Buying a Kitchen!

elysiumuk_2

This is a big one! I'm looking for advice on pretty much everything here but specifically how to do this as cheap as possible!

Planning to get an oak kitchen with black laminate worktops. So far have had quotes from B&Q and the like for £3k for units only, I'm planning to do the fitting myself.

The advice I'm looking for is:

to find suppliers who either supply the whole of the UK or the North West for:
- units
- worktops
- sinks & taps
- appliances
- slate or slate replica flooring

I want to ensure that quality is maintained but as I am not planning to stay in this house permanently, I don't want to end up spending huge amounts on the kitchen as in the current market I don't believe it will be reflected in the house price.

mkbswimstar

MFI kitchens are also available to trade through Howdens at greatly reduced price and when we researched them they supply the cabinets ready made. Do u know someone with a trade account or contact a kitchen fitter and see if they can get a similar deal cheaper for you. Do you have a friend of a friend you can bung some money to get it for you and you fit it?

On one of our kitchens we went to a small local retailer in our town and his prices and service were way better than any of the big boys. Wish we had used them instead of MFI on the other kitchen, MFI forgot to order a few things for us, which was a pain.
Will def use local boys again, they need the money and are able to do more deals and end of ranges.
Hope this helps.

In_for_a_Bargain

Magnets is another option for kitchens. My hubby has had a lot of stuff from there for jobs that he has done.

penrhyn

Try Ikea ?

dapa

There are huge margins on the supply of fitted kitchens. All you have to do yourself is cover is the design, the cost of the units and either install them yourself or contract the labour. Don't go for the 'all in one' service unless you truly have money to burn!

josajojosa

hi i would try roundel for your worktops, they aren't expensive and not cheap either but really good quality.:beer:

elysiumuk_2

Thanks for the advice so far.
I'm hoping to get the kitchen fitted by my girlfriends dad with me as his scivvy! Is there any advice on the fitting side?? What are the major pitfalls and things we need to consider before we start fitting?? The kitchen is going to be moved to the otherside of the room so everything has to be re-plumbed in.

Where would you recommend for units only other than Magnet, Ikea etc??? Are there any other more competitive companies?

Trolleydash

elysiumuk wrote: »

This is a big one! I'm looking for advice on pretty much everything here but specifically how to do this as cheap as possible!

Planning to get an oak kitchen with black laminate worktops. So far have had quotes from B&Q and the like for £3k for units only, I'm planning to do the fitting myself.

The advice I'm looking for is:

to find suppliers who either supply the whole of the UK or the North West for:
- units
- worktops
- sinks & taps
- appliances
- slate or slate replica flooring

I want to ensure that quality is maintained but as I am not planning to stay in this house permanently, I don't want to end up spending huge amounts on the kitchen as in the current market I don't believe it will be reflected in the house price.

Hi,

I'm new to this forum and don't wish to teach anyone how to suck eggs, but I am much in the same position as yourself at the moment. I bought a 1930's semi a couple of months ago and it needs new everything. Like you, I am located in the North West. I am renovating in order to sell.

As regard units, I wouldn't ever be put off negotiating as good a price as you can get. Others have suggested HOWDENS and IKEA. I was negotiating with HOWDENS last week over solid oak flooring for my renovation and got it at £19 p/m2 inc VAT, a 80% discount from list price... Try the same with their units, if there profit margins allow them to operate on a 80% discount, there is clearly ground for reduction.

You might download the IKEA kitchen planning software from their site and have a good play. This allows you to compare the cost of different unit options and combintions and experiment with layout so that you maximise your budget to best effect.

IKEA probably won't cut you any slack price-wise, but the units are generally good enough and come in a useable selection of sizes and types with a good range of interior fittings. Some don't favour the Swedish shop. In fact, my building team say that they "don't speak Swedish, so can't fit the stuff". However, I think, particularly if you're renovating the average house with a potential sale in mind, IKEA is mid-line fashionable and if a potential buyer doesn't like your style they generally have enough imagination to "visualise" themselves heading down to IKEA to get some replacement doors.

Creative planning and good installation are the key here. The most expensive units look nasty if badly fitted and poorly finished. Fortunately, I have a builder and joiner team (now referred to as "the guys"), who spend extra time on site, not only checking things are right, but checking that everything LOOKS right too. Wonky plug plates are the bane of my life...

One kitchen I did, white gloss units, black gloss laminate work-tops, the guys custom-made me plinth (kickboards) for my units using skirting board to match those already in my house. Once painted they looked fantastic. Skirting board is available in longer continuous lengths, are more resilient and I daresay, cheaper than the specific trim bits you can get from the kitchen supplier.

For appliances try discount places which have graded seconds. You have to be fairly flexible on brands but you can get some great deals. Unbadged or brands you've never heard of are really cheap and are often better-known brands "in drag". However, can anyone tell me who FAGOR are, please?

E-bay has some sellers who specialise in graded seconds. Often, particularly with fully integrated appliances the dings and scrapes won't show when fitted into the carcass. However, before you go bidding crazy, check the items out at somewhere like Currys and through a price comparison site, such as Pricerunner, so you are confident that you're getting something you want at a realistic discount, also check the product is "as described" before parting with cash.

I am currently bidding on an flashy SMEG oven, dishwasher, ceramic hob, washer dryer and cooker hood and hope to have change enough to pick up a new LG American style fridge freezer (graded second, of course). Try Discount Domestics in Sandicroft (North Wales) and Secondtek located on Winsford Industrial Estate (I see the world, in this line of work). Note from my husband: if you can and haven't already, make space for a dishwasher. It will not only save dishpan hands, but will add value if/when you want to sell.

Taps are surprisingly expensive. Try to avoid the cheapy ones if you can as some can be a real nightmare, as I have experienced. I have favoured Bristan over IKEA own brand, and have checked out Screwfix. I have been trying to pick up Bristan taps at Screwfix prices on E-bay. Again be flexible in your choice and you should pick up something good.

Sinks are cheap, if you are flexible. WICKES do a good mid range selection of ceramic and stainless steel, but IKEA are fair too. Try and buy those that are not pre-drilled for taps, because it rather limits your tap choice, or buy the taps first!

Flooring: try tile warehouses and importers, like Harris tiles in Ellesmere Port. You should get a really good discount if you can make use of the end of range and odds-and-ends boxes. Some people out there on the Net suggest buying tiles directly from the tile manufacturers in either Spain or Italy, though I haven't tried this myself...

Worktop is another expensive bit. Try E-bay for trade suppliers for the genuine solid wood for a cheaper alternative try IKEA again (No, I don't work in IKEA sales department!). AVOID high shine gloss effect laminates, unless you treat your kitchen as delicately as a holy shrine. They look good in brochures. I would personally spend on a quality laminate over lower grade solid wood. If you are trying to cover a small area, check out free papers, it is common that people over-buy in order to minimise cuts!

Slate is a nice contemporary flooring choice, but can be difficult to cut and even the cheaper stuff imported from India can work out expensive with cuttage and breakage. I understand it also needs to be sealed. You might try and find a ceramic alternative which may be easier and cheaper to work with. If you're really confident with a tile cutter, check out the 600 x 600 polished porcelain floor tiles (available in black or cream) at B&Q, if you could minimise cuts and breakages they could look stunning, especially if the area you are covering is small and you could minimise the grout lines. Cheap tile looks really good if well-cut and properly laid.

Spend money where it shows. Solid expensive looking door handles, effective lighting design, and a really good qualified electrician. Don't spend on tiles, units, sinks or over-priced appliances unless the project is worth over 400k, in which case I refer you to the nearest granite merchant in Northwich...

Hope this helps. TD