Best moderately-priced kitchen provider

QuincyBella

gingerfox wrote: »

We had this difficulty. They even came and measured up, offered some useful design ideas but wouldn't release the quote. At that time we had a plumber in just finishing another job so he kindly offered to collect it and hand it over to us, even though he wouldn't be carrying out the works.

Wow! That's good service! My parents had Howdens fit their kitchen (at the time they had a trade account, but selfishly they closed it about 3 months ago! :mad:). They also hired the approved Howdens fitter to carry out the work.

They were very happy with the final result but it was by no means cheap. My worry is with them if I don't use the approved fitter (who seemed to iron out the various problems they had with the ordering and delivering side of things as he has a good relationship with Howdens) the whole project could spiral into a bit of a nightmare and as I work full time I wouldn't have the time to sort it out myself...

QuincyBella

carebabe wrote: »

if you are happy with the present layout of your kitchen have you thought about painting the cupboard doors and drawer fronts. i have done this with my kitchen recently and the end result is amazing. primer, paint and new handles came to around 80 pounds.

We are happy with the present layout, but it is a cheap kitchen and 20 years old so I think it needs to go! I have a nasty suspicion the cooker (original) is on it's last legs and as that is integrated I think it's time for an overhaul

jellie

QuincyBella wrote: »

My worry is with them if I don't use the approved fitter (who seemed to iron out the various problems they had with the ordering and delivering side of things as he has a good relationship with Howdens) the whole project could spiral into a bit of a nightmare and as I work full time I wouldn't have the time to sort it out myself...

I think you'll find most kitchen fitters have an account with Howdens, who will be used to dealing with any delivery problems/damages. They don't need to be 'approved' by Howdens.

The fitter should also have electrician/plumber etc contacts if these are needed, and co-ordinate the whole job for you.

Have you spoken to any fitters yet?

QuincyBella

jellie wrote: »

I think you'll find most kitchen fitters have an account with Howdens, who will be used to dealing with any delivery problems/damages. They don't need to be 'approved' by Howdens.

The fitter should also have electrician/plumber etc contacts if these are needed, and co-ordinate the whole job for you.

Have you spoken to any fitters yet?

Have left messages with five fitters, none of them have responded yet which makes me quite uneasy! (I left these messages on Sunday). Would you go for an independent fitter over a company such as homebase who offer their own fitting service?

Price-wise both homebase and b&q seem pretty good but have been criticised for their aftercare. I know I seem really tentative but it's because we are on a very fixed budget and can't afford to make mistakes.

Doozergirl

Fitting through any retailer is far more expensive than using your own fitter. You also have no control over the individual actually fitting so you can't check a genuine reference of the individual's work. I'd go for a hand-picked fitter every time.

Most builders will have accounts with Magnet and Howdens; they should also have decent carpenters that can fit kitchens well. Choose your range, speak to Howdens/Magnet if they will design first, then get quotations from fitters/builders for the units (as one price) and the fitting (as another). That will enable you to compare like with like.

I'd pick Howdens or Magnet as a decent kitchen over any other. They are both very similar, and, as mentioned, there is an ease of making changes/getting replacement pieces very quickly as lead times are pretty non-existant. That said, Ikea kitchens are not really harder to fit than any other kitchen, so if that is what you like, I wouldn't worry about people having expertise!

AdrianC

Find a good independent trade-and-public kitchen/plumbing retailer. Talk to them. They'll have a list of good indie fitters.

As for what brand of kitchen, define "moderately-priced"!

This recommendation might not be much use, but for our old place, we got the cabinets from Matchmaker Kitchens. Quality-wise, a league ahead of the "big name out-of-town shed" kitchen in the new place, whilst being a very long way from expensive. Absolutely comparable in price with the better stuff from Ikea et al.

A quick google finds this...
http://butler-appliances.co.uk/theobalds/matchmaker.html
but the direct link doesn't work. A bit further googling finds the parent company went south in 2010, but a reference to them coming back in 2012 - can't find anything more, though. <sigh> Another victim of the big-name overpriced rubbish...