New Kitchen, how much?

moneyistooshorttomention

Saverule wrote: »

We're in the same position, looking to get our kitchen done.
Wren-kitchens offer a price estimator, for a 12 piece with Neff appliances (Hob, Oven, Extractor and Dishwasher) it came to roughly £7,500 including Dry, Electrical and Gas installation.
If you're willing to do the hard work yourself and feel capable, you can make super savings. My Dad installed his kitchen for £3000, it's huge, modern and luxurious. I wish he'd do it for me lol!

I've just checked out that webpage and came to an £8,000 conclusion - 8 piece and Neff hob/oven/cooker hood.

Guess the difference came down to I'd input the dearer range of units and a quartz worktop. Though no dishwasher.

I've got a very rough ballpark figure in my mind now of £9,000 then - as my wall units are going to be the taller ones and I'm having a dear sink and a couple of shelves. Am waiting to see what latest kitchen firm says with their quote.

Saverule

I've just checked out that webpage and came to an £8,000 conclusion - 8 piece and Neff hob/oven/cooker hood.

Guess the difference came down to I'd input the dearer range of units and a quartz worktop. Though no dishwasher.

I've got a very rough ballpark figure in my mind now of £9,000 then - as my wall units are going to be the taller ones and I'm having a dear sink and a couple of shelves. Am waiting to see what latest kitchen firm says with their quote.

When using the calculator, I selected:
Range: Infinity
Shape: U-Shape
Cabinets: Medium 12
Worktop: Solid Timber
Appliances: 4 Neff (Oven, Hood, Hob, Dishwasher)
Full Installation

Price £7,200*

I think the difference is the range and worktop selected. Although I checked out Quartz and I have to say, I like it a lot... So Will add on a few £££'s to that quote :j It's getting worse, the more I look at other options, our budget is £8000, as we want to install a conservatory at the same time

moneyistooshorttomention

I'm trying not to think about how much it's going to cost:eek: and then reminding myself that it is the kitchen in what looks likely to be my "lifetime house" (ie not one I plan on moving from in a couple of years time).

Cooking is rather a hobby of mine anyway and I'm certainly not someone that takes a ready meal out of freezer and pops into a microwave type of "cook".

Saverule

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I'm trying not to think about how much it's going to cost:eek: and then reminding myself that it is the kitchen in what looks likely to be my "lifetime house" (ie not one I plan on moving from in a couple of years time).

Cooking is rather a hobby of mine anyway and I'm certainly not someone that takes a ready meal out of freezer and pops into a microwave type of "cook".

It's difficult to keep it in perspective, I've requested a quote from the local company. I'm awaiting their response.
Good idea - I'll try not to think about it and keep in mind 'family home'.

Let us know what quotes you get and may'be a sneaky picture of the finished product!

copperjar

I'm currently in the process of buying a kitchen - the budget has been a bit crazy and has changed many times (upwards!). First figure I had in mind was £7k, based purely on that's what I thought I'd like to pay! Tiny bit of research and I upped it to £8k. Worked on a design I liked with one of the high street stores, added ball part figures for fitting and upgrade to quartz worktops (not through kitchen company) and decided £10k and not a penny more! It's so easy to get carried away....just £200 more for this, £150 to upgrade to that...and suddenly it can all add up to another £1k. Appliances were more than I originally estimated too.

Flooring, lighting, decoration, electrics and skimming the walls - things I originally forgot to put in my off-the-top-of-my-head budget

You definitely need a contingency. 10% I'd say

Mouse99

Sorry to barge into your thread but cannot find the new thread button anywhere? Help?

Take this story as a cautionary tale and people, please advise me? Am really stuck.

Can I share this story of hell to encourage feedback and advice on best solution to a nightmare kitchen saga.

My partner had a consultation with Wickes in December 2015. She ordered materials and arranged Wickes to install the new design. However, things were complicated by the need to do some preparatory work as we were removing worktops and sink and installing French windows. I was not aware that she also had a credit agreement to install the kitchen.

When the fitter visited to do survey, he said he could also fit the French doors and knock through to outside loo, as a freelance. The work would have to wait until the French doors were made by a separate company. The work was agreed for July 2016.

The next thing was that Wickes delivered all the items in March 2016 at 7am in the morning, 4 months before work was due to start. It was difficult to move with all the items stacked up.

Then, in June 2016, we told the fitter about the building regulations requirement for French doors and lintel to support new door into outbuilding and he cried off the work – No one contacted us from Wickes to tell us what we were supposed to do when their fitter refused to do work

My partner was so stressed that she forgot that she had signed a credit agreement for materials AND installation

Presuming we had to find alternative builders and kitchen fitters, we then landed up with cowboy outfit who did incompetent work at a total cost of nearly #6000 pounds. The French doors were poorly fitted and cost #600 to fix, the worktop had a 2 inch gap to the wall and they left the transit bolts on washing machine (just some examples). We have consulted trading standards and are currently awaiting a response from them on compensation.

She then remembered Wickes contract when the credit agreement payments started

I contacted Wickes he sent round designer and manager on 23rd November …they then got the original fitter who had abandoned the job in July to revisit and survey work and what materials were required and what should be returned….The manager agreed that they would refit but position on materials was not clear

We then did not hear anything until we arranged an appointment with designer on 31s Dec 2016, so over a year since order made

We identified materials needed and what should be returned (although this was extremely confusing as the item refs do not match the ones on order as they consist of bundles).

On 9th Jan, Designer informed me that no further discount could be given for new materials so cost #650 with refunded materials giving credit of #395 – but only if these were undamaged and unopened

Also, they told us the fitter would do work once a delivery date for new materials and return of unused items was made and he would fit around that but he was ‘extremely busy with work’

This experience has been hell…..made insufferable by Wickes delivering materials 4 months before installation and then a week before installation, their fitter abandoning the job which left us high and dry and scrabbling around to find alternatives – unfortunately, we did not do our homework and got a bunch of cowboys in to flinch us of #6k

The saga has now gone on for over a year and we are having to pay for new materials (mainly new worktop ruined by cowboys), given no goodwill discount except the traditional discounts available to any customer and are still not a priority in terms of completing the work contracted for……complete shambles.

We are waiting now to confirm a delivery date for new items and return of old but have been told we won’t get money back on items open or damaged – but this is inevitable when the stuff has been lying around our kitchen and floors for over 10 months

Apart from how stupid we feel, we are exhausted and stressed with what we have experienced. Can anyone give us advice on our rights and how we may fix the situation, apart from waiting for Wickes to replace kitchen?

Saverule

Hi Mouse 99,

If you'd like to create a new thread:

Click on this link, http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=39

This will lead you directly to to the 'In my home (Includes DIY) money saving' section.

On that page. There's a banner bar, below that you'll see a pink rectangular 'new thread' button next to 'subscribe to this forum' and a box that says 'Search this forum.'

Click on the New Thread button and you're all set!

What an awful situation to be in. Sorry I couldn't be of much use, I'm a newbie myself so not too clear on what consumer rights you have. The only suggestion I have is to contact the Citizens Advice Bureau, they should be clearer on what your options are.

Good Luck and I hope it gets resolved!

moneyistooshorttomention

copperjar wrote: »

I'm currently in the process of buying a kitchen - the budget has been a bit crazy and has changed many times (upwards!). First figure I had in mind was £7k, based purely on that's what I thought I'd like to pay! Tiny bit of research and I upped it to £8k. Worked on a design I liked with one of the high street stores, added ball part figures for fitting and upgrade to quartz worktops (not through kitchen company) and decided £10k and not a penny more! It's so easy to get carried away....just £200 more for this, £150 to upgrade to that...and suddenly it can all add up to another £1k. Appliances were more than I originally estimated too.



Flooring, lighting, decoration, electrics and skimming the walls - things I originally forgot to put in my off-the-top-of-my-head budget

You definitely need a contingency. 10% I'd say

Personally I'm bargaining on £2,000 over and above what the kitchen firm quote me (still awaiting that local quote at the moment). That's for repainting (decorator already lined-up and I know roughly what he will charge), a new internal door, window coverings (they'll be rather expensive), a step-stool (already bought and rather expensive). I'm keeping the existing vinyl on floor.

So I could have got the "incidentals" rather cheaper - if I were thinking of a cheap blind/curtains for the window, forgot about new internal door and had got a very bog-standard step-stool. I didn't want an "old woman stepstool" - I wanted a "design feature" one.

piggeh

A lot of the chains do a free survey and quote. Although it's not perfect, it will give you a good budget price to go on rather than trying to estimate costs from what others have paid. Wickes, Homebase etc, do not expect 100% of their surveys to end in a sale. As long as you'd genuinely consider them then there's no reason not to get something quoted from them.

moneyistooshorttomention

Current update:

Still struggling to get beyond first base and get a suitable kitchen firm at the moment.

After a fiasco with Magnet (inefficient if being charitable, worse if not being charitable) and a hugely inflated quotation figure.

My second attempt was with another firm (not one of the "nationals") and I've had through a quotation that includes wrong number of units, a wrong size door, missing end panels, etc, etc. Just as well that all constituent parts were listed on the quotation. At the moment - giving benefit of doubt as to why it was so wrong and requesting the correct quotation I should have had in the first place.

I've got a third firm lined-up now to take a look at my kitchen. Fingers crossed I don't have to run through every available firm round here - as there aren't that many of them in a small place like this. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that firm 3 aren't as dear as I suspect they might be...

Right now - feeling scared I'll have to choose between a kitchen I'm unhappy with (ie done to bodge standard) on the one hand or having had to pay rather more than I bargained on in order to have one I'm happy with on the other hand.

I've been wondering why I see so many comments about how important it is to have a good kitchen fitter. I think possibly what these people mean is "how important it is to have a good kitchen designer" - as they are the people selecting exactly which units to use and that should be taking accurate measurements in the first place, etc. I'm thinking on re Furts' earlier comments about inadequate/no training to be a kitchen designer that many of them have had. At the moment - I could do no worse a job than the two I've seen to date - and I'm not the one whose job it is to be able to do that.

Trying to think positively that I'll find a suitable firm.