New kitchen - sense check!

Fire_Fox

If you are buying multiple new appliances it would be worth checking out the Which? Best Buys. The trial subscription is £1, ongoing is ~£10 a month and includes free legal advice.

robatwork

Just been mooching around DIY Kitchens as they seem to have a lot of love. Found this https://twitter.com/DIY_Kitchens/status/1076749346199224320

Can anyone confirm that thing in the kickboard is ventilation? Looks like the enormous window won't open which is odd, possibly because it looks like a narrow balcony outside.

hollie.weimeraner

We did our kitchen 3 years ago and had a CDA extractor which has been excellent. Other appliances were Neff Hob, double oven and Microwave/oven Bosch washing machine and dishwasher. All excellent but apart from the extractor we sourced everything ourselves.

We used a local independent kitchen fitter to do the kitchen.

Friend have used Wren and had a terrible experience.

EssexExile

robatwork wrote: »

Just been mooching around DIY Kitchens as they seem to have a lot of love. Found this https://twitter.com/DIY_Kitchens/status/1076749346199224320

Can anyone confirm that thing in the kickboard is ventilation? Looks like the enormous window won't open which is odd, possibly because it looks like a narrow balcony outside.

It's a plinth heater.

jennifernil

Ash1982 wrote: »

Ok, I'll have a look at Neff then (the same kitchen firm uses these too). Are they OK?


Just been on DIY kitchens and my design comes to around £4k on there but I can't get it to match exactly (they don't do the 1200mm deeper wall cabinet I have in the utility room and I can't get the spashbacks to match) so I am looking at around a £1k premium to go through the all inclusive service of the local company. I'm thinking this might be worth it really!

I would avoid using a 1200mm wide wall unit, go for 2x600mm instead. Wide units can suffer from shelf sag.

For appliances.....Neff, Bosch or AEG are reasonable mid range and have proved reliable in our experience.

Get decent sinks and taps, something like Franke. Ours have lasted 30 years so far.

Splashbacks and worktops are available from many places on line.

robatwork

Thanks EssexE.

More research into DIY Kitchens seems to suggest they are far from a dodgy victoriaplum type operation and actually very highly rated.

From companies house - they file on time and are "family run" as quoted:
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/01918871

Which? now rate them as their top kitchen supplier too:
DIY Kitchens 90% - Ikea 88% John Lewis 82%
They aren't rated on durability which I suppose means not enough people in their survey have had them long enough, but if Honda-driving conservative Which? readers are buying them, that's a pretty reliable testament.

badmemory

I've been looking at a new kitchen for a couple of years now. But a casual mention on a thread I followed has made me totally rethink. I like my dishwaher & washing machine but need to find a way to do a freezer & fridge actually in my kitchen. The mention was (translated by me to be an end wall ) converted to be all shelving to include some small appliances (microwave/mixer type things) & various storage solutions. A bit like a wardrobe with sliding doors over the shelving side. I love this idea & am now totally reconfiguring how my kitchen is going to work. For once procrastination may work in my favour!

theonlywayisup

Neff - are the mid range of BSH group (Bosch, Neff & Siemens - amongst others).

Miele are one of the best. Neff are one of the better, not the best.

Have you tried pricing the appliances yourself?

Ash1982

I've gone back and ask them to upgrade to neff appliances and they have quoted an extra £420 for the oven, microwave, hob and extractor which I don't think is too bad. I've check the model no. prices against appliancedirect and they are competitive.

So I'm looking at £7,900 for the kitchen units/door/worktops, appliances and extras and £2,400 for fitting with some electrical and possibly plastering on top. say £11k all in.

The cheapest I could possibly do would be to buy the units/doors/worktops from DIY kitchens for say £4,500, neff appliances separately from appliancedirect for say £2,000 and say another £500 on the extras LED lights, integrated corner unit carousal, splashback etc so I'm looking at around £7k and all the hassle. So I come back to the conclusion that I am paying an extra £1k for less hassle and risk if anything gone wrong with the supply/design which I think I am prepared to do. The unit specs are also marginally higher than DIYkitchen.

Ash1982

Ash1982 wrote: »

I've gone back and ask them to upgrade to neff appliances and they have quoted an extra £420 for the oven, microwave, hob and extractor which I don't think is too bad. I've check the model no. prices against appliancedirect and they are competitive.

So I'm looking at £7,900 for the kitchen units/door/worktops, appliances and extras and £2,400 for fitting with some electrical and possibly plastering on top. say £11k all in.

The cheapest I could possibly do would be to buy the units/doors/worktops from DIY kitchens for say £4,500, neff appliances separately from appliancedirect for say £2,000 and say another £500 on the extras LED lights, integrated corner unit carousal, splashback etc so I'm looking at around £7k and all the hassle. So I come back to the conclusion that I am paying an extra £1k for less hassle and risk if anything gone wrong with the supply/design which I think I am prepared to do. The unit specs are also marginally higher than DIYkitchen.

Oh, I forgot the sinks and taps, the more I think about, the more I think I have an OK deal with this local company.