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Original poster

Magnet kitchens... yay or nay?

31 replies

thisisyesterday · 27/04/2012 14:31

finally getting my kitchen done.
friends husband is hopefully going to fit it for me and has trade account with magnet

do i go with them? or find my own and get him to fit it?

my budget is £3k for EVERYTHING so not sure if i'm even going to be able to afford a magnet kitchen anyway even at trade prices...

what do you think?

OP posts:
hermionestranger · 27/04/2012 14:32

No. Tossers. Go to Ikea instead.

They laughed us out of the place when we said we had a budget of £5k 6 years ago.

Original poster
thisisyesterday · 27/04/2012 14:55

but have read bad stuff about ikea on here and them not fitting wonky walls because they don't have a gap at the back of the units??

or something.

OP posts:
annalouiseh · 27/04/2012 14:58

Magnet & Magnet trade are far better quality than what you will get from Ikea.
The chances of getting all in for 3k are slim if your after appliances also.
But this would all depend on the size of the room and what kitchen your looking at.

Original poster
thisisyesterday · 27/04/2012 15:43

oh i don't need appliances.
cheapo lino floor is fine, cheap tiles are fine and their most basic kitchen is what i'm after Grin

OP posts:
banjaxedfilly · 27/04/2012 15:51

Ikea, honestly, as long as it's fitted professionally and not bunged in the quality is great.

Beanbagz · 27/04/2012 15:51

No, does he have a Howdens account? In which case they're much better in my opinion.

I think £3k is a bit unrealistic for an entire kitchen. Do you have appliances already?

DaisySteiner · 27/04/2012 15:55

We had an Ikea kitchen for 3K a couple of years ago with some custom made worktops. This included hob and oven, fridge and dishwasher were bought separately. Fitting was about 300 by a local joiner. Have been very pleased with it. They do 24 months interest free credit if you spend over 1500 iirc, so if you needed to increase your budget a bit this might help.

Original poster
thisisyesterday · 27/04/2012 16:15

yes, i already have appliances.
i don't want a lovely kitchen as we aren't going to be staying in this house, but the one I have at the moment is literally falling apart and needs to be replaced

so i just want the cheapest i can get away with really

OP posts:
Pannacotta · 27/04/2012 16:39

For that price I would go to IKEA or Benchmarx.
My mother has a Magnet trade kitchen and though it is only two years old, two doors have come off their hinges, not very impressive really....

Original poster
thisisyesterday · 27/04/2012 17:02

yeah my friend has one from benchmarx and is really happy with it

he's coming over next week to take a look at the space, so will see what he reckons he can do us for the price

i'm thinking that actually my dad and dp can rip the old one out and do the flooring and tiling. so all he will need to do is fit the actual kitchen

OP posts:
Bearcat · 27/04/2012 21:31

We fitted a magnet shaker style kitchen 15 years ago.
We have changed the work tops, sink and door handles in the last year, but I have to say that the carcasses and the doors (except for the odd tiny, tiny mark are in virtually perfect condition.
Cost us about £4500 including fridge and dishwasher.

Ixia · 27/04/2012 21:36

I fitted an Ikea kitchen in our last house and had a Magnet fitted in our current house. There is no difference in quality, both use Blum hardware. The Magnet was ££££ more, but Ikea wasn't an option in this house, as we live on an island and the shipping would have been too much hassle. We were pleased with both.

A pp mentioned the gap (or lack of it) at the back of the Ikea cabs, this does mean that pipes/cables need to be recessed or run under the units, can also be a pain if you have lumpy walls.

VivaLeBeaver · 27/04/2012 21:38

I'd second howdens.

myron · 27/04/2012 22:21

Watching with interest : - I'm abandoning cheapo IKEA due to the fact that I live just too far away from the nearest branch and the thought of the hassle factor of multiple buying trips/increased stress has turned me towards buying the units from Howdens via my builder instead. Buying worktop and appliances elsewhere though. Watch this space - may still change my mind since I'm looking at the B&Q Cooke & Lewis range tomorrow.

PestoPenguin · 27/04/2012 22:23

They also laughed at us (literally) 8 years ago when we said budget of £5K.

fossil97 · 27/04/2012 22:42

Magnet trade is a different and cheaper range to the posh Magnet showrooms, more akin to Howdens I think. It's part of their joinery business that sells to tradesmen.

annalouiseh · 27/04/2012 22:46

If you go for Howdens defo upgrade all hinges and drawer boxes.
My dh's mum has there kitchen from that the council fitted and they use the same stuff for trade as council. The diff from council and trade is the doors as he use to sell the council contracts back along.
All doors have dropped and drawers grind and not shut well and not even 12mnths old.
Cook n Lewis have nicer hinges and drawers, but still a bnq kitchen as they own cook n lewis (just re-branding)
look independent as a comparison as will get a better product for the same pound and a better service

annalouiseh · 28/04/2012 00:09

fossil - afraid its the same thing, but lower quality furniture and fewer door selection, Although can upgrade this.
As they stock there product there not able to be so flexible to offer two quality levels, same as Howden's. Magnet trade was set up to compete with Howden's offering the same thing as there main showrooms but at a lesser cost and its justified by putting 'trade' after there title so end users think they cant go there and source.... or no one would use there posh show rooms.

MarySA · 28/04/2012 00:25

Magnet trade is a good option. You arange your own fitter and they get the discount. Also I second Howdens. We looked and it was very good quality stuff but we went with Magnets.

fresh · 28/04/2012 08:04

I installed a Magnet kitchen in a cottage in 1987. It's been through two more owners since then and was still going strong last year when they took it out because they were building an extension for a bigger kitchen.

echt · 28/04/2012 10:46

I can't get past the massive strike by Magnet workers a million years ago. But then I couldn't shop in Foyle's bookshop in London for ripping off their workers.

fossil97 · 28/04/2012 18:05

annalouiseh "same thing but lower quality and less selection"? Exactly, yes, but you can get a cheaper kitchen that way through the trade counters same as howdens than the main showrooms that people are talking about.

I should think for a basic kitchen either Magnet or Howdens entry level ranges would suit the OP's budget. It would still be a better kitchen than B&Q.

fossil97 · 28/04/2012 18:07

(Well I assume it's cheaper)

hotheels · 28/04/2012 18:11

My dh has been a carpenter nearly 15 years, in his opinion magnets are the way to go and wouldn't piss on Ikea kitchens.

difficultpickle · 28/04/2012 18:15

I would look at an independent. I got a Magnet quote 8 years ago. It was £12,000 and it was a rubbish design and gave me very little practical space and cupboards. I got a far better design and handmade solid oak kitchen for £16,000 including granite worktops and handmade steel handles. The handmade kitchen had twice the number of cupboards and work surface as the Magnet quote and granite (magnet was wooden worksurface).

Having said that if I hadn't gone to Magnet's I wouldn't have looked at a handmade option as I thought I couldn't afford it. Howdens seem very well made and popular these days.