Confused.

Florenceem

I have been reading reviews and what folk have said about various kitchen companies but getting really confused.
Today I went to B&Q - thought their kitchens looked cheap.
Been to Magnet - spoke to a chap with an account there - chose a middle range kitchen - my room is 2.70 x 2.90 - quoted over £8,500 just for the kitchen. Then there is fitting,floor,electrics,tiling,decorating etc.
Popped into Howdens - told I could open a trade account and given pile of brochures.
Next stop - Benchmarx - chap coming to measure up - can get account there.
Seems if you say - I am doing a house renovation - trade accounts easy to obtain.
I am dreaming about kitchens!
I had allowed £8000 for my kitchen - it this about right please?

Steve_the_fitter

Seems like your kitchen isnt to big. £8k shouldnt be a problem especially if you shop smart.

suki1964

I paid 3k for cupboards and doors 2k for granite work top and 1k for appliances

Add on that the floor, the electrics, plumbing, decorating and I guess 8k might do it if you can DIY ( we built the kitchen, decorated, tiled, tracked ready for the electrician , plastered etc)

We opened trade accounts where we could - saved a fortune on tiles - we just needed a business card which took two mins to knock up on the pc

Florenceem

suki1964 wrote: »

I paid 3k for cupboards and doors 2k for granite work top and 1k for appliances

Add on that the floor, the electrics, plumbing, decorating and I guess 8k might do it if you can DIY ( we built the kitchen, decorated, tiled, tracked ready for the electrician , plastered etc)

We opened trade accounts where we could - saved a fortune on tiles - we just needed a business card which took two mins to knock up on the pc

Oh - hubby not DIY and I am not good!
Any idea how much a kitchen fitter charges please?

rxbren

try the yellow pages

paulmapp8306

Im using an indep[endant that was substantially cheaper than any of the "sheds" (including Howdens).

Our kitchen is 3.7m by 2.9m so a little bigger than yours.

In the end we splashed out a little. Were having an induction hob (3 times the price of the gas one we'd looked at), decent hood, double oven and dishwasher. Were having some pipework to our UT room re-routed (as it currently runs outside the house wich always worries me about freezing in the winter despite it being insulated). Were having solid wood units units, granit worktops and risers, old tiles off, reskimmed walls and painted. Were having stone tiles on the floor, a bridge over the sink with spots - and were having approx 12 units and a wide breakfast bar protruding into the kitchen. Were having the radiator replaced with a slightly smaller new one - and moved slightly. Were also having some underfloor insulation (not heating).

Total cost for EVERYTHING, is £11,500. B&Q (for instance) wanted £12,000 for the same kitchen BUT with wooden worktops not granit, no painting, no re-routing of the plumbing, no bridge or spots, and without doing the radiator.

If we wanted the same kitchen (from our independant) without the dishwasher or plumbing - and using laminate tops rather than granit it would have come in at around £8.5k

My wife was a little concerned about using an independant, but we have found out that as well as runing his on kitchen/bathroom design and fitting company - he also has the fitting contracts for Bathstore, John Lewis and Moben. That does put our minds at rest regards quality. He cant be that bad or he wouldnt have held those contracts as long as he has.

Florenceem

I just want my new kitchen to be perfect.
Heard lots of horror stories about good kitchens being ruined by bad installers.
How do I pick a name from Yellow Pages - I don't know anyone local who has recently had a new kitchen.
I have read - some sites have phoney testimonials on them - I am spending £8000 of my precious savings.
Getting paranoid!

paulmapp8306

Cant help you in Kent.

How I got my fitter was i asked the Bathstore (customer services) if they could fit a shower i bought myself. They said no, BUT gave me the number of the fitter in my area. You could try the same with a kitchen place (I may have been lucky that the guy also did kitchens). If they have a fitting contract there going to be pretty decent. If they get too many complaints about their work they would loose those contracts with big chains.

Innys

Florenceem wrote: »

I just want my new kitchen to be perfect.
Heard lots of horror stories about good kitchens being ruined by bad installers.
How do I pick a name from Yellow Pages - I don't know anyone local who has recently had a new kitchen.
I have read - some sites have phoney testimonials on them - I am spending £8000 of my precious savings.
Getting paranoid!

First, decide exactly what it is you want. By that I mean:

Carcase material and finish;
Carcase door material and finish;
Worktop material;
Layout;
Appliance brands and models;
Flooring materials
Splashback/upstand materials.
Lighting.

Yes, that's a long list, but unless you have most of those decided, you won't be able to compare like with like when you go from retailer to retailer. Instead, you'll be wowed each time you go from one showroom to the next.

I dunno if I would recommend going with a separate fitter because if something goes wrong, the carcase supplier will blame the fitter and vice versa. In the meantime, you'll be stuck in the middle.

paulmapp8306

My fitter is also supplying the hardware.