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Housekeeping

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Cooke and lewis or Howdens?

19 replies

getyourshoesonNOW · 01/04/2014 22:02

Just can't decide! We are torn between the Cooke and Lewis cream gloss and Howdens Glendevon cream gloss. Anyone got either and can say how well they have lasted? Thanks!

OP posts:
getyourshoesonNOW · 02/04/2014 18:04

Anyone?

OP posts:
JRmumma · 03/04/2014 10:19

No, but my friend used to work for Howdens and always used to say that the units are much thicker and sturdier than the diy store type and so would use Howdens kitchens every time.

This was a few years ago though and im also not sure how much sturdier than standard you would need them to be?

gilmoregirl · 03/04/2014 10:44

I have a howdens Glendevon white kitchen. The units are good quality. I am happy with them. I got the extra high wall cabinets as have a small kitchen.

I would not recommend their own brand appliances though. The dishwasher is very flimsy and doesn't actually fit standard sized ikea dinner plates......

Lottie4 · 03/04/2014 13:55

Can't comment on the finishes you're talking about, but we had a wood effect Howdens kitchen fitted in 2006 and it still looks very good. It's sturdy, nothing has broken or become loose.

Grockle · 03/04/2014 13:59

Howdens

pudseypie · 03/04/2014 17:25

Had my Howdens kitchen for 3 years as our builder recommended them. Pleased with the kitchen. Do not buy the appliances though! Only 3 years old and my oven has just broken, and won't heat up anymore. Googled it and a common problem with their Lamona range.

getyourshoesonNOW · 04/04/2014 11:46

Thanks everyone - I was hoping you'd say B&Q as it's cheaper...!

OP posts:
Dawndonnaagain · 09/04/2014 20:46

Sorry, another for Howdens, been in for two years and I'm really pleased with it.

spinnergeologist · 09/04/2014 20:51

Remember getting quotes from fitters, quite a few refused to fit cooke and lewis stuff as it was bad quality and had lots of problems.

Maisie0 · 10/04/2014 16:30

I also got the Howden white gloss ones. I have seen gloss doors in magazine before, but it really doesn't do it justice. I can now see that it really reflect the lights in, and I have a tiny kitchen. Am happy with it. :)

natenewt · 12/04/2014 17:15

We have a Cooke and Lewis kitchen, not gloss though, the carisbrooke taupe. I love it, really beautiful, really good quality. B&Q however have awful service, I wouldn't have trusted them to fit it for us as we couldn't trust them to send the right things, or even to send them at all!! We got an independent fitter in.

animallover85 · 30/04/2014 15:03

Howdens. Delighted with our kitchen and got it at trade price through our builder.

sleepyhead · 30/04/2014 15:09

I've got Howdens cream gloss which was fairly new when we bought our flat so about a year old.

My biggest gripe is the depth of the wall cabinets which are too shallow to store dinner plates. they'd only need to be a couple of cm deeper. Don't know if this was just the seller skimping though.

Otherwise it's OK. No better quality though imo than the IKEA units we had in our old place and I'm very Hmm about their "trade discount" which makes it difficult to calculate the price.

MrsPinkwhistle · 02/05/2014 09:47

...Howdens are supposed to be good units though a good friend had a pretty awful time with them on the delivery / install side with lots of v frustrating date changes etc. I've always wanted a Davonport, totally stunning, and worth the cost as handmade - sadly not sure they're in my reach but I can still salivate tho! www.davonport.com

Hitmonlee · 03/05/2014 13:41

Howdens. Can't tell you how long it lasts as only had it installed in January. I was planning and researching for almost a year ( wanted it to be perfect) and looked at both. There's not a lot in the price ( depending on how much discount gets passed on via your builder) but the finish is so much better. I looked at Cooke and Lewis in the showroom and the handle broke off in my hand!

scootersteve · 03/07/2015 20:52

cooke and lewis have not improved, as off 2nd july 2015
some friends brought one and then could not get anyone to fit , alll too busy for some reason.
I have taken it on as they have had enough bad luck, I did try get them to cancel it, and buy ikea , very good solid carcasses and doors , great diagrams, marked full drilled parts, great corner units and accessories. easy to assemble.
Kitchen was about £3000 ,B and Q gave a rough cost to fit it of £3000, for assemble and connection to existing electrics and water and drainage, and tiling, subject to a survey ££££
However rectification of the wiring or plumbing is usually needed, and also extra sockets or new work to make kitchen work.
So you could be tied into thousands pounds of electircal and plumbing work on top for most houses, unless recently well refurbished. Any tiling would also add to the cost of materials unless very minimal, You could easily end up paying £10,000 +.
B and Q gave no advice to think about the wiring or plumbing, to get quotes or check whether any of it is useable. They sold them an electric oven though they have no useable supply for it.
So far I have done £1200 of work,stripping out the old kitchen, capping moving , rewiring and replacing all the sockets and completely redoing all the pipe work in copper plus fitting the new vinyl floor whilst everytrhing is out . Plastering where needed. A week and halfs work with very long days
A complete ikea kitchen took me 2 days to build prior to fitting, I am in the second week of assembling the units prior fitting on the b and q units.
Cooke and lewis are total rubbish, the diagrams are tiny and meaningless and nothing fits to gether easily, Just starting to fit them to the walls I should have finished a week ago. You have to make it up as you go along to fit the built in appliances. Chopping chunks out and using blocks of wood or wooden self made platforms, very time consumng, ( read costly), The laminate is poor and chips, The worktops are only supplied with components to fit with costly routers and templates which means costly specialist cutting.
I have 30 years of skilled experience and would not touch b and q with a bargepole. So go for Howden or Ikea, Cooke and Lewis are not worth even considering DIY and are a liability for any tradesman.

Mum2KSS · 21/09/2015 15:10

Hi getyourshoesonNOW What did you go for in the end? I have my heart set on a glendevon cream gloss and if that is what you went for - how are you finding it and can I please take a look at some pics?

d5pg · 10/03/2016 06:28

Ours is a 3 1/2 year old cooke and lewis, took me a week to fit it on my own. If you have good diy skills its a doddle.

Now 3 years into a 10 year waranty and the doors, frames end panels etc ( not carcases)are looking awful, more than a dozen items are splitting and cracking, swelling on edges. Contacted b&q customer services only to be advised a month later im not covered because its "water ingress". No one cane out, i just sent some pics over.
The fact that most of the affected items are on wall, metres away from any water source (the tap) the most water they get is from a damp sponge.

After posting on social media and repeatedly emailing them they have now "reviewed" my case and have offered me as a "goodwill gesture" (as my style of kitchen is no longer made ) a part refund on all the coloured items (cream) , all the coloured items cost me £1800 , their offer is £940.

They have also offered to replace colored items with any style from their current range, which is fair enough as long as you like what they have ( i'm not blown away by) or have faith in their products, which im losing as this drags out.

They have also said Under Sale of goods act i am entitled to a part refund of max 6 years hence their £££ offer. Cost of coloured items divide it by 10 (10 year waranty)then times it by 6 , i know, their ££ figure doesn't add up.

I will most likely go legal as thier kitchen is not fit for purpose etc. and simply should not deteriorate 3 years into a 10 waranty.

b&Q first tried to fobbed me off then offer me a "goodwill gesture", the very word is insulting. I purchaced the second most expensive kitchen and this is how they treat their customers. I wish id asked the queston you asked before i opted for B&Q.

P1nkP0ppy · 10/03/2016 06:43

We've gone for an independent retailer and it's worked out cheaper than B&Q etc. might be worth considering?

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