work, some of which will be needed in most kitchens, and anything else, ie: tiling, plastering, knocking walls down, decorating etc...., in other words anything else that needs doing and you want the Wickes fitter to do it. If you just take a plan into store, these are difficult for the DC to estimate anything like accurately because unless you see it with your own eyes you cannot tell, so if they are vague with you on costs and sound a bit woolly on the subject, do not be surprised.

Even if they have been out to see it they might not be spot on (I tend to be on the high side). However if you do choose to have your kitchen fitted by Wickes the first person you see will be the fitter who firm up the additional works figure.

The additional works are payable directly to the fitter on completion of the work and Wickes do not make any money at all on this part of it even though they warrant the work for two years. The figures the DC give you are the maximum that Wickes allow the fitters to charge you for each individual job quoted, and in many cases they will charge you less than those figures, this is certainly the case in my experience, though I cannot vouch for all stores/areas.

As others say quite correctly, and I have also posted on other threads, you do pay extra, sometimes alot extra to have a stores fitting service and it is always worth getting some indepedent fitting quotes, though do your research and get some recommendations.

It is how much the converience of a one stop shop and the benefit of having a large company warranty on your fit is worth to you which will determine whether you use stores fitting services. If it about price, you can do far better elsewhere.

cddc

Kitchen_DesignR wrote: »

Carcase Specifications on Rigid Suppliers.

Howdens:. 18mm Carcase in White or Oak. 6mm Back panel.
Rigid Built at Factory. Clad on side panel required if you need to colour code it

Magnets: 18mm Carcase in White(silver edged) or Birch. 6mm Back Panel.
Rigid Built at Factory. Clad on side panel required if you need to colour code it

Benchmarx. 18mm Carcase in White or Oak. 15mm Back panel.
Flat pack assembly at Branch. Can unassemle and replace side panels with colour coded ones.

Other than that, they all use similar softclose (blum) hinges or standard (salice/FGV) hinges and draw boxes.

Not quite correct, Howdens back panels are 8mm base and 3mm wall.

Benchmarx units are factory assembled at the manufacturers rather than at branch except for the tower units which still come flat pack.

premkit

If you go down the wickes route, try to supply your own worktops. Axiom or better duropal for the laminates, stone and solid surface will be a lot cheaper sourced by yourself. there laminates are poor quality.

katejo

premkit wrote: »

If you go down the wickes route, try to supply your own worktops. Axiom or better duropal for the laminates, stone and solid surface will be a lot cheaper sourced by yourself. there laminates are poor quality.

I didn't much like the laminates which I saw there.

cddc

Would agree that none of the sheds or trade multiples for that matter do the best laminates. Other, better ones are available.

humpy_2

Hi all,

I was about to get a Benchmarx (who are the cheaper trade arm of Wickes ) Holborn kitchen, though eventually realised that they won't be able to cover my boiler and flue pipe, which jutts out annoyingly.

I was then thinking Ikea, and although they are great in many respects, they don't have the lovely corner units that I now want to have (spoilt by Benchmarx) and their range of colours isn't quite what I'm after.

I've now come across "Lark and Larks".... has anyone got any feedback, advice on them? There are only a few postings about them on the internet and they are mostly "first-time" posters on those spurious web-sites, though one person who posted 6 times had problems with them.

The Lark and Larks web-site seems to offer a wide-range of doors and carcasses widths, heights and colours and can be custom made. However there is no feedback!!!

Any advice welcome, am tearing my hair out trying to get something together! Good luck to those doing their kitchens...

Steve_the_fitter

Not sure about Lark and Lark because I have never heard of them but I am sure you could get a door and a couple of panels from Benchmark and the fitter will be able to make a cupboard on site to fit your boiler in. I find its the best way normally because when a boiler goes into a standard cabinet it is not normally big enough to service the boiler etc

humpy wrote: »

Hi all,

I was about to get a Benchmarx (who are the cheaper trade arm of Wickes ) Holborn kitchen, though eventually realised that they won't be able to cover my boiler and flue pipe, which jutts out annoyingly.

I was then thinking Ikea, and although they are great in many respects, they don't have the lovely corner units that I now want to have (spoilt by Benchmarx) and their range of colours isn't quite what I'm after.

I've now come across "Lark and Larks".... has anyone got any feedback, advice on them? There are only a few postings about them on the internet and they are mostly "first-time" posters on those spurious web-sites, though one person who posted 6 times had problems with them.

The Lark and Larks web-site seems to offer a wide-range of doors and carcasses widths, heights and colours and can be custom made. However there is no feedback!!!

Any advice welcome, am tearing my hair out trying to get something together! Good luck to those doing their kitchens...

humpy_2

Thanks, Steve. The nice blokes I've been dealing with at Benchmarx did mention that and I'm still considering it, though I'd prefer something where it was all uniform without the boiler cabinet standing out compared to the others.
Plus, the difference in price is also a factor.

According to the blokes who fitted my boiler, the 600 cabinet would be more than ample to service the boiler.

So, I'm still keen to know if anyone has any feedback on Lark and Larks? Anyone?!