Ikea Kitchens - please tell me we are doing the right thing (or not!).

[DueinSeptember]

Had a kitchen fitter round recently and we told him we wanted an Ikea kitchen. He really slated them, saying they were bad quality and they would only last about 5 years and it would look rubbish/ fall apart.

I know they can be a pain to fit and he did have his own range to sell, so perhaps that is why.

Now on mumsnet, I've mainly read good things about them and the occasional bad comment.

I really like the look of the one we've chosen (Lidingo) and I like all the internal fixtures and extras you can buy.

They are fine, aren't they?!

We're getting the free-standing range, I've not heard much bad about ikea kitchens at all, and a lot of good.

Well I've only had mine 2 1/2 years but it's absolutely great and shows no signs whatsoever of falling apart. I don't really think that Ikea would offer a 25 year guarantee if they fell apart after 5 years!!

I'm just starting to look at kitchens myself, so can't help much, but all I will say is that my current kitchen is an Ikea one, put in by the previous owners, about 8 years ago.

It is falling apart, nothing lines up, cupboards are at strange angles, and it just feels cheap. Some of this may be to do with the fitting, and things may have improved in the last 8 years, but I will not be looking for a kitchen in Ikea having lived with this one.

Have had mine 11 years, still in perfect shape.

Carcusses and doors really good. Of course he was trying to sell you his own :) Don't buy their worktops though.

I've had my Ikea kitchen for just over 5 years and it's stil like new, and it gets a LOT of use .

Manners - what is wrong with Ikea worktops?

We have Ikea carcases with bespoke doors from another company. It's 6 years old and no problems so far.

we have a lidingo kitchen, and it is GORGEOUS, had it fitted last year, and no problems with it whatsoever. We did get a worktop elsewhere, as we wanted an oak worktop, and our cowboy builder was able to find one cheaper than IKEA were planning to charge us.

In one flat I used to live in, there was a Varde kitchen (the freestanding one) and it was the best kitchen I have ever had in a rental property.

we have all the ikea appliances too (well, oven, hob, fan) and they are wonderful to cook with.

No complaints at all here!!

We've had our Ikea kitchen 3.5 years and love it. I still get lots of compliments on it from people visiting for the first time and they are often surprised it's from Ikea. We got the solid wood worktop, which we couldn't have afforded elsewhere. The only thing I would say is that the hob does look a little tired (we got our appliances there, too).

We've had our Ikea kitchen 6 years now and it is still great, shows no signs of wear and tear. I love the larder units and the pan drawers. We did have a problem with the old design corner carousel thing but it has been replaced with the new design one - which is much better.

I love our Ikea kitchen, what I would suggest is that you use different handles/worktops/appliances so that it doesn't have the showroom look.

Someone on a thread linked back to an American interior designer who rates Ikea kitchens as being the very best quality around unless you are planning on a fully bespoke kitchen.

We mixed Adel white, Lidingo white and made a bespoke door for underneath the Villeroy and Boch Belfast sink (thanks ebay) from 5 drawer fronts, put the lights inside the glass door fronted cabinets and it looks lush.

Ikea carcasses are the same thickness etc as say howdens. The doors - some are cheap and nasty but the pricier ones are pretty good.

Worktops - the wood apparently isn't great but when I looked, it seemed fine.

We're planning ikea but different accessories (taps, sink, appliances, handles) and a different worktop.

I think some builders find them a pain to fit due to the lack of service space at the back. Someone on MN suggested moving the cabinets forward a few cm and having a deeper worktop to compensate.

We've had an ikea kitchen for 5 years, no problem at all! Actually had a problem with our sink drainage leaking soon after it was fitted (fitting fault, not kitchen) and ikea replaced the leaky bit and the cupboard door which was a bit affected on the inside, absolutely no problem. I am very impressed and get lots of comments about how nice it is.

I still love our Ikea kitchen 5 years later.

The only thing I really do not love, are the appliances from them. The glass in our oven door shattered into one million pieces rather dramatically and for no pacticular reason one morning. Ikea ignored all our complaints (it was out of warranty by one month) and we eventually had to replace the whole oven with a Bosch one, on our buildings insurance.

There appliances are all Whirlpool (I think) and they are not good.

We have complete Ikea in our kitchen - been in 7 years and very few problems. I think that because it all comes flat in bits, success is in the fitting. Perhaps what you save in cabinets you could spend on getting a really good fitter. I had a fitter in the family so he helped me put it in. It did take ages, but it all lines up. If I had done it myself I wouldn't be half as happy with it as it would not have all lined up exactly. I bought built in fridge and freezer which although fine, took an age to install properly so the doors lined up. The only problem I've had is with the extractor, which has never worked and is purely for decorative purposes!

Here is the designer who rates them, some good advice in this
carolreeddesign.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/why-i-love-ikea-kitchens

Choose a different kitchen fitter!

My builder refused to fit them, another 2 fitters I asked said they'd fit them if I assembled them. Other people have gone for a kitchen they've found disappointing on the basis of a builder refusing to use Ikea.

My Ikea kitchen on the other hand is lovely. Tough, hard-working, no sign of wear (though it's only coming up to 2 yrs old) and has much more useful storage space than the equivalent from Howdens, B&Q etc due to the deeper cupboards.

BUT - don't get the sink/taps from Ikea - totally worth investing in something better quality. We also got appliances and worktops elsewhere too.

We put in an ikea kitchen 6 years aga and nothing has so much as had a wobble. Even the taps are fine. I have had to have nothing fixed and it is solid.
We are about to move and are planning a second Ikea kitchen in our next house.

Appliences now have 5 years gaurentee

Fitters find them a nightmare as the plumbing fittings are euro not british standard and you have to cut grooves for pipe work or move your pipe work lower. It's not a big job, it's just a job they can't be arsed doing!

We fitted our's ourselves, it wasn't too difficult just a bit slower than a fitter but we know we did a good job and it's all standing up to the test of time very well.

our Ikea kitchen is only a couple of days old and I love it we had an issue with delivery that I ranted about commented on at the time but it all worked out in the end.

I don't think our fitter was keen to start with but he did a great job. There were no issues with fitting. He wasn't keen on the back boards but the cabinets were very sturdy once in place and the end panels weren't to his liking to thin and wrong material (or something more technical )

worktops, sink, tap and appliances came from elsewhere as we managed to get lots of discounts in other stores at the time. We would have needed to order bespoke worktops from Ikea which would have taken 6wks to deliver from Germany.

Reckon it was because he had his own to sell. Every builder I've ever discussed kitchen options with as said Ikea are good.

Great thanks everyone - feel a lot better now about our choice!

Read this with interest as going for my planning appointment with IKEA tomorrow.

My BIL is an independent kitchen fitter. I am not in the market for a kitchen currently. Hence I think his opinion is pretty unbiased.

He says that Ikea are good middle of the road option - way better than Wikkes, B & Q etc - but he reckons not quite as good as Howdens and obviously not as amazing as the bespoke, designer ones. He is talking purely about the sturdiness of the units and fittings and ease of fitting.

His main gripe seems to be that the measurements/dimensions aren't laser precise - so a job is more fiddly.

I think, given the price and the storage options and accessories - I would probably (force) him to fit me an ikea kitchen if we needed one - find Howdens a bit bland (he likes as easy to fit - apparently) - but, like everyone said, get the worktops and appliances elsewhere.

Seems to me kitchen fitter fiddliness level is their problem - not ours

He says they have got better in recent years.

Thanks - Maxmillie - that's good to hear.

Well weve asked him for a quote to fit. Will have to see what he says now.