New Kitchen - Wickes vs others + prices

cddc

If your independent offers you a symphony kitchen as a comparison to to a shed one, run back to the shed!

Symphony Kitchens are living proof that going to an independent is not always better!

Jaynne

What most surprised me was that they wanted 6k ex VAT for the Symphony 6.7k for a Ballerina Benchmark retail price was 4k! That's cabinets only.

Put us right off even exploring other options with them.

CKdesigner

Jaynne wrote: »

What most surprised me was that they wanted 6k ex VAT for the Symphony 6.7k for a Ballerina Benchmark retail price was 4k! That's cabinets only.

Put us right off even exploring other options with them.

An independent doing both Symphony and Ballerina!

Not the makes I would choose in their respective markets.

CK

ryder72

An independent doing both Symphony and Ballerina!

Not the makes I would choose in their respective markets.

CK

Precisely my thoughts.

Woody39

Im looking for a new kitchen and have been to Magnet, Wickes and an independent. Magnets quote was a joke I had to pick myself of the floor nearly 9K with laminate worktops (Studio White). Went to Wickes and with all the discounts and no worktops its come in for around £ 4300 (Glenco white Gloss). Went to an independent and they have come in around £ 200 more for an identical kitchen (no worktops) and £ 500 more for an identical ridgid kitchen.

2 x 150 pullouts
2 x 900 pan draws
oven housing
1 x corner wall unit
1 x 500 wall unit
1 x 600 wall unit
3 x 1000 base units
1 x 300 draws
1 x 400 base unit
1 x 600 unit
varoious panels and plinths.

I cant decide who to go with as Im sure the price can be negotiated, The only advantage Wickes has is the wall units are deeper and higher than standard. Help me choose. The units at the independent was Sheraton/Omega

CKdesigner

Hi Woody

Do you really want 2 x 150 mm pullouts? Also same thing with regard to a set 300 mm wide drawers?

Obviously I haven't seen your kitchen design but I regard all these size of units as little more than fillers, to make up for the lack of available unit sizes from the kitchen manufacturer. And these 3 units are amongst the most expensive units you have listed (the 2 x 900 pan drawers being the most expensive). The actual usable width of 300 wide drawers is tiny and I would never use these in a design for this reason.

Sorry I can't really comment on which of the makes you have mentioned to go for, they are all pretty much of a muchness to me. I know in another thread you said that you don't really like the look of a German kitchen but you are having a white gloss slab door so actually the look of all the different makes, English or German will all be pretty much the same. I can't help but feel you would get a better designed kitchen, with better quality of units from a German supplier for effectively similar money.

Good luck

CK

festool_frank

Kitchen_DesignR wrote: »

Symphony's main contract is with new build over 30 houses.
Yes they'll dabble into small numbers but their bread n butter is with companies like bovis and wards.

Symphony like 100 houses but only 5 designs, fill a container full of parts and let the fitters get on with it.
God help you if you end up with the last house built, the kitchen is normally made up of left over parts
I've not come across a symphony kitchen which has lasted the test of time.


Howdens main competitior with HA is Benchmarx.
Where both companies can plan individually and then supply instantly the HA prefer this and the /contractor often change schedule at last minute.

symphony kitchens are a good product.

they are very reasonably priced for trade, it is the retailer who marks them up astronomically.

if you have never seen a symphony kitchen stand the test of time, it must have been poorly fitted

Jaynne

festool_frank wrote: »

symphony kitchens are a good product.

they are very reasonably priced for trade, it is the retailer who marks them up astronomically.

if you have never seen a symphony kitchen stand the test of time, it must have been poorly fitted

I have to say I couldn't see any particular difference in the show room to a Howdens/Benchmarx cabinet - it seems pretty impossible without a lot of experience to know how they will be in 5/10 years time.

My main problem was that the independent kept telling us that they were a new range for him and he was getting a great deal then he wanted 7k just for the cabinets. Madness when BM wanted 3.7k

CKdesigner

festool_frank wrote: »

symphony kitchens are a good product.

they are very reasonably priced for trade, it is the retailer who marks them up astronomically.

if you have never seen a symphony kitchen stand the test of time, it must have been poorly fitted

Sorry Festool frank

Come on, you're in the industry, surely you can see that Symphony kitchens haven't changed in years, there is nothing innovative about them its just chipboard boxes, you might as well have Ikea.

Surely when you judge whether something is of good quality you have to take into account how much it costs, and I don't mean a trade price. I don't think its fair to say Symphony retailers markup the product astronomically, because if they did they would price themselves way out of their local market. For instance I know several London dealers that sell the same German kitchens as us and have to put a greater margin on their kitchens than us, its simply because they have far higher rents to pay. Whether that is fair or not is really down to the customer to decide.

CK

Woody39

CKdesigner wrote: »

Hi Woody

Do you really want 2 x 150 mm pullouts? Also same thing with regard to a set 300 mm wide drawers?

Obviously I haven't seen your kitchen design but I regard all these size of units as little more than fillers, to make up for the lack of available unit sizes from the kitchen manufacturer. And these 3 units are amongst the most expensive units you have listed (the 2 x 900 pan drawers being the most expensive). The actual usable width of 300 wide drawers is tiny and I would never use these in a design for this reason.

Sorry I can't really comment on which of the makes you have mentioned to go for, they are all pretty much of a muchness to me. I know in another thread you said that you don't really like the look of a German kitchen but you are having a white gloss slab door so actually the look of all the different makes, English or German will all be pretty much the same. I can't help but feel you would get a better designed kitchen, with better quality of units from a German supplier for effectively similar money.

Good luck

CK

Im having a run of tall oven housing, 150 pull out, 900 draws and another 150 pullout. The hob will sit in the 900 draws. The reason for this set up is to allow 300mm from the oven housing for the gas hob. I could have a 300 mm unit then 600 draws. But the 150 pull outs are of more use to me and it looks nicer, as this run goes into a corner. This design is my choice not the kitchen company. I have designed my kitchen around useable space for my needs. I have no wire works apart from the 150 pullouts, as I find these a waste of money. Everything that I cant reach in my cupboards are there as I hardly ever get them out, (best china, best cutlery, dinner service). Why pay £400 for a carousal that I wont use. Rather spend the money on decent appliances!

With regard to german kitchens they are out of my price range. I have been to several independents and told them my budget and they have said that the german kitchens is out of my price range. :(:(