Wickes vs B&Q takeaway kitchens?

juggs

im surprised as they only have a trade licence!!

juggs

Hi i work in the kitchen industry, howdens are good as they are a ridge carcase (built in the factory) and not flat packs, but they are def trade only, but worth a try to see if they will. If you are after something cheep to tied you over then you could always approach any kitchen retailer and ask about ex display kitchens, they can workout fantastic vaule, by the way howdens dont have showrooms just brouchures and a doors on a wall. good luck juggs

kitchen_buff

rizzla76 wrote: »

Hi
We moved into a new house and the kitchen is about 40 years old and needs updating desperately. Basically in about 3 years we want to buy a nice kitchen, but in the meantime we would like a cheap and cheerful one, but not too dodgy, to at least get rid of the horrible thing we have at the moment. I have looked at the takeaway kitchens from B&Q and wickes and they both seem ok, anyone used them? are they ok? either one better than the other? Or any other suggestions ( I have priced up Focus, Homebase etc). Would any of the Howdens range be as cheap as the above (it was coming out about £1300 for all the cabinets, tops, bits and pieces etc, but no appliances)? Can anyone open an account at Howdens? If so what do you have to do to open one?
Thanks

I have worked in the kitchen industry for twenty five years, I now run and own a small to medium sized kitchen company. I have previously worked for B&Q although a long time ago and more recently Wickes. I would say that Wickes special order kitchens are the best in the DIY market, but their take away range is really very budget orientated and quite limited although they have undergone a recent change in spec. The probelm is that they are a one box unit, so if you have a problem say with any part of a particular unit, then you really need to take back the whole item. B&Q on the other hand is slightly better because you buy the components individually and they are marginally better quality. However if you do not know about kitchens, it is pot luck on customer service at B&Q. If I was honest I would buy the B&Q take away kitchen before the Wickes one mainly because the range of products is greater.

kitchen_buff

Pot2Pin wrote: »

Hi everyone, this is my first post here so I hope I am doing this right!?
We have just bought our first house proper and hope to be in by Christmas.
First thing we need to do is repalce the blow air heating for GCH.
Then the kitchen & Bathroom we too have been looking EVERYWHERE!! For a good quality kitchen at a resonable price and whilst IKEA does appear to be a good option the no doors hinges etc does appear to be a bit of a lesser bargain.
We visited our local Magnet today and I have to say that the build quality and fittings blow away anything we have seen in all the other places for maybe an extra £1500 any thoughts?
Also whats the deal with Moben & Kitchensdirect.co.uk being neighbours and advertising the same kitchens with different names?

I have an Ikea kitchen for four years and I have had no problems. The downside with them is that they do not a pipe recess on the base units, this can be a real pain because all the holes have to be cut from under the units, good range of sizes. Magnet are not as good as they seem.

kitchen_buff

juggs wrote: »

Hi i work in the kitchen industry, howdens are good as they are a ridge carcase (built in the factory) and not flat packs, but they are def trade only, but worth a try to see if they will. If you are after something cheep to tied you over then you could always approach any kitchen retailer and ask about ex display kitchens, they can workout fantastic vaule, by the way howdens dont have showrooms just brouchures and a doors on a wall. good luck juggs

Howdens are ok, but the cabinets are glued and dowelled, so if the cabinet is out of square you cannot take it apart to re-align it. Also if it a good size kitchen that you are buying, where are you going to store it and will you be able to fit larger cabinets through your doors. They are not as cheap as you might think. If you buy flat pack (by the way some of the best kitchens on the market are flat pack) then go to a small independent. It should take a day to build approx 12 units.

Broke_and_sinking_quickly

I hope this is of some use.

I have recentley had to renovate a house (hence the name) and the first thing that we did was replace the kitchen. I have a friend who fits kitchens proffesionally, and he recommended Magnet - extremely good, but not cheap. Worth looking at in a couple of years. Howdens are in the same league, but don't have quite as good a finish on the doors - though hardly noticeable. Both provide very solid carcasses, which is where the difference between kitchens can be found.

I would recommend you check the carcasses you have. If they are solid, then either just paint the doors or replace the doors, rather than replace the whole kitchen. If not, bear in mind that B&Q units are produced by Magnet, so are actually pretty good.

As with all kitchens, you will probably find that handles, worktops, sink, taps etc are extra, and can make a seemingly cheap deal be anything but.

I would reccomend at the moment to visit showrooms and ask about end of lines etc, or check out Freecycle (as previously recommended) and get some solid carcasses as the doors can be got from most anyplace. Just make sure that hinge positions are not damaged at all.

woah - too much typing -- I hope it helps.

budget_counsellor_shaz

rizzla76 wrote: »

Hi
We moved into a new house and the kitchen is about 40 years old and needs updating desperately. Basically in about 3 years we want to buy a nice kitchen, but in the meantime we would like a cheap and cheerful one, but not too dodgy, to at least get rid of the horrible thing we have at the moment. I have looked at the takeaway kitchens from B&Q and wickes and they both seem ok, anyone used them? are they ok? either one better than the other? Or any other suggestions ( I have priced up Focus, Homebase etc). Would any of the Howdens range be as cheap as the above (it was coming out about £1300 for all the cabinets, tops, bits and pieces etc, but no appliances)? Can anyone open an account at Howdens? If so what do you have to do to open one?
Thanks

I've had a Wickes kitchen and a B&Q takeaway kitchen. I would always go for the cheapest now........ which tends to be B&Q especially if you take an eldery relative or friend on a Wednesday to get an extra 10% 0ff:T

Nobody sees the carcases:rotfl: Where I would recommend spending money on the kitchen is with the work top and door fronts.

When I went to Magnet I couldn't believe the prices:eek: I nearly fell through the floor. I also think that Howdens are expensive.....

All my kitchens have looked fab especially if you pick some good tiles and flooring to finish it off. Don't spend more money than you need to:D

Shaz;)