Kitchen advice please.

[nunnie]

We are just getting to the point in our new extension where we need to decide which company we go with for our kitchen.

So far have had a local firm do us a plan and a quote and knowing our budget crept over it by a whopping 3k.

Paid Ikea £100 for their so called design service expecting something good considering most companies do not charge for this. Anyway plan arrives in my email 7 days later in a 2d format with one view, showing an extractor hood too close to window preventing the window from being opened, no side image of all the appliances no tap on sink and interior doors in the incorrect location. Price was ok but for the above reason we will not be using them and are in the process of trying to get the £100 back.

Howdens have been they so far have been the most impressive by way of gauging what we want out of a kitchen, were here for 2 hours haven't had plan or quote yet.

Has anyone any experience with Howdens or can recommed an alternative company please.

Don't have a John Lewis budget sadly.

Hi Nunnie

My Dh designs and supplies pre-built kitchens, better quality than your sheds and howdens etc and has already worked with a few people off here.
If you have room measurements etc and some contact details im very sure he would look at it for you.
On the Howdens front you will need to upgrade all hinges and drawers or you get what they supply into council homes. the also only offer 2 carcass colours, not a great selection.
My Dh offers over 50 and uses all the high end hinges, drawers and doors.
Although his kitchens are the higher end of the market the price isnt.
Where are you based?

Let me know if you would like to to have a look for you

Thanks

Anna

Howdens sell to trade as well. Is the kitchen part of the extension contract with your builder? They might get a better price.

Lots of joiners will build kitchen units and are usually cheaper and better quality than your average kitchen fitting company.

Sorry posted too soon.

Your builder may have a list of joiners who can build the units for the builder to fit/plumb.

We are going through the builder and it will be fitted by the same joiners that did the roof (very good). Just waiting for plan and quote from Howdens.

Sorry how rude of me, I should have said thank you.

Not ignoring you annalouise, are you able to find the people on here that had work done by your DH, I would really like recommendations from people who have had work by companies etc. I am sure your DH is very good, but I can't just take your word for that as I am sure you can understand.

Look local - we run a small fitted furniture business and we can often compete on price for a full bespoke kitchen with what you would pay from a shed. We make all our units from scratch (from veneered mdf rather than chipboard and can custom spray colours and finishes)

It may be beyond your budget but then again it may not.

You will find many fitters that will design and fit kitchens using ready made components that will be fine in a relatively easy space but do ask for quotes from LOTS of people.

Take the plans you already have and expect to revise them at least 2 or 3 times.

Good luck

Magnet are quite good...

I have tried a local one, and she did a beautiful plan, but exceeded our budget by 3k and sadly we can't afford to exceed the budget at all. This was with the cheapest option in everything including handles so no scope to save.
Looking around there are a couple more smaller firms, but it is very hard to find reviews on small local firms and most people I have asked locally have used howdens so far, with the exception of one who used tesco, but apparently they don't offer a viewing service anymore, so everything is now sold via the internet which puts me off.

Have you asked the beautiful plan lady how she would suggest you meet your budget?

I've often found when I'm quoting I try and put everything the customer has asked for in but when I see quotes from big companies it is pretty much just the cabinetry and nowt else.

If you find a local firm give them a call and if you gel with the person then ask them for recommendations. I have loads of customers who are happy to speak to prospective clients for me, many are happy for us to pop in to look at features that we may have included on previous jobs.

Will speak to her again, but this was the revised quote when we went for lower cost everything. They only deal with semens on appliances so we were restricted on that choice, other than going elsewhere as we are now on a tight timescale we were hoping to get everything fromt he same place if that makes sense.

Have a look at Magnet trade. You have to go through a joiner or kitchen fitter.

What area are you in? I know someone great in my area, and fab fitters too, but they are up narf...

Um howdens kitchens certainly aren't council house stylee, soft closing doors etc come as standard. Yes the elcheapo ones are chipboard but mdf ones aren't much more and they come in a range of styles.

Best thing to do is get a wide range of qoutes and get your builder to negotiate with supplier if he has a trade card he can save you a lot of money.

There is a guy in Fermanagh, Roy Armstrong that does great solid oak kitchens for buttons. We got a quote for all our furniture in house plus big kitchen and utility kitchen for 5000£. Our appliances didn't cost much after that.

Meant to say we got a quote from Howdens and it was ridiculous price, got the fermanagh guy to copy the style of kitchen we wanted.

Apocalypse Howdens actually have the largest Housing association and council contracts in the country.
My MIL has one in her council house and my Dh's ex partner use to design and survey there council side of things along with Symphony Kitchens.
They use the same carcass through out all there business and hinges/drawers, so should really upgrade them. if you look on there site link below it shows that soft close are none standard and upgrade option. it wont cost much extra do this

www.howdens.com/product-range/kitchen-collection/cabinet-features/

The door fronts they offer are a little different to the trade

Our budget is our budget sadly we have no scope to double it, the kitchen extension is only a quarter of the extension work we are having done and any savings on the kitchen will go towards that.

I am in Lancashire. Fitters are soreted I am perfectly happy with the joiners we had for the roof.

Builder now has trade card with Howdens (didn't have prior to my job) I am guessing without asking that he has a trade card with other places, due to the supplies he has been getting.

I have rung Howdens to double check and soft closing hinges are standard for homes and the non solid wood doors are MDF not chipboard.

Still having problems with Ikea so don't fancy using them even though they do come just below John Lewis with which?

All I can do is wait and see what plan they come back with and what quote and if it is a little high I will get the builder to have a word ;)

I also asked about the drawers and he always does a plan with the upgrades when in peoples homes, there is an option to drop down to standard if we wish to, but he always adds the upgrades. Whether this is a personal to my local Howdens I can't comment but the upgrades will be in my quote so that is one good thing. Thank you for the heads up.

ilovemarsbars (me too) think that is a little far for me but thank you.

Just been looking at magnet, looks good thank you for the recommendation.

The one i was going to recommend is www.accentkitchensuk.com/

They don't look that amazing on the website, so I will upload a pic of mine to my profile, they are very good quality, and the design service from the Leeds branch was great.

I can't do that from my iPad, so looksee over ere!

www.flickr.com/photos/kitcatcandy/sets/72157624886332629/

Some of the skill comes from the fitters though, with the little bits like encapsulation of the units and working with uneven floors etc.