Kitchen angst

[WelshMammy123]

I know this will have been discussed a hundred times but I'm getting myself in a right mess over the best place to buy a kitchen. Every time I think I've found somewhere I seem to hear a raft of negative reviews which leaves me questioning my decision all over again. Style wise I like the wooden shaker style kitchens....not sure that's relevant??

I'm getting a little panicked now to the point I wake up thinking about it and worrying we'll make a bad decision!

So hit me with it - if you were buying a kitchen now who would you go for? Who would you recommend and who should we avoid?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[dotdotdotmustdash]

I agonised and researched for months about which kitchen to buy and visited tons of showrooms. Ultimately we went with a local company who was recommended to us and he supplied and fitted a Lochanna kitchen. There was a lot of work done, including building a wall and moving plumbing, but our total bill including appliances came in at under £10k. The units are lovely, very solid and all with soft close doors.

[HeadDreamer]

I am doing mine at the moment. We are going with howdens with an independent fitter.

[dotdotdotmustdash]

We priced up a similar Howden's kitchen with an idependent fitter but the Lochanna kitchen came in cheaper and is better quality.

[ShortLass]

I am going with diy-kitchens. Great quality, good price, loads of choice.

I had been planning to go with classic kitchens direct as they have beautiful handmade wooden kitchens at a great price. But, although initially affordable, by the tme I'd decided to do the bathrooms and an extension too, my budget couldn't cope.

I'm still going to love my diy kitchen because I'm still having my longed-for granite worktop.

I spent a long time on here reading threads and these two options seemed the best for quality and price. Other people seem to have good results with local independent companies which I wouldn't discount. I have the builders in anyway so I didn't need to worry about getting it fitted.

[WelshMammy123]

Thank you so much for your feedback so far. Dotdot your kitchen is beautiful.

I feel like it's a bit of a minefield and as I said every time I think I've made a decision someone tells me a bad news story about them.

I'll definitely have a look at the places and brands you've mentioned. Thanks again!

[jigster01]

We have just been to Howdens quoted £12500...£4k of which is appliances and hot water tap ...Going to wickes on Tuesday as comparison as builder is giving us his full 70% discount ..It is large -u shaped 4.7x2.4 being the two smaller sides ..with an island ..Have no idea if that's expensive..It's burford stone when i really wanted a dove grey

[jigster01]

Wren have lovely kitchens but the reviews are a nightmare so didn't bother

[dotdotdotmustdash]

Howdens Lamorna appliances get absolutely shocking reviews, low quality stuff that they discount until they appear to practically give it away. They load the extra price on the units instead.

[Oliversmumsarmy]

Kitchens Direct are the only ones when I was looking that only had negative comments regarding their wrapped kitchens. I have had a wrapped kitchen before and I don't think the negative comments were about KD but about the bubbling you get when wrapped kitchens are near heat.
Every other review was positive.
Thoroughly recommend them.
I have a smallish kitchen and was quoted anything from £6-15,000. (cupboards only. The £15000 being the same kitchen from KD) My kitchen painted in my choice of colour from kitchens Direct was under £4000

[QuitMoaning]

I am in the quoting stage. Only had a quote from Wren which was eye wateringly expensive (>20k) and in negotiations with a local company who did our bedroom furniture which is gorgeous. I am hopeful they will beat Wren and give me a better kitchen.

Such a minefield, so many choices to make. Colour, style, worktops, sinks, taps etc.

[HeadDreamer]

We are only getting the cabinets from howdens. For appliances I am getting Bosch and Neff from John Lewis. Taps and sinks Im going to order France from B&Q. I'm getting tiles from B&Q so think might as well get the plumbing from them. No way I'm touching Lamona. jigster how big is your kitchen? I think that makes a huge difference to prices. I'm getting Burford Stone.

[HeadDreamer]

I went to an independent and he said it would be £20k+ for us which is over our budget. Howdens I'm getting £15k. This includes wall and floor filing, electrical, plumbing and appliances. There might be a bit more extra if we need plastering once the tiles came off. And this is a quote from builders and howdens and extras from John Lewis and B&Q websites.

It's 3x4m in the the kitchen and a separate utility room. The kitchen has wall cabinets on two sides, then a breakfast bar and then a full height pantry of 1m width. The utility is the length of two appliances and two cabinets. Sinks in both kitchens and utility. We didn't get integrated appliances however except oven and microwave and hob to save money. There is a huge variation as you can spend a lot on just appliances!

[HeadDreamer]

What I mean is it is hard to compare prices with others online because it depends so much of the specs you pick for the many different parts. All you can do is get quotes from different places and see. I also got quotes from wickes btw in addition to howdens and the independent.

[jigster01]

I asked Howdens to keep the quote for appliances seperate so i could see how much i was paying for them, it includes -
Neff- 5 ring hob, hood, 2x single oven,w/m, 2x single freezer, d/w
Lamona- built in ( plain) microwave ,full height larder fridge ,tumble dryer ,1.5 ss sink,tap , insinkerator hot tap.All integrated.
He gave me the codes and I quickly price matched it and online and John Lewis it came to more .I won't be going with them for appliances as the ovens were basic hide and slide and i would prefer branded other goods.
It's part of new extension and size is as mentioned above.What worktop are you getting , Head? I would like silestone lagoon but am aware it's going to be expensive though they recommended stone mason who they use a lot ..
Seeing wickes on Tuesday

[dotdotdotmustdash]

We chopped a badly-designed L-shaped kitchen into a rectangular kitchen and a square utility room. We managed to save the best of the carcasses from the original kitchen to refit the utility and we have 4 wall units and 3 base units in there, all with new doors and plinths. It save a few hundred and the room looks brand new.

[Ktay]

British Standard Cupboards do lovely shaker-style hand-built cupboards. We got our builder to install it as part of an extension project and DH found all the appliances on ebay. Not cheap but not as much as some of the quotes above.

[Ktay]

Actually that's bollocks about DH finding all the appliances on ebay, sorry. He found all the taps/sinks etc (new) on ebay but we bought the appliances from a local Euronics shop. Negotiated a discount for buying fridge/cooker/hood from same place.

[buckeejit]

We're waiting to get a wall knocked down and I want to live in the space a bit before we decide - are getting some quotes but will be most likely going local after a few quotes. I'm not even that interested in a fitted kitchen, would be quite happy theoretically with free standing units. Depends what the budget stretches to I suppose

[jigster01]

Saw a second nature kitchen the other day ... Beautiful BUT very disappointed to learn they are only guaranteed for 5 years both doors and carcasses..Even wickes and Howdens are both 10 and 25 yrs doors and carcasses ....Mind you i think i have now chosen my worktop ...Bianca carrera unistone ..It is gorgeous...Not too veiny and a very very slight grey ....Decisions decisions

[annaanna8145]

Dotdot
I'm ordering my Lochanna kitchen tomorrow. What range and color is your kitchen? I went for Lastra first but they changed their grey to dark grey so had to switch to Euro dust grey in matt.

Looks gorgeous!!