Talk to me about kitchens please - particularly Schmidt

[Lulabellarama]

Hi,

We visited the Schmidt Kitchens showroom in Dorking this weekend and I was impressed with their stuff and the customer service. We have booked to go back for a design appointment with our extension drawings and our budget. Does anyone have experience of their kitchens? They look pretty expensive so I'm concerned our budget will be laughed out of town (about £10k for units and worktops, a few grand more for a range cooker and fridge freezer).

Despite reading up on the kitchen threads on here religiously I still don't know what people are including when they say how much their kitchens cost - appliances, lighting, flooring etc. are all such variables!

I am torn between going for Handmade Kitchens Direct and doing each bit seperately, or getting an actual kitchen place to design us fancy cupboards but probably paying a premium for the showrooms and marketing fluff.

[Lulabellarama]

In summary - please point me in the right direction and tell me I can get a lovely kitchen for my budget.
Thank you

[VeryPunny]

Our kitchen came from IKEA and we paid a shade under £10K for units, worktops, fitting, fridge and extractor fan; we paid £2k separately for other appliances. That was with the quartz worktops and lots of drawers in the units, so not just cheap plain cupboards. Under unit lighting was fitted separately. The kitchen fitters had newly plastered walls to work with and all utilities were in their final place - they just had to wire or plumb stuff in. Flooring was done separately too.

If yubare worried about the budget, do your legwork. I think a lot of kitchen places only really want to sell you what's easiest for them. Do you really want/need fancy cupboard interiors?

[Lulabellarama]

Thank you, I think the problem is that I DO want fancy cupboard interiors :)

I need to accept that even though we're spending a huge amount overall (side return extension, bi-folds, adding a utility and loo etc.), the budget for the actual kitchen is modest. It just feels like such a lot of money to have to compromise on the finish.

[VeryPunny]

I know what you mean re: not wanting to compromise on the kitchen, even though it's kinda being done on the leftover money! FWIW we put in lots of drawers rather than cupboards which were more expensive, including one full height pull out drawers unit, and it was worth every penny.

Guess there's not much you can do until you see what Schmidt can offer for your money.

[Lulabellarama]

Oh yes, pan drawers all the way!

Do you think it's worth emailing the designer lady with our budgeting and saking if there's any point coming in? I just don't want to be embarassed.

[Gozogozo]

I wouldn't worry about your budget. They are refreshingly direct & offered me a kitchen which started in price at 15k including quartz worktops & oven/dishwasher/hob/sink^taps/under cupboard lighting, pan drawers & took it neatly down to 11k because of 'an offer coming next month but you can have it' & it was a big kitchen
It wasn't all a kitchen con as they persuaded me to like a less expensive range, but the point is that they had an offering to match my price point, so should be able to do so for you.
I'm easily embarrassed but developed a tougher skin. One trade told me that the only stupid questions were the ones I DIDN'T ask, & I took that to heart.

[Lulabellarama]

Thanks Gozogozo, that's reassuring to hear. It would be lovely to just have someone sort it all out rather than run around sourcing everything individually.

[Bombaybunty]

My quote from Schmidt in Dorking was £22!!!!!

Not a huge kitchen with mid range appliances and one of their cheaper ranges. Without fitting costs either.

I now have a Benchmarx kitchen with a Silestone work top.

[Bombaybunty]

And they weren't prepared to move on the price.

[Bombaybunty]

Should say £22K

[Gozogozo]

Oh dear...I can only tell you that I went to the one at Twickenham and that there are several kitchen showrooms within a 2 mile radius. They weren't thronged with customers or work. I went May last year. I didn't end going with them though.

[caines1]

Hi Lulabellarama,

I too visited today and was really impressed with the Dorking showroom and am planning on booking a design appt.
I was curious as to how you got on?
Not many people seem to have heard/ used them but I love the style, which I believe looks a lot more pricey than I have been led to believe.

Thanks

[Zanton]

We have one and it's bloody great. So much so that we've been back in this morning to ask how far they travel because we are looking at moving house. It's a franchise so not sure you get same great design and service from all the Schmidt shops (you might but haven't been in). They don't do negotiation per se but when we were reaching out budget ceiling they showed us ways to get back under with decisions on tops/handles/appliances etc. The pan drawers with interior lid drawers are the best thing ever.

[user1469370717]

Re Schmidt kitchens

Did Schmidt lower price or offer a different (cheaper) range. I have been quoted £16000 for basic range so should I still expect 20+% discount? Very grateful for your advice.

[flappy888]

Zanton has hit the nail on the head. I would say whatever you do avoid them. The actual equipment seems good, but the service that we have received from the Barnet store is nothing short of shocking. The problem is that each store is a separate franchise. When I have reached out to Schmidt UK contact directly after 6 months of problems they are not interested and tell me to contact the store. So they are only as good as the store and their fitters. There is no big company backup at all.