Who are independent kitchen outfits for?

rentalforever

I've been to Wren, Howdens and Magnet to compare quotes. They have made it very easy with their big showrooms and online design appointments. I don't know why, but I have this biased view that the independent kitchen retailers are for those who want to spend big on something really special or need something bespoke that the big retailers won't or can't do. I don't have any special requirements, it's for a modestly sized kitchen and I'm aiming for mid-range spec in cabinets and worktop. Is it still worth going through the quote process with an independent?

FreeBear

rentalforever said: I'm aiming for mid-range spec in cabinets and worktop. Is it still worth going through the quote process with an independent?

When I last had need for someone to come up with a design, I found my local independent to be very competitive compared to the likes of Magnet, and their price included installation. You will find an independent able to offer a wider range of options as they are not wedded to a single source. They may well come up with solutions that the big retailers missed or can't do.

fenwick458

the main difference with the local kitchen outfits local to me is along with supplying the kitchen they can get all trades in to do the job from start to finish and oversee it all.
from what I've seen, the likes of wren howdens and magnet are just interested in selling you as many cupboards as possible and then will sub the installation work out to many independent trades who don't always communicate and never come back to finish off even though they say they will.
also the big names have better marketing, so they are able to fool more people into thinking they are getting a better deal by jacking the price up and then knocking 20% off and claiming it's a special price just for them. 

Belenus

rentalforever said:

I've been to Wren, Howdens and Magnet to compare quotes. They have made it very easy with their big showrooms and online design appointments. I don't know why, but I have this biased view that the independent kitchen retailers are for those who want to spend big on something really special or need something bespoke that the big retailers won't or can't do. I don't have any special requirements, it's for a modestly sized kitchen and I'm aiming for mid-range spec in cabinets and worktop. Is it still worth going through the quote process with an independent?

Definitely.

A good local independent will usually be cheaper and better than Wren or Magnet. I have no experience of Howdens.

A good independent will usually get business by recommendation and not have to build expensive marketing and advertising costs into the price. They have far more interest in satisfying customers as they rely on that local reputation and on recommendations.

They will often be run or managed by the owner who has a stake in the business, whereas the people at Wren etc are usually commission based employees.

bris

If you go to your local industrial estate most of the timer and builders merchants do their own kitchen ranges.

The quality is as good or better than the isual suspects and a bit more competative as the usually sell to their trade customers but they don't turn the public away unlike Howdens.

The local independents tend to be a bit more expensive as they tend to sell bespoke kitchens from Germany etc and the quality is usually better, proper wood carcases etc.

pollypenny

We had our kitchen from a local firm. Excellent service from start to finish and a number of extras not charged for. Needless to say, we used them agsin when we paid for daughter's kitchen. 

Local firms have both a business and personal reputation to keep if they are also part if they community. 

Belenus

bris said:

If you go to your local industrial estate most of the timer and builders merchants do their own kitchen ranges.

The quality is as good or better than the isual suspects and a bit more competative as the usually sell to their trade customers but they don't turn the public away unlike Howdens.

The local independents tend to be a bit more expensive as they tend to sell bespoke kitchens from Germany etc and the quality is usually better, proper wood carcases etc.

For our new kitchen about six years ago we chose a local independent company who recommended Masterclass Kitchens, a Wales based British manufacturer. Their price was a lot cheaper than Magnet and Homebase and the quality appeared to be considerably better.

The business was well established and owned and run by the owner and his two sons. They spent a lot more time and took a lot more care over the initial planning than Magnet or Homebase.

The installation went smoothly and the few snags were quickly and professionally sorted.

Six years later the kitchen still looks more or less perfect.

Rosa_Damascena

I steered clear, thinking I was going to be paying over the odds.

badger09

Belenus said:

bris said:

If you go to your local industrial estate most of the timer and builders merchants do their own kitchen ranges.

The quality is as good or better than the isual suspects and a bit more competative as the usually sell to their trade customers but they don't turn the public away unlike Howdens.

The local independents tend to be a bit more expensive as they tend to sell bespoke kitchens from Germany etc and the quality is usually better, proper wood carcases etc.

For our new kitchen about six years ago we chose a local independent company who recommended Masterclass Kitchens, a Wales based British manufacturer. Their price was a lot cheaper than Magnet and Homebase and the quality appeared to be considerably better.

The business was well established and owned and run by the owner and his two sons. They spent a lot more time and took a lot more care over the initial planning than Magnet or Homebase.

The installation went smoothly and the few snags were quickly and professionally sorted.

Six years later the kitchen still looks more or less perfect.

I viewed some Masterclass Kitchens in a local independent showroom (Shropshire) about a year ago. They looked fantastic but even for a relatively small kitchen, I was given a 'guesstimate' starting @ £20k, which seemed very expensive to me. 

Many years ago we had one from Magnet, which was perfect and very reasonably priced. Excellent fitters, which I'm sure made all the difference.
We've also had an expensive, top of the range German kitchen fitted by local independent company. Kitchen was really good quality & still looked as new after 20 years - however, fitters did a shoddy job in places.

Recently had a utility room, like a small kitchen, fitted with Howden's units, installed by local builder. Cabinets are very good quality but can't say the same about the sink.

So.... worth getting local quotes, but best is probably local personal recommendation

Belenus

badger09 said:

Belenus said:

bris said:

If you go to your local industrial estate most of the timer and builders merchants do their own kitchen ranges.

The quality is as good or better than the isual suspects and a bit more competative as the usually sell to their trade customers but they don't turn the public away unlike Howdens.

The local independents tend to be a bit more expensive as they tend to sell bespoke kitchens from Germany etc and the quality is usually better, proper wood carcases etc.

For our new kitchen about six years ago we chose a local independent company who recommended Masterclass Kitchens, a Wales based British manufacturer. Their price was a lot cheaper than Magnet and Homebase and the quality appeared to be considerably better.

The business was well established and owned and run by the owner and his two sons. They spent a lot more time and took a lot more care over the initial planning than Magnet or Homebase.

The installation went smoothly and the few snags were quickly and professionally sorted.

Six years later the kitchen still looks more or less perfect.

I viewed some Masterclass Kitchens in a local independent showroom (Shropshire) about a year ago. They looked fantastic but even for a relatively small kitchen, I was given a 'guesstimate' starting @ £20k, which seemed very expensive to me. 

Many years ago we had one from Magnet, which was perfect and very reasonably priced. Excellent fitters, which I'm sure made all the difference.
We've also had an expensive, top of the range German kitchen fitted by local independent company. Kitchen was really good quality & still looked as new after 20 years - however, fitters did a shoddy job in places.

Recently had a utility room, like a small kitchen, fitted with Howden's units, installed by local builder. Cabinets are very good quality but can't say the same about the sink.

So.... worth getting local quotes, but best is probably local personal recommendation

Our kitchen is about 12 sq. meters and in 2016 we paid about £15,000 for Masterclass Kitchen units covering 2.5 sides.

Magnet and others wanted north of £18,000 for what we considered to be poorer quality units.

Cactus_Flowers

I've been looking for a new kitchen, and an independent was recommended by a friend of mine so I went there for a design and quote. While I can tell that the design I got would probably have been good for some people, it was completely opposite what I'd told him I wanted and he was very begrudging in making changes. I've ended up going with a Wren kitchen (with my own fitter though) just because I felt so much more confident in being able to look over the salesman's shoulder as he was putting the design together and saying 'no, I don't like that' or 'move that a bit to the left' instead of having to fit in with the independent guy's vision.