Can anyone really beat IKEA on price for their kitchens?

[said]

I find most kitchens boring and I'm trying to avoid the tedium of sitting with kitchen planners. I only really like the look of the IKEA ones (of those within our budget) so is there any point in looking at others if they're going to be more expensive anyway?

[Gay40]

What you save on price, you more than pay for in domestic arguments.

[said]

Hmm. I was planning on worktop and appliances from elsewhere so they shouldn't be too much of a problem...

Looked at Magnet and nothing grabbed me tbh. But, I do admit all kitchens are blurring into on now.

[Lotkinsgonecurly]

We had the same dilemma a few months ago and are now just as of last week in our new kitchen.

Everyone recommended Ikea, but I just didn't like any of them. So I chose the one I vaguely did and then tried to price match.

We tried, Howdens, Homebase, Magnet ( utter shite service) and B&Q. We ended up with a Howdens kitchen they were £1k more than ikea but they managed to price match with IKEA in the end and I absoloutley love the kitchen and choice. The builder and carpenter loved Howdens. Excellent service from them too.

[said]

Can I ask which Howdens one you chose? You see, I do like the look of IKEA more than other places. I think. Oh god, it's all marketing...

[teta]

I love my Ikea units[especially the pull-out larders]-but have them in the utility/pantry.The worktop arrives oiled,but this oil wipes off with the first soapy cloth.Since being treated with Liberon worktop treatment they are more resistant.I have Stat white which i love with china handles.I think the designs are far more appealing than Howdens [which are the old MFI].The Howdens brochure look really old fashioned to me.The build quality looks pretty good to me, although some doors did arrive dinged.The utility is an extension so all the pipework was new and just above ground level so no my holes needed to be made in the cupboard backs.Where i hate Ikea is there is no accountability.I bought the double Butlers sink -Domsjo.They didn't give me the waste and strainer package.We didn't realise until the plumber was here and ready to fit waste and connect up the dishwasher[i had been hand-washing for weeks during kitchen refurbishment with 4 dc's and lots of visitors].Phoned up ikea and was told and its my responsibility to check![the answer from me was not pretty].Then there was frantic search for parts which i eventually found at Screwfix only to find once plumbed in there was an electrical fault and everything fused.

[midnightexpress]

I agree re the worktops. The wooden ones all have a slightly bevelled edge which causes problems if it needs to go round a corner, as the join has a groove - perfect for gathering crumbs! They need gallons of oil too, as the wood is so dry. We had a Howdens kitchen put into our last flat and the worktops were much better quality, IMO.

I'm sure I've seen a company being discussed on here - wish I could remember the name - is it Kitchens Direct?

[tyler80]

We have stat white in our current rental. Trying to choose between that and one of the other white ones for our new house.

I quite like the look of some of the Howdens ones but where are the prices? I like to sit and ponder and compare in my own time on the internet at home.

[said]

Yes, that's my problem with Howden's - they look dull (and I am by no means a "German kitchens only for me" type of person) and yes, yes, yes, I want to work out the prices myself. I want to do the comparisons in my own time.

Have looked at Barncrest for worktops - awaiting my samples - as have read on here often enough that IKEA's wooden ones aren't so good.

[teta]

Said, Worktop Express are also very good.I ordered Iroko from them and its lovely .I think its cheaper than Barncrest [which is also very good] depending on what wood you order and the current offers.

[CoffeeIsMyFriend]

well for what it's worth I have Oak worktops in my kitchen and never again. They are a pain in the arse.
Need oiling almost constantly, around the sink looks yuk as the hard water splashes seem to pool and stain, it cost a fortune and I so wish I had gone for granite, but this house just didnt warrent granite worktops. Yes the wood is lovely, looks nice, but I wouldnt choose it again.

[said]

I know, I am worried that we are too lazy to have oak and we'll ruin it. But I love it.

Will look up Worktop Express - tahnks

[teta]

Use Liberon Worktop Treatment not Danish oil.Its really good and makes the worktop water and stain-resistant and heat resistant.Danish oil is rubbish in comparison [maybe it works in time with lots of layers but who has time for that with large familys?].

[Gay40]

I'm actually praying for the day when I get my new kitchen, and I'm going to chop up the wooden worktops by hand with an axe, throw it on the bonfire and dance around it cackling in joy.

[bacon]

I have a Magnet kitchen and its utter crap. Nearly all the doors have some out of the scews on the doors as the partical board just doesnt adhere to the metal screws - so use some kind of wood glue to add strength, The edgings are poor - it looks cheap. The finish isnt fine enough for me, its a developers kitchen ie great for a sale but not longevity. Now 5 years old I cant see it lasting another 2 years!!!

Things are cheap for a reason. Most builders love Howdens which is down to the incredable discount they get - I would question if the client ever gets a quote with the massive discount. Its a good kichen for the price they pay. Looks good at first but again does it look worn after a few years?

For the utility room in my farmhouse which is being renovated I am going to buy second hand off e-bay - cant believe people change kitchens after a couple of years! You can pick up John Lewis etc for pittance.

I wouldnt source a worktop from IKea, I would use a good local supplier - there are tons in the yellow pages. Discuss the advantages of each one - corian seems good.

[Jojay]

I think that a lot of these kitchens are only as good as the person installing it.

We have an Ikea kitchen that Dh installed 7 years ago - the cream shaker style one, can't remember what it's called - Adel??. Anyway, DH not a pro but he is an absolute perfectionist and spent ages making sure the doors were lined up perfectly, drawers where spot on, hinges were perfectly balanced etc etc, and it has lasted brilliantly and still looks almost brand new.

I've seen friend's kitchens that weren't installed so well and doors look wonky etc, and it looks awful. All it probably needs is someone who knows what they're doing with a spirit level and a screwdriver to tidy it up no end, yet people write it off as 'badly made' or 'poor quality'.

IMHO, all these kitchens are much of a muchness when it comes to build quality, but the difference between an average kitchen and a really good one, is in the fitting.

And to give another perspective on Ikea oak worktops, we love ours. It looks great and we are very slack about oiling it. I think we last did it before Ds2 was born - he's now 2.8

[Lotkinsgonecurly]

We went for Burford cream and are quite concious about the oak worktops. They've been oiled 3 times so far more around the sink but will need doing again.

The fitting in ours is amazing, looks great and tbh I think that's what has made it look so lovely.

I went for silver nobs, love them. Looks quite minimalist in a country cottage type way.

[CoffeeIsMyFriend]

thanks teta I will go google and get some of that stuff. We have been using Danish Oil and it does last a few months now it has built up a gazillion layers, but the water marks drive me insane. Suppose I could give it a light sand and re oil

[PinkOlives]

i have the same question as the OP! in conclusion does everyone think ikea the cheapest, we have a small kitchen and i was under the impression i could get a good deal from Wickes or the like but ive been a bit surprised on how much we will have to spend.

im reluctant to get an ikea kitchen as we have one installed by the previous owners and its falling to pieces and peeling! including a horrible looking wooden work top especially around the sink, although we didnt look after it

is howdens the next bet?
im looking for a white kitchen with no handles pref matt although high-gloss seems to be more available.
tia

[Weta]

My friend is an interior designer and says Ikea is good for the cupboards and drawers - basically the same as you will get elsewhere, slightly lesser in quality but not enough to warrant the price difference.

She advised us to get Ikea cupboards and then get a good quality worktop, appliances and sink/taps elsewhere. Unfortunately there are no Ikea cupboards we like (or, at least, the ones we like don't come in the right colour for our tiles) so we are having to rethink.

[PinkOlives]

whats the next alternative Weta, you found? im happy to buy appliances, sink and worktop seperately but i am worried about Ikea quality being inferior in quality by quite a bit. just because the one we have is realy bad and its only been fives years since they installed it, im particulary bothered by the peeling of the cupboards, some have bubbles in the middle.

[Weta]

We live in Luxembourg so the chains are different here (well actually we shop in France and Germany but still different to the UK) so I can't be much help I'm afraid!

[gregssausageroll]

My husband's best friend is a joiner and he says you couldn't pay him enough to fit another Ikea kitchen. He's done a couple but they are horrendous and really poor quality.

He says if you want one fitted quickly and have a fitter then Howdens are your best bet as they generally always have everything in stock.

He likes working with Magnet units but the worktops are not great as they don't generally fit the unit properly so you have enough of an over hang.

[Gentleness]

We paid an independent fitter to assemble and fit our Ikea kitchen. He was a perfectionist (and I was very fussy), glued all the dowelling bits, took time to get most things right and apart from the things that slipped because we didn't think of them in time (like allowing a gap for lighting wires under the wall cupboards), it is great. No wobbliness, no dodgy handles, no wonky doors or drawers.

The options available were fine for us, and MUCH cheaper not only to buy the basics, but also to customise the inside of your cupboards than with Magnet, Howdens, B&Q or Wickes.

We got worktop, appliances and sink/tap from elsewhere.

My mum was involved in a Howdens kitchen buy & install recently and had a terrible experience with getting wrong bits delivered, unhelpful customer service, some poor quality fittings etc etc. I didn't have any similar problems with Ikea. In fact they were more than helpful with some returns, swaps and helping us with a cupboard part we managed to wreck (our fault), and posting out extra fittings when I needed.

[PinkOlives]

ooh thanks Gregs , i went to Ikea today and hated it! i was trying to convince myself on price but the quality was no different to one the previous owner installed in our house.
I have a very good fitter, so i will try HOwdens tomorrow and see if we like anything and check price etc.
Has anyone tried Wickes, the one we liked was very expensive but i heard the do come down on price, only thing is im not sure of quality?

Thanks anyway Weta!

[PinkOlives]

oh thats interesting Gentleness seems people have different experiences with the same store . I think i just couldnt deal with ikea because the one we have looks so bad but i take your point on the fitter being good