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How do howdens kitchens compare with ikea?

5 replies

PetiteMum · 12/01/2012 20:39

for quality? Is it a noticeable difference?
Need to make a decision and stop dithering!

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PigletJohn · 13/01/2012 01:54

Howdens only sell to the trade, and they have a variety of kitchens of different qualities. They are generally quite sound and in standard UK sizes. They are reputed to be a bit better than Magnet or Wickes. I got my last kitchen from Magnet because I particularly wanted solid hardwood doors, and didn't like the Howdens range. The prices are much of a muchness, there's always a half-price sale in the retail outlets.

Ikea are not standard UK sizes, and installers frequently complain that they do not have the usual gap for running pipes and cables behind.

As Ikea are not the standard size, you may find it more difficult to buy additional units in future that look as if they match. I don't know if it is more difficult to buy replacement doors off the shelf when you want a change (there is usually no need to go to expensive bespoke replacement door companies, you can buy standard sizes from manufacturers, or brand-new surplus stock or discontinued lines on fleabay).

The most important thing in having a kitchen fitted is the skill and care of the installer. If you can find a good local joiner, and preferably pay him day rate so he isn't tempted to skimp and bodge, he can make a budget kitchen look like a million. The boxes themselves are very simple. Rigid is much better than flatpack. The worktops, cornices and accessories wil make the difference. If you have standard sized cabinets you can add rotating and slide-out fittings later if you want.

Have metal, not plastic or wood, drawer boxes.

Get plenty of pan drawers in the biggest sizes you can.

Don't buy your appliances from the kitchen company.

If your hot water comes from a tank, buy British taps like Bristan, not stylish Italian ones with poor flow and difficult parts sourcing.

Have more sockets than you think you could possibly want. Have appliance switches above the worktop feeding sockets below.

Have a cooker hood with a proper extractor, not a recirculating hob which serves no purpose except as a noisy ornament.

Have a hole made for a tumbledrier trunk.

Have your plumbing and electrical work done by pros. Kitchen fitters are not plumbers or electricians, and are notorious for poor-quality and non-compliant work.

Do all your plans before you start talking to people, and do all your revisions before you place an order, and definitely, absolutely, before starting work.

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miserablemum · 13/01/2012 07:25

We have chosen howdens for a number of reasons - firstly the door style - we loved Tewkesbury range, more than any other doors we saw.

Our Ikea is an hour away, Howdens 5 mins away, and have been told they always have things in stock, delivery is super quick and if anything is missing or wrong they are very quick to fix the problem. Standard sizes and ease of fitting also appealed, and we got what i think is a very good price, especially for ready assembled cabinets and wood doors, not vinyl wrapped or whatever. The idea of pre-assembled cabinets really appealed. Howdens also have a 5 year warranty - although i know ikea is longer. The designer at Howdens was great, and was happy to redesign for us over and over again without any trouble.

If i had Ikea on the doorstep then i may have looked at them more as they appear to have a good reputation. I'd expect building the kitchen would take longer as they are flat packed - so presumably paying someone will cost more man hours, and hopefully they make a solid, sturdy job of it.

Good luck with your decision -it's taken us months to feel 100% happy with everything we have chosen for our kitchen - such a big and expensive job it just has to be right!

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nocake · 13/01/2012 12:09

Bits of our kitchen are from Howdens and the quality is very good. The gloss panels are very smooth and well finished, unlike some kitchens such as Wickes.

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betterwhenthesunshines · 13/01/2012 16:31

I've been comparing too and have noticed that Howdens / Wickes drawers only have an internal depth of 42cm compared to Ikea's drawers which are internally 49cm deep. It may not sound like much but if you are having a lot of drawers for things like saucepans it could make a difference what you can fit in.

I guess this is for the service gap at the back of the units.

Also Ikea don't do such a range of door fronts. If you like what they have they are fine I think and great for a modern look, but I'm not keen on their version of plasticised 'country' panelled doors.

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PetiteMum · 13/01/2012 17:59

Well I've decidedon ramsjo White, which is a painted wooden door with veneer centre panel. I don't like the plastic country ones either! Hmmmm... Might stick with that then.....

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