To just go to homebase and buy a kitchen?

[BasinHaircut]

Been going back and forth between sprucing up our existing kitchen with new work tops, tiles, paint the cupboard doors, new flooring, and we need a new oven and the integrated fridge freezer is on its last legs I think. But when I think about the expense of that, and with a view to having a new kitchen in the future (maybe 5 years), it seems like we might as well just do it now and reside ourselves to paying it off over X years as it will work out cheaper in the long run.

Anyway, when DH and I were buying this house, we fell in love with an odina kitchen in homebase. It's a relatively expensive one but it's lovely. At the moment it's 60% off plus and extra 15%. I know they all do deals all the time, but AIBU to think fuck it and just go and sort one out?

Reckon we are talking about £10-12k all in with fitting (using homebase??).

We are supposed to be having a break from DIY/decorating as we've been at it for a year now, but I just want this house DONE. It's the last major thing.

What I'm really asking is are homebase any good? Anyone got an Odina kitchen? Used homebase fitters? I want an 'all in' type job. Don't want to source everything myself as I cannot be arsed. But is there anything in particular I might want to avoid? I don't mind sourcing the odd appliance, will probably get and American fridge freezer from elsewhere etc.

Thanks all. I think I might try independent local ones too.

Can anyone tell me about DIY kitchens? Do you have to design it all yourselves? I need to find a balance I think between just being able to point and say 'I want that' and someone else sorting the details, and doing some leg work to keep costs down.

I know that just essentially handing over cash and responsibility to someone else means I'd pay over the odds, but I can't put a price on my sanity! I don't have it in me to put hours and hours into each detail, but I don't have an endless pot of cash either!

I've recently had a B & Q kitchen fitted. The planner was most helpful, the supplies arrived on time and the kitchen fitters came when they said they would and were pleasant to have around.
We tried several other places including a local independent who didn't even bother to produce a quote. The man at Wickes wouldn't look me in the eye or speak to me, addressing all his remarks to my husband so there was o chance of us using them.

We had a Homebase kitchen fitted several years ago and are still pleased with it. We used a private fitter who was used to fitting Homebase kitchen and he and his team did a good job and it was much cheaper than using the Homebase fitters.

I designed my own for DIY kitchens although you may find a decent kitchen fitter will help. There's an app called Alno kitchen planner which I used, it lets you put in units of every size and see a full 360 view, 3d etc.

What you could do is go to a few showrooms with your measurements and get them to do designs for you and then see what ideas you like so you know what you're roughly looking for.

Yes for DIY kitchens you need to work out your own design, but they have a much better range of unit sizes available than the major stores which helps. We got Wickes to design the kitchen and then tweaked the design to get what we wanted and have ordered from DIY kitchens. Our modified design is better than the Wickes one which was constrained by limited unit sizes - eg where Wickes put a 400mm cupboard and 900mm drawer set in a 1300mm stretch, we have got 500mm and 800mm drawer sets from DIY which is much better in our opinion, but Wickes can't do those size combos so force you to have a pokey 400mm cupboard when I didn't want one I wanted drawers...

I started by making some lists of:

Stuff I need worktop space for (kettle, toaster, breadmaker, coffee maker, mini chopper, compost bowl, microwave etc)

Random stuff I need to allow storage for (catfood/bowls, bin, recycling x 2, cookbooks, post/paperwork corner, pens etc)

Extra stuff I want (magnetic whiteboard, magnetic knife rack, shoe storage etc)

Key points about use of kitchen: (crockery storage next to dishwasher, cups etc above kettle, kettle near sink, pans by cooker, chopping boards/cutlery near main prep space).
This helped as for eg I know I need a 500 or 600 unit to fit all crockery so that needs to go next to dishwasher. WIde pan drawers next to range cooker etc. I chose a cooker with a big wide drawer at the bottom to keep baking trays in.

If you have the ceiling height get the extra tall wall units.

It's not actually that hard to plan it, esp if you get Homebase/Wickes or whoever to do a plan for you and you can use their ideas as your starting point and customise as suits you best.

Lots of drawers is a top tip, especially if you go with DIY as they do really good deep drawers. We've only got 1 set in ours unfortunately but I designed my MILs new kitchen and she has a 4 bit sets (I think 800s) which hold all her pans, plates, the lot and have two internal cutlery and utensil drawers. They hold so much, even my 600 wide set has all my cutlery, pans and dinner set.

Just remember Homebase/Wickes sales are all fake - 60% and 10% off will still work out the same or more than the regular price elsewhere. Doesn't mean you shouldn't buy - just make sure you're happy with the price you're paying.

That's a ridiculous price for a Homebase kitchen - you'd be much better off getting a local builder to fit one from Howdens or Jackson. Or even a local kitchen company.

If Homebase are anything like B&Q I'd avoid them. We had a B&Q Cooke & Lewis kitchen fitted around 5 years ago and its not lasted the test of time. Its only dh, ds(12), and me and it doesn't get abused. The doors scratch/dent too easily, hinges are weak and none of the doors look straight anymore, worktop is crap, appliance doors broken, handles are wobbly even when retightened.

Luckily we only paid £5k for it as DH has a trade card and got a good discount, but as soon as we have spare cash it will get replaced.

This is great thanks! I actually popped in to a local family run kitchen shop earlier and had a good chat with them. they do everything, design, fitting etc from electrics to plumbing to plastering. Only thing they don't do is paint. Going to get them round as a starter for ten.