Kitchen Quality comparison

ben1802

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but ive just had a Howdsen kitchen designer at my home along with someone from Wickes. The Wickes rep tried to claim that Howdens quality was inferior to that of Wickes. Whilst i believe this to be just a sales pitch i was wondering if anyone else agreed with his view ? as all the reports i have heard about Howdens seem to be quite positive. Also does anyone have any experience with Wren?

phill99

I have always believed that the last bastion of salesmanship is to slag off your competitors.

I fit Howdens kitchens and at te price point they are a decent quality kitchen. The big plus over Wickes is that they are a factory constructed rigid made kitchen, not a flat pack like Wickes. A factory made carcass is stronger than a flat pack and being jig set, will be 'square' unlike flat pack which can be out of true.

Pre assembled carcasses are also quicker to install as you don't have the first day assembling them.

The other advantage I have always found within Howdens is their stock availability, which means that if there is a damaged carcass, or door etc or you need to make slight changes to the design while fitting, they have everything available from stock immediately, unlike Wickes who may take some time to re deliver another door etc.

adamg

Do not buy from wren see plenty of other threads on here referencing their service more then their product.
I'd go Howdens over wickes any day.

leveller2911

Pretty much agree with the above posts.

Small point but having pre assemble units doesn't mean they will be square, I've fitted lots of Howdens kitchens and In general probably only 85% are spot on square.

Dealing with missing or broken parts with Wickes can be a nightmare whereas Howdens have always done their best to deliver replacement parts the same or next day.

ben1802

ok thanks for the feedback my preference is Howdens to be honest how much wiggle room is there with the price they qoute ? deciding against purchasing their appliances with it though since ive heard bad reviews. Also is the room left for the oven etc pretty standard ? or will i need to look into the dimensions of each oven before purchasing elsehwere etc?

cddc

The way to really judge, is to look for yourself. There is not a massive difference but Wickes have thicker back panels and certain little features such as integral soft close for instance. are standard and included on Wickes units and an optional extra on Howdens.

Also with Wickes the warranty is with them. With Howdens, as you are not the customer, the tradesman who buys the kitchen on your behalf is, so any issues under warranty have to be dealt with through them, so dont lose touch with your fitter. Warranty on carcasses is 15 years for Wickes, 5 for Howdens.

Neither would be a bad choice though, there are far worse out there!

ben1802

ok thanks for your input i do like the wickes kitchen but ive had many positive reviews about howdens and the fact that they carry large stock so replacing things is alot easier than other kitchen companies. Pretty sure im going with Howdens just wanted a bit more feedback so is their price they qoute generally fixed or is there room for negotiation etc ?

Also what extras should i be looking to get if i go with Howdens? i.e hinges etc.

Thanks for letting me pick your brains on this guys.

ben1802

ok thanks for the information to be honest dont really have a budget in mind but when it comes to upgrades if its something thats going to add longevity or improve the kitchen then im willing to to include such options

1AM

There is more to it than the hinges--it is the drawer units also that are a major cost difference.

The soft close hinges are also stronger,---- it's not just about stopping the door from slamming shut.
You can buy a pack of 50 on line for £50 and that is a pound each. Howdens charges about 5-7 pounds per hinge pair.

It is the drawer units that are soft close where the price difference really lies. A typical "soft close" or more accurately called "cushion close" four drawer unit is about £120-140 more than its standard counterpart.

If you want to save money and are on a budget I would advise to buy the cushion close option on the cupboards, and buy the standard close drawers which are supplied with a small translucent stick on plastic bumper pad which reduces the banging of wood on wood.