The Garden Fence - help and support in tough times

moneyistooshorttomention

I'm rather bargaining on £10k for a kitchen myself.

Plan of the layout now done - and I've decided to chuck out current freestanding cooker after all (perhaps it's just as well it's gone very tatty in the event then......so it doesnt feel like such a waste). It will work so much better with an integral cooker. Much less "bitty" and more of both worksurface space and cupboard space. It's definitely a challenging room - but I think I should be able to get it to look reasonable. Current kitchen is 1980s style/designed by a bodger/put together by a bodger/from cheapie units that have gone somewhat worse for wear. I feel almost tempted to leap up and down on those tatty units and demolish them with my bare feet once they go. They're too tatty and old-fashioned imo for anyone to want them. Errrm....correction....that's what would normally happen. But - the way things go in this area - I wouldnt be surprised if someone asks to have them. Oh well - if they want them - they can have 'em...and it would save me wondering how to get rid of them. That would be "win win" .....

Now wondering what sinks come in these days - I've got a vague idea I could get them in a mottled type material to match worktops. Must check whether that is the case and how durable that sort of sink would be....

Few more months of "getting my financial act together" and then job's a good 'un (well - here's hoping anyway...).

camelot1001

money - we just have to realise that some folk are not as fortunate as ourselves, I don't think it matters where you live, some people can just be down on their luck.

My old kitchen is being taken by someone who does not have a fitted kitchen and is absolutely over the moon. He has to do some work to make it fit in his space but will do it will a little hard work. I'm so happy to be giving him and his wife this opportunity, especially at this time of wasting money and bowing to the shop's tactics of getting us to buy such rubbish.

silvasava

I want to have the wall taken down between my dining room and kitchen. It will let in more light to the kitchen, stop my dining room being a dumping ground as we rarely use it these days and I neec my kitchen area replanned as I have very little working space. I looked at the units in I*ea and was impressed with the quality and price but also looking at H*wdens as they have similar style units that I like and come ready assembled. I'm looking at replacing cupboards with drawers so I can get to the back without getting on the floor!!

ivyleaf

Silvasava I agree that drawers instead of cupboards sound a wonderful idea :j Though I have wondered whether the runners would be strong enough to put heavy things like pans in the drawers over a long period of time. Anyone on here had a "pan drawer" for a good length of time (i.e. several years)?

Lovely sunny morning here today, so i hope the clouds stay away.

moneyistooshorttomention

camelot1001 wrote: »

money - we just have to realise that some folk are not as fortunate as ourselves, I don't think it matters where you live, some people can just be down on their luck.

My old kitchen is being taken by someone who does not have a fitted kitchen and is absolutely over the moon. He has to do some work to make it fit in his space but will do it will a little hard work. I'm so happy to be giving him and his wife this opportunity, especially at this time of wasting money and bowing to the shop's tactics of getting us to buy such rubbish.

Hence why I've always taken the attitude that "If you want it - you might as well have it" about anything I'm getting rid of. I don't think I've ever charged anyone for anything I've passed on to them - it's just handed over and that's that. That's got me wondering whether I should offer the old units on local Freecycle - rather than just seeing if someone asks for them (which is what has usually happened with stuff I've chucked out since coming here).

I'm wondering about whether to have pan drawers or not. As I'm intending to buy decent-quality units - then I presume that their pan drawers will also last out the guarantee period? I wouldnt get a carousel again in a cheap range (I did in my last kitchen and it broke). But I think I should be safe to get one in a good-quality range (I hate that unusable space in the corner so many kitchens have).

FairyPrincessk

Morning all,

Just a quick one. This talk of kitchens seems so cheerful and homey

My MIL has a pan drawer along with a couple of other big/deep ones. One holds pretty much all of her crockery (so even heavier than her pan drawer) and seems very sturdy. It wouldn't be my preference I don't think, but seems to work well in their house. They had the kitchen at least 8 years--but I'm not sure exactly when it was installed so could be even longer and the drawers still glide beautifully.

greenbee

silvasava wrote: »

I want to have the wall taken down between my dining room and kitchen. It will let in more light to the kitchen, stop my dining room being a dumping ground as we rarely use it these days and I neec my kitchen area replanned as I have very little working space. I looked at the units in I*ea and was impressed with the quality and price but also looking at H*wdens as they have similar style units that I like and come ready assembled. I'm looking at replacing cupboards with drawers so I can get to the back without getting on the floor!!

I did this silvasava, and it made a HUGE difference to both kitchen and dining room.

As for units, a friend who makes high-end bespoke units is keeping an eye out for a second-hand kitchen for me as he rips them out. He hates wasting them. He did say that if I was looking at something new Ik*a are better value for money than N*****e which is very popular off the peg in our part of the world (all wood, not chipboard, but made in china). And that the fitter is what really makes the difference.

ivyleaf

I can't work out what the second of those brands is, greenbee? Did you mean H***b**e?

pollyanna_26

Perhaps Neptune Ivyleaf , unless I miscounted the dots - not unknown
polly

moneyistooshorttomention

Well I've been doing a pretty thorough in person look at Wickes Kitchens today in the event. Liked the look of a couple of them and think I could "mix and match" enough different bits to get the set-up I want. They say "lifetime guarantee" there.

Well - that should mean = lasts however long I needed it to (ie even if I was in my 20s). I'm in my 60s - so I anticipate needing it for about 20 years then.

Any thoughts on Wickes Kitchens anyone (good or bad) and whether "lifetime guarantee" means lifetime guarantee?

I'm looking at the Shaker styles and possibly a carousel thrown in. Maybe even a full-height (rather than waist height) carousel. Also built-in cooker being that Neff range they do (ie German).

Thoughts?/experiences?

I'm coming to feel more and more that the whole "kit and caboodle" (including repainting/new vinyl on floor) should come in at around £10,000.

I think I'm best being with a national firm - ie "national" standards rather than coming up against things like that darn "Pembrokeshire Promise" again and that's some brownie points in their favour. They should be reliable <fingers crossed>. That is a factor to bear in mind - ie I have a Life - so I just can't be doing with the unreliability angle I'm not used to.