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Original poster

Cost of a new kitchen

105 replies

Vapeyvapevape · 20/09/2022 18:06

I'm getting quotes for a new kitchen ( 9ft x 13ft ) and have just received one from Howdens , it does include appliances which I'm sure if I shop round I can get cheaper but really wanted to save the hassle of doing all that myself .
Anyway they've quoted £11,224.00 , just the tap is £200 (I think they saw me coming) The last time I bought a new kitchen was 25 years ago so a bit out of touch re prices .
Has anyone tried Howdens but found another supplier that's cheaper ?

OP posts:
1Wanda1 · 20/09/2022 19:36

We got a Howdens kitchen 3 years ago. Got an extra cheap deal on the units as they wanted to get them in end of month sales figures. Our kitchen is a "normal" rectangle size and we have a run of units on one long side and one short side. The units cost £5k. Worktops (cheap laminate bought online) and flooring (also bought online) came to about £600. We kept fridge from before and spent £400 on oven. The cost of fitting the lichen was £7k including all plumbing electrics, plastering and decorating. So £13k all in. It's not cheap. And the thing I regret the most is getting the cheap Howdens tap. It's shit and I wish we'd gone for the £400 one I wanted.

Jumpking · 20/09/2022 19:41

My quote from Wren pleasantly surprised me. Kitchen a little larger than yours. £7.5k including 3 appliances. £10.8k including fitting.

They run a scheme where you put a deposit down asap, which locks in that price. If prices go any lower if they run other promos, they will amend the price to the lower discounted one if you've not yet taken delivery.

Going to get DIY kitchens to match the quote and see how much there's is too before purchase.

SchittOnIt · 20/09/2022 19:44

We’re in Suffolk and I had a quote for approx £13k from Howdens excluding worktops but including appliances. I didn’t find them very imaginative in their kitchen design and I felt they just churned out the same design over and over. Very formulaic. Same with Benchmarx. Magnet were so rude that we didn’t even bother! Went with DIY kitchens instead and I’m so glad we did. I spent hours and hours on their kitchen planner but the end product looks fantastic and the quality is amazing. The layout really works for us which the howdens one wouldn’t have. We saved about 4k on the kitchen but I bought more expensive appliances and upgraded the cabinet options so it ended up much the same all in. Went for quarts worktops with Gemini who I would also recommend.

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Home improvement
DutchessOfMuck · 20/09/2022 19:44

We are looking at a new kitchen just now also. Have you went through the quote and taken off all the bits you don't need or want?

Like drawer liners, widgets etc.

I got a quote from b and q and once I took off all the faff useless bits it knocked a good few thousand off the price.

Isyesterdaytomorrowtoday · 20/09/2022 19:48

Ours was top of range DIY kitchen and appliances sources separately by the way. Fitter was really impressed with quality compared to wren etc

MyBuggyIsOutToGetMe · 20/09/2022 19:50

We tried Howdens. Ours is a bigger kitchen but not by much, to be fair (similar length, bit wider) and we are also kitting out a small utility room. All in a newly built extension so no making good to do.

Howdens wanted £23k for the cost of the kitchen and utility units (painted wood), including some appliances and quartz worktops.

We costed it up with DIY Kitchens and a local quartz supplier, plus AO.com for the appliances. I think it’ll come in at around £14k. So yeah. Bit of a difference!

Calmdown14 · 20/09/2022 19:55

Howdens use variable pricing.

Did you get that quote or did your joiner? They will get trade discount.

I'd recommend DIY kitchens. Even if you don't go with them, very useful for seeing what fixtures significantly add to the cost, the extras like end panels etc as their pricing is transparent. You will also get a better idea of like for like depending of the doors are foil wrapped, solid wood, acrylic faced etc.

Wren pissed me off by not being able to tell me what I was actually buying!

IKEA is another decent option but less choice of sizing. I couldn't make it work in my space. Also have to build carcasses so can add to fitting time and cost

PaperTyger · 20/09/2022 19:57

DIY.
Howdens sale's, Google them...rip off

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 20/09/2022 19:59

Vapeyvapevape · 20/09/2022 18:44

That's true, my last kitchen was from MFI but the fitters were excellent and it didn't budge for 18 years .

Show quote history

Howdens used to supply MFI before they went bust according to my fitter. Our next one will be Howdens with our own fitter.

Original poster
Vapeyvapevape · 20/09/2022 20:04

Calmdown14 · 20/09/2022 19:55

Howdens use variable pricing.

Did you get that quote or did your joiner? They will get trade discount.

I'd recommend DIY kitchens. Even if you don't go with them, very useful for seeing what fixtures significantly add to the cost, the extras like end panels etc as their pricing is transparent. You will also get a better idea of like for like depending of the doors are foil wrapped, solid wood, acrylic faced etc.

Wren pissed me off by not being able to tell me what I was actually buying!

IKEA is another decent option but less choice of sizing. I couldn't make it work in my space. Also have to build carcasses so can add to fitting time and cost

What's variable pricing? I got the quote but having had a proper look at it Howdens have quoted for the fitter.

OP posts:
Raddix · 20/09/2022 20:04

You get what you pay for. Yes you can halve the price by buying elsewhere, with a corresponding reduction in quality and design. Like how you can buy leather shoes for £200 or plastic shoes for £20. If you want a cheap product try B&Q.

PaperTyger · 20/09/2022 20:05

DIY was excellent quality

Original poster
Vapeyvapevape · 20/09/2022 20:05

MyBuggyIsOutToGetMe · 20/09/2022 19:50

We tried Howdens. Ours is a bigger kitchen but not by much, to be fair (similar length, bit wider) and we are also kitting out a small utility room. All in a newly built extension so no making good to do.

Howdens wanted £23k for the cost of the kitchen and utility units (painted wood), including some appliances and quartz worktops.

We costed it up with DIY Kitchens and a local quartz supplier, plus AO.com for the appliances. I think it’ll come in at around £14k. So yeah. Bit of a difference!

Can I send them Howdens quote and get them to price it?

OP posts:
PaperTyger · 20/09/2022 20:07

Howdens is all sales techniques it's like doing you a favour," madam have you thought of Howdens? I have an account and get you discount".
Actually they only sell via traders and price is hugely inflated

You can and should drive your fitter/Howdens right down but see what DIY would charge first.
It's very easy once you get on website

PaperTyger · 20/09/2022 20:08

Yes you should be able to

PaperTyger · 20/09/2022 20:10

DIY don't price match, as in they will deliberately beat quote.

They are just cheaper and same Blum stuff magnet boasted of. Choice of free interior cupboard colours etx

Pipsickl · 20/09/2022 20:19

So I just had a new kitchen from wren with new utility room

Went with the flat pack option, not the cheapest, but the second cheapest luxury laminate tops, bought my own sinks and taps from cheaper suppliers (approx £500) and only needed one appliance (double oven) and cooker hood (approx £1000 for the set - bought separately) the kitchen itself was 5.5k - white shaker style - looks nice, the only stuff I paid more for was the nice bin hidden in the cupboard, and a specially built unit for a Belfast sink. Floor tiles and fitting cost about 1.5k and the kitchen fit with lights, electric, new plastered walls, plumbing etc was 5.4K

with paint and new shelves and new kettle and toaster etc we are getting towards 14K for what you might say is a basic (but large) kitchen.

the fit took a long time because the builders were slow and had to put the flat pack together.

I would not recommend wren under any circumstances though, their customer service is horrible. I only went there because we were on a budget and the flat pack was a good price.

I researched it really carefully before I designed the kitchen, so I could tell the sales person what I wanted without being swayed too much. When I found out what wren were charging for taps ext I sourced my own and had them taken off the quote.

ohyeahiwaittablestoo · 20/09/2022 20:22

I would second DIY Kitchens. Have used them twice now. I love sitting with squared paper drawing it all out but appreciate that's not for everyone. It's good in that you can choose all the cabinets etc and then play with which doors you want and it updates the price across the whole thing. My first one was a bog standard white one and I think it was maybe £3k for a two sides galley kitchen including oven but no other apps. Second one I went all out and got bespoke colour doors (much longer lead time, beware!) fancy pull out larder cupboard, and oven but no other apps. I think that was more in the region of £7-£8k for L shaped kitchen 4m x 3m.

Original poster
Vapeyvapevape · 20/09/2022 20:25

ohyeahiwaittablestoo · 20/09/2022 20:22

I would second DIY Kitchens. Have used them twice now. I love sitting with squared paper drawing it all out but appreciate that's not for everyone. It's good in that you can choose all the cabinets etc and then play with which doors you want and it updates the price across the whole thing. My first one was a bog standard white one and I think it was maybe £3k for a two sides galley kitchen including oven but no other apps. Second one I went all out and got bespoke colour doors (much longer lead time, beware!) fancy pull out larder cupboard, and oven but no other apps. I think that was more in the region of £7-£8k for L shaped kitchen 4m x 3m.

How do you know that you have measured correctly? I'd be scared to cock it up and find nothing fitted properly!

OP posts:
Horsemad · 20/09/2022 20:25

@Runnerduck34 could you PM me your Lincolnshire supplier please?

Original poster
Vapeyvapevape · 20/09/2022 20:27

Pipsickl · 20/09/2022 20:19

So I just had a new kitchen from wren with new utility room

Went with the flat pack option, not the cheapest, but the second cheapest luxury laminate tops, bought my own sinks and taps from cheaper suppliers (approx £500) and only needed one appliance (double oven) and cooker hood (approx £1000 for the set - bought separately) the kitchen itself was 5.5k - white shaker style - looks nice, the only stuff I paid more for was the nice bin hidden in the cupboard, and a specially built unit for a Belfast sink. Floor tiles and fitting cost about 1.5k and the kitchen fit with lights, electric, new plastered walls, plumbing etc was 5.4K

with paint and new shelves and new kettle and toaster etc we are getting towards 14K for what you might say is a basic (but large) kitchen.

the fit took a long time because the builders were slow and had to put the flat pack together.

I would not recommend wren under any circumstances though, their customer service is horrible. I only went there because we were on a budget and the flat pack was a good price.

I researched it really carefully before I designed the kitchen, so I could tell the sales person what I wanted without being swayed too much. When I found out what wren were charging for taps ext I sourced my own and had them taken off the quote.

Do you have to use Wren fitters ? I've heard such awful stories about them . I also need a door opening to be moved and plastering done ,ceiling lights fitted etc and don't know if they would do that as well .

OP posts:
Original poster
Vapeyvapevape · 20/09/2022 20:28

Horsemad · 20/09/2022 20:25

@Runnerduck34 could you PM me your Lincolnshire supplier please?

And me please 😊

OP posts:
Apple42 · 20/09/2022 20:35

Sounds good to me, our new kitchen from Wren no appliances, no tap , no fitting was just under £17000 they wanted £4k fitting so we did it ourselves and just had worktops fitted

Calmdown14 · 20/09/2022 20:50

Howdens have trade discount. How big that discount is depends on how much you buy from them.

PaperTyger · 20/09/2022 21:03

Op everyone worries about measuring..

They are used to it and their on line planner is excellent,down to recommending small panels to fit.
We measured ourselves, got quotes from magnet, wren, IKEA and b and q.