kitchen

phoebe1989seb

We bought our most recent kitchen from Handmade Kitchens Direct (Christchurch) in 2015. Previously we twice used another handmade-type company (based in Essex).

On all three occasions we have been more than happy with the quality and price and despite ordering a fairly large number of cabinets - including the more individual items such as pilasters, plate racks and range hoods - we have found them to be very reasonably priced compared to the more obvious suppliers.

We do the fitting - and painting of the pieces - ourselves and buy high-end appliances, worktops, taps, handles etc elsewhere. DH has built our last three kitchen islands and will do the same at this house.

Back at our last-but-one house we had a quote from B&Q and found them expensive by comparison. Not only that but buying from them would have resulted in a less 'bespoke' style of kitchen, something important to us as these were/are all not your typical, bog standard house, lol!

Iirc when we were doing the smallest of the three kitchens (about 12' x 12') in 2008 we paid around £5k for the unpainted units, (obviously the only fitting cost was the electrics but that formed part of the rewire we had done) and by the time we'd factored in all the other bits our total spend was just shy of £11k, not including an £1800 range cooker we already had.

Drawingaline

I am in the (longish) process of doing my kitchen. I am using ikea, mainly because I can't afford the outlay in one go and ikea give the option of buying it a unit at a time. I have had the whole kitchen plastered and £200 worth of electrical work done. It is three quarters completed and once it's finished will have cost around the £3.5k mark for everything.

However I have not laid for fitting (outside of the electrical stuff) I am doing it myself with the help of my dad (who is an expert DIYer and has all the tools from fitting his own kitchen) paying fir fitting seemed to really bump up the cost especially with ikea.

I have akso kept the costs down by using open shelves rather than units for one wall, doesn't suit everyone but I love it. Shelves were £14 each (used five) where as units would have been around £150.

Couldn't fault the ikea planning either, did it myself in store with a bit of input, easy even for me!

Mimk

Please be aware of GD Design Ltd of Rochdale.
Cash on delivery or bank transfer so no card protection or cover from online purchasing rules. Flawed design, missing & damaged items and substandard installation. Pictures were sent to their offices and staff admitted the kitchen was "a mess" and promised to send replacement & missing items.
Phone lines are constantly busy & as of 1/11/16 unanswered. Business has probably ceased trading so no chance of resolution now, despite staff's assurances. I do believe this is a HUGE coincidence that Vance Miller's associates have just been jailed for their part in his rogue kitchen company which is also based in Rochdale....
This company only has positive reviews & managed to crash MSE previously via spambots, etc.
I have contacted Watchdog & will also be contacting Citizens' Advice Bureau in an attempt to have this company investigated by Trading Standards. I would urge all other victims to do the same.

Fuzzyness

stranger12 wrote: »

Hi all,

we went to B&Q and for a kitchen of relatively small size, they want 10k including installation and all appliances.

it seems extremely steep to me.

is this normal?

who else will you try apart form B&Q, ikea?

they give 5 years warranty on fitting and 25 years on item.

would you try local person?
I was expecting to pay around 2-3 k.

Thanks

we used IKEA. just over 5k for all units and appliances. couldnt fault them.

seven-day-weekend

bellaboo86 wrote: »

I got my kitchen from B and Q too. You need to go through the itemised list and look at where you can make savings.Here are a few suggestions:
End panels- only get these where you need them. I got three less than they said I needed. For example one either side of my washing machine which has cupboards either side.
Appliances- the make and model will be listed. I went on AO.com and got exactly the same for £100 less.
Door handles. B and Q were going to charge £8 per pair. But I got the same off ebay for £30 including postage (18 handles).
Also, they charge you loads for woodglue etc. when my kitchen was finished. I emailed customer services and asked for a refund on the bits that hadnt been used. I got a nice cheque for just under £100.

We did the same with our kitchen from Homebase. Paid a local fitter to fit them, sourced worktops, taps and appliances ourselves.

pogofish

Mimk wrote: »

Please be aware of GD Design Ltd of Rochdale.
Cash on delivery or bank transfer so no card protection or cover from online purchasing rules. Flawed design, missing & damaged items and substandard installation. Pictures were sent to their offices and staff admitted the kitchen was "a mess" and promised to send replacement & missing items.
Phone lines are constantly busy & as of 1/11/16 unanswered. Business has probably ceased trading so no chance of resolution now, despite staff's assurances. I do believe this is a HUGE coincidence that Vance Miller's associates have just been jailed for their part in his rogue kitchen company which is also based in Rochdale....
This company only has positive reviews & managed to crash MSE previously via spambots, etc.
I have contacted Watchdog & will also be contacting Citizens' Advice Bureau in an attempt to have this company investigated by Trading Standards. I would urge all other victims to do the same.

What has this got to do with the thread? There is a specific forum for posting warnings!

Soundgirlrocks

Another vote for Ikea, I have a tiny kitchen and their units don't have a void at the back so you can get more in the cupboards (does mean pipes and cables need to be run at the kick board level. Mine has been in 3 years and is holding up really well, only thing I would say is don't get a cheap worktop, thats the only thing I regret. The draws are strong and things like soft close hinges add a touch of luxury. I also saved money by building the units myself (it's just ikea flatpack) and getting a fitter to install them.

SuzieSue

Do a search on the DIY forum for http://www.diy-kitchens.com.

I bought my kitchen from there because of recommendations on that forum and got a fitter to fit it. The units come already assembled and they will even put the handles on for you for a small charge.

Their kitchens are very good quality and cheaper than Howdens etc.

leveller2911

SuzieSue wrote: »

Do a search on the DIY forum for http://www.diy-kitchens.com.

I bought my kitchen from there because of recommendations on that forum and got a fitter to fit it. The units come already assembled and they will even put the handles on for you for a small charge.

Their kitchens are very good quality and cheaper than Howdens etc.

Better quality, price and service compared to Howdens........

I make Joinery (kitchens etc) for a living and have had accounts with Howdens etc and DIY are better than IKEA,Howdens,B&Q,Magnet,Wickes etc for standard kitchens.

knightstyle

We bought from Travis Perkins, good cabinets and decent price in the sale. They had a list of local installers but we did it DIY including electrics, not hard and got gas fitter to do the gas.