Magnet kitchens - good or bad?

[reastie]

We've spent months now planning our new kitchen I've probably bored you all here about it too much . We thought we had it all sorted with a hacker kitchen (German made, supposedly very good quality) but it's slightly beyond our budget. We are going to magnet next week end to get a more high street comparison in the hope they are cheaper and in our budget (albeit maybe a bit less quality wise).

I hear very mixed things about them though. We would just be buying the units from them and get our own builder to install. Does anyone have any experience of the quality of units/useful points to know before we visit?

‎Someone on fb.
Magnet Kitchens
27 March

They say having a kitchen fitted & being without one for a period can be quite stressful. What was planned as a 7 day project is now in its 6th week. Magnet left us, a family of 4, with no hob for 4 weeks! So yes I'm feeling a tad stressed. We were promised a call from customer services twice but have heard nothing. I even emailed the CEO. He couldn't be bothered to reply. The local branch have been great but let down by a less than professional company. Now getting to the point of ripping out a half finished kitchen & demanding a refund. Pretty appalled by the whole Magnet experience"

Another review One that Magnet havent removed from their fb page.

" In a nice restaurant seen as though Magnet’s subcontracted fitters have destroyed our kitchen and do not return calls or messages. We’re eight weeks into what should have been a two week kitchen fit and it’s an absolute disaster. It’s been three weeks since any of the subcontracted fitters last turned up, despite times being arranged for them to be here. They just don’t show up and we cannot get hold of anyone to discuss it. We’ve been left with no option but to terminate the contract with them which means that we now have to organise and pay for someone else to repair the damage caused and complete the work. To make matters worse, they admitted that they’ve lost our front door key so we have to get the locks changed. Magnet are now quibbling over who pays for this and will only cover the cost if it’s cheap. We want it replaced like for like and feel that Magnet should cover this cost"

I know this is an old thread, but our kitchen is from Magnet, it was fitted my a local kitchen fitter (neighbour) and he got it via the trade side. He only changed us cost. The mid range comes ready assembled so saves time (and therefore money) in having to assemble them.

it's the fitting that makes the difference. Search out a local fitter by personal recommendation, and visit the house to look at the finish and quiz the owner. you are not obliged to use a Kitchen Fitting company and pay their glossy prices.

I had my recent Magnet kitchen fitted by a local chippy, old and wrinkly, knew the biz like the back of his hand. Preferably get the electrics, plumbing and plastering done beforehand by qualified tradesmen, also chosen by personal recommendation. A Jack of All Trades will be master of none. Some kitchen fitters do everything, and are notorious for shoddy and non-compliant work hidden away behind the units. My chippy also did new wooden floor, skirting, room doors, architrave etc first, and a few units cut to fit. I paid him day rate.

A local chippy will know other tradesmen, and will have discount trade accounts at the suppliers, or have a buddy who does. No need to pay retail....

My HA is making noises about a kitchen (and bathroom) refurb and ive found out they will be using Magnet.

Unfortunately the choice of contractors wont be up to me and DH but i would be taking that advice if i could.

I agree with piglet. My builder advised either Magnet or Ikea as he liked fitting them. I also went into the showroom three times, till I found a kitchen designer who clearly knew his stuff, rather than how to sell.

I was knocking through the kitchen wall, replacing it with units and a breakfast bar, so a good quality surface was my priority. The first quote, despite the half price sale, was high, but by using the same design and looking at the back of the catalogue at plain, rather than high gloss, I managed to halve the cost of the units. I got some nice things, like a pull out spice/bottle rack to fill a gap, and a nice corner mechanism. My old and wrinkly (don’t tell him) builder was very impressed with the fit and fitting of the work top. I also looked at floors in kitchen showrooms. They were all dark, smooth, slate effect, which left one less decision. (Presumably only feasible in a small kitchen.)

Magnet units were fine, provided you can get them at the right price. A lot is about design and fit.

I think when we bought our kitchen from Homebase when I phoned up they answered Magnet and I queried this and they said the kitchens were the same. I think guy said Homebase units were thinner but otherwise identical. Our Homebase one is looking lovely after almost 10 years but was one of the more expensive ones but I got a third off.

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Hi I’m right in the middle,of a large extension build. Went to Magnet for kitchen..........all went well with the huge amount of disruption and building works however the trouble has now started due to Magnet kitchen. My builder has spent hours and several trips, back and forth in an attempt to get all the bits and units that were missing from the order. It is now getting to be a complete nightmare. Even items that should be standard with any units are not with the order, they cannot get the washing machine I ordered or any of the cupboard fittings, racking that I ordered four weeks ago and they are now holding up build on a daily basis. They have even sent wrong different coloured end panels, I certainly would not recommend them.