Do you have a IKEA kitchen?

[jesusmaryjosephandtheweedonkey]

If so.... are you happy with it?
The cost
The quality
The fitting

Got an appointment booked in a couple of weeks with them.
Was going to go with wren but my friend had a bloody nightmare!
Just looking for advice and tips really. Thanks

Yup. Had the cheapest of the cheap in a flat let to students. It wasn't treated well. It was the only thing in the flat to survive a fire. The soot was cleaned off and it lived to fight again. Sold the flat after 20 years. The kitchen was tired but still fully functional. They're great.

Mines 8 years old, it's still like new. Had their fitters, expensive but very pleasant, they fitted the wrong worktop before I realised though. When John Lewis fitted my new washing machine a few years later they were very unhappy with the electrics under the sink and I had to sign a disclaimer.....

Get as many drawers as you can would be my advice.

Ours is about 12 years old and I’m still delighted with it. A joiner friend fitted it, and other than a few scuffs, is still perfect.

I'm on my third kitchen in this house...over 22 years. Replaced the original small galley kitchen in 1999 when we moved in with a small birch ikea kitchen .

Knocked thru to make a kitchen / diner in 2008 and reused one of the base units, just changed the drawer fronts and had an all gloss white ikea kitchen.

2014 full rear extension and reused nearly all the white gloss old style wall units in the new utility room and some of the new kitchen with new ikea wood finish units to finish the new kitchen.

And one of the base units in my island is one of the original base units...so, yes, I'm very happy with the quality of ikea units.

We fitted so I think the quality of ikea is often about the care taken in putting the units together.

We have quartz worktop on this, our final, kitchen and I think the worktop cost as much as the units!

8 years in and ours is going strong. No issues at all. We had it fitted by IKEA fitters (as this was covered by their Interest Free offer at the time). We didn't have them do the services though (electric, plumbing, gas,tiling). They seemed to put a huge margin on those "extras" but their main fitting was fairly priced. Our other trades just worked round the ikea fitters.

We've had IKEA kitchens in both our houses, and have been happy with the quality of the units. The freedom to have full control over the design, and to easily make changes, was a priority for me.

Have bought one of the sinks, some taps, all appliances and kitchen worktops elsewhere. We have the very dark grey IKEA worktop in the futility room, and it's not brilliant.

Cost- definitely, we couldn't have afforded anything else.

Fitting- it's easy to make the units themselves. Worth getting a fitter/joiner to actually fit to the walls, that's the harder bit.

Op most people shop around
We didn't go for ikea in the end because the work tops stick out a bit more, and I didn't want the service area headache. However I was really impressed by the little functions and clever ideas but.. With how they did our kixthen I wouid have had about six teeny thin vertical drawers.

We also went to magnet and homebase and b and q.

In the end went to DIY and were extremely happy.

The price was extremely good and apparently fitters are now in house double check that.

We are very happy with ours.
Fitted it ourselves so can't comment on that but the cost and quality are great and its going strong 6 years later and still looks great.

I agree with the pull out drawers especially for saucepans and lids. I should have got more of those with hindsight, rather than just cupboard doors.

Op I would also price up with DIY kitchen. I was worried about missing parts and not being able to get them easily every thing was sent courier next day so it was never an issue but I would not go near Wren or howdens

We’ve had ours about 18 years. We have a Coriander worktop and Bosch appliances. The IKEA kitchen is amazing! Only 1 hinge (lift up mug cupboard) has needed replacing. Wouldn’t hesitate in recommending.

I've never fitted one but every rental flat I had before buying had an IKEA kitchen and all were great/put up with a lot! Only thing to avoid is their round sinks (although not sure if they still do these tbh) as there is no draining board, the fittings are a nightmare to fix and the worktops get ruined around the sink because of the lack of draining board.

Lots to think about.
Plan on looking around and then making a decision.
I've saved for 5 years for a kitchen so I need it to be right. ( and affordable)

Had mine down about 8 years ago - it isn't great. I'm in the process of getting a new kitchen (not with Wren!).

It was a pretty bad experience. They made lots of mistakes with the order. I had to go back 3 times to get it sorted. I paid for IKEA person to come to my house and measure everything up so it would all be correct. He made loads of mistakes! I ended up getting the money back for the service he provided as they agreed there were a lot of mistakes.

I have a small kitchen - the total cost was £3k - then they quoted £4k to fit it! I got another kitchen fitter to put it in. It's been ok. But it's now falling apart. The metal handles are tarnished, the little plastic bumps to stop the cupboards from slamming are all dropping off (and have left a sticky patch that I cannot get off) and the hob has never fitted together properly (I suspect they sent me the wrong pieces but I couldn't face going back again!). The work top is starting to buckle and the extractor fan hasn't worked in over a year. The freezer drawers have cracked and split and the fridge base often fills with water.

There's only me and Ive been very gentle with it but it just hasn't lasted and its time for it to go. I wish I'd spent more on a better quality kitchen but it was all the ££ I had at the time.

Reading everyone else's posts, jt looks like I've been unlucky.

It’s also a cost thing.

I really do like our ikea kitchen in apartment, and like I said will use in utility. It was only around £1200 total, and that included hob. About £1000 extra for oven, dishwasher and fridge from Bosch . It’s all drawers and nifty hidden bin storage etc. So a really nice and practical kitchen for less than £2500.

Our main kitchen in our home will be replaced soon with different local brand as it’s an awkward shape and needs more bespoke cabinets to fit. But it’s going to cost about x10 the price. It’s a once in lifetime luxury.

worst expereince of my life having our ikea kitchen fitted.
It has been in 3 years nowand overall is ok
Not best quality - doors chipped very easily, soft close n drawers broke very quickly, glass sides of drawers mostly all fell out etc but it is ok-ish

but the fitting was just horrendous.

If you are def going for ikea arrange your own fitting would be my advice

personally I would never use them again.

Yes had ours about 10 years. We chose everything with the online software so could have the layout we wanted. We did fit ourselves though well my DH his DF and my DF as between them they had the tools and they hired the router to make the work tops look bang on.
The floor was this cheap click board stuff but it’s lasted so well! and still looks good.
I’d probably try and find someone else to fit but the quality of the kitchen I have no issues with.

Why is everyone saying the fitting is horrendous? Surely ikea fitters know exactly how it works?

We installed ourselves and I didn’t notice anything tricky? Literally built each unit one by one, slot together along wall and cut holes in worktop for sink and hob ( it arrived correct length).
The only issue we had actually was getting non ikea dishwasher to fit with kick board, but worked eventually

Reviving this as I have just had an IKEA kitchen fitted. Not at all straightforward, partly because it was a tricky space, but partly due to cock ups by one the planners , delivery times being changed at a days notice ( it’s a rental property and involves a day round trip for me to get to) and random stuff I hadn’t even ordered turning up. Am in process of trying to get refunds. When it’s all over I will start a thread summarising my experience with my best advice.

My kitchen is an ikea one, fitted by a contractor I employed (other work being done at the time)
Pleased with it and would recommend them.
Also go for base drawers rather than cupboards.
I also have the small pull out cupboards either side of the oven (go to be symmetrical) for oils, vinegars, sauces etc

Yes, yes and yes.

Our new ikea kitchen was a big job knocking down walls, turning windows into doors and doors into windows.

Couple of hitches but all sorted now.

It replaced an ikea kitchen that was 14 years old. Cabinets from which have gone to someone else's kitchen and someone else's camper van. There was plenty of life left in them.

Cost amazing. The ikea joiners (have their own company and contact to IKEA) we're brilliant.
Very happy with quality so far.

To compare ikea kitchen with work top and 2 appliances (oven and combo micro) was £6,500.

The same kitchen - no appliances at Wickes was almost £14,000.

I have a 2 year old IKEA,kitchen and it's fabulous. The fitters were marvelous, did it in a day.They took all the rubbish and packing away as well. All the doors fit and close properly. I had granite tops and splash backs which were expensive but worth it. Also the huge drawers are life changing....you can really get loads in and get right to the back. Would use them again in a heartbeat.

Our Ikea kitchen is well over ten years old and it still looks good and functions very well. Very happy with our choice.

Yes - 24 years ago!
It was fitted about this time in 1998 about 70 miles away (so it moved once). The guy who fitted it originally was fantastic and did an excellent job - taking quite a bit longer than planned.
Kitchen units etc. are all in very good condition (birch) and agree about having drawers, especially under the hob for pans.
I did not go for the Ikea appliances, but bought elsewhere as I wanted certain makes and models. They are also going strong.
I probably still have the bill for it somewhere, but if I remember the total cost, including appliances and fitting was around 10K.
Obviously cannot speak for today's models.

I've DIY fitted IKEA kitchens in our last two houses very, very pleased with them, didn't use their appliances though. We didn't use them in our current house, as they don't deliver here, we couldn't work out a stress free way of getting delivery, I was gutted. We went with Magnet, they were three times the price and I don't feel their interior options were as good (not enough shelves on the pullout for instance) , but quality wise they are similar to IKEA.

The only thing I have ever had trouble with, with IKEA furniture is that the white gloss yellows. We have various Pax wardrobes with white gloss doors, they weren't cheap and the doors have yellowed to varying degrees. I've no idea if their kitchens do the same, but our Magnet kitchen is white gloss and fine.