Urgent decision needed re Wren "sale"

truescot

Planning a new kitchen, have seen one in Wren we like, but the "sale" finishes 10pm tonight so we need to make decision today. We have had two very pleasant and extensive design appointments with a non-pushy salesman / designer who has been happy to go along with us completely changing the location and design of our kitchen such that we are now happy with what we want. He has even recommended appliances and extras which we should buy independently where Wren are not competitive (sales patter?)

The problem is we dont have anything to compare either price or quality against. I know there are dozens of threads about Wren and I know that people have had problems with their sales technique, fitters and after-sale customer service. I am also aware that they score relatively highly on Trust Pilot etc. We are planning to get our own recommended fitter in.

My main questions are;

1. Does anyone know if Wren's prices are genuine "sale prices" which will definitely end tonight or is it just a gimmick? Would I be better shopping around for peace of m ind, bearing in mind my apparent lack of time to do this.

2. Are Wren Infinity Plus range good quality? I have heard it said that all kitchens are basically just chipboard and it all comes down the the craftsmanship of the fitter.

The price we have been quoted is 13.5k (not including fitting) for 15 units plus appliances and a vast extent of corian worktops (5k!).

Any comments welcome.

missile

It is a big decision, do not act in haste.

Wrens have many "sales" throughout the year

cranford

£13.5 seems a lot for 15 units without fitting. Why not try pricing the kitchen up at https://www.diy-kitchens.com. I would be surprised if it comes outside the range of £3 to £4K.
My kitchen from them is nealy 10 years old and as good and quality compares with most.
Don't to fooled by the limited sales offers and other sign today for a discount offered by the major suppliers.
Take your time and get other quotes.

gwynlas

I have had two Wren kitchens over the past ten years and have been happy with them however your quote seems very high,, Try to visit the larger showrooms as they sometimes do not have all components of range, Do not be rushed into a decision with more bank holidays on the way there will be further salea though prices will of course escalate in between. As a comparison why don't you have a local installer quote for a Howden kitchen and also visit Magnet,
Do not forget as you get older pan drawes are your friend as is a eye level oven and grill.

somethingcorporate

Sounds a very high quote, we had one of their mid-top level range (without the fancy worktop) and they chucked in a £2.5k range for <£7k with a similar number of units. We pushed and pushed and pushed and they chucked loads of things in for free/at a reduced rate. We were amazed at how little we ended up paying for what we got and are very happy with it 3 years later.

FreeBear

truescot wrote: »

2. Are Wren Infinity Plus range good quality? I have heard it said that all kitchens are basically just chipboard and it all comes down the the craftsmanship of the fitter.

Most mass produced kitchen units are indeed just chipboard with a melamine covering. The real cheap ones are 15mm thick (and possibly MDF), and the better quality ones will be 18mm. Bespoke and custom crafted units are more likely to be made from solid wood, and will be priced accordingly so hold on to your seat when looking at the cost.


At the budget end, the accuracy of the hole placement for the assembly dowels & fixings can be a little off. This can mean that the base & sides do not fit flush or certain things need a slight persuasion in order to assemble.


For my sins, I bought base units for my kitchen from B&Q last Xmas. Doors from another source, and 900mm pan draws from a third supplier - Total spend was around the £1200 mark for 7 base units & worktop.

Doozergirl

I would compare to DIY Kitchens.

You can even get a quote from Howdens within a couple of hours, but you're better going to DIY Kitchens first as Howdens would have to price match them, they are that well priced.

Have read plenty of horror stories about Wren's service. Our friends were looking to buy there last year. I told them not to, but they were swayed by the finance offer.

Needless to say, they won't be buying another kitchen from them after having to wash up in the garden for three months when Wren decided that worktops weren't that important. Couldn't get a call back, answerphones were switched off, dates given came and went.

I've bought a lot of kitchens in my time and I'd rather eat my own hair than buy from Wren. There are placed everywhere with better service. Of course they'll be brilliant before you buy, that's no measure of anything.

SuzieSue

Another vote for DIY Kitchens. £13.5k is too high.

scumboss

Wren avoid at all costs.

DIY Kitchens on the other hand are superb. More effort is required but you will save a lot of money. To give you an idea on how much Wren are ripping you off. I had 25 units, Neff's top model appliances and Quartz worktop for 10k.

Doozergirl

scumboss wrote: »

Wren avoid at all costs.

DIY Kitchens on the other hand are superb. More effort is required but you will save a lot of money. To give you an idea on how much Wren are ripping you off. I had 25 units, Neff's top model appliances and Quartz worktop for 10k.

Ah, while we're doing that. My current DIY Kitchens quote is £9,500 for 33 bespoke painted shaker units and 6 of the top priced AEG appliances. No worktop, but I expect to spend £2000 on Minerva tops, then the labour.

Howdens price matched so it arrives today instead of next month and we can make swaps or changes if needed.

scumboss

Doozergirl wrote: »

Ah, while we're doing that. My current DIY Kitchens quote is £9,500 for 33 bespoke painted shaker units and 6 of the top priced AEG appliances. No worktop, but I expect to spend £2000 on Minerva tops, then the labour.

Howdens price matched so it arrives today instead of next month and we can make swaps or changes if needed.

That's the only negative of DIY Kitchens. I had to have my kitchen delivered two weeks earlier than the install date to give me time to check each unit for damage and for anything missing. It also gives DIY time to rectify any issues. On the positive side the fitter doesn't have to worry about messing about looking for missing items and sorting damages out.