Recommendations for a cheap kitchen

[Curlyfrizzball]

Hi. We are hoping to get our kitchen redone and are on a tight budget. Does anyone have any recommendations of who to buy from? There are a lot of discount kitchen websites out there, but I don't know if they are trustworthy or not - if not, which of the big companies would you recommend? We are no good at all at DIY unfortunately so will need to get someone to fit it all for us as well, but will probably try to get a local company to do that.

When you price with DIY - do make sure you account for the price of having the doors factory fitted. Worth doing - but an extra.

To the poster who suggested budget Magnet, don't do it! I lived in a rental for a while with a cheap and nasty Magnet kitchen and it was horrible - really flimsy.

DH fitted our Ikea kitchen. We got someone in to hook up the hob and oven and a neighbour to help lift the worktops but that was it. He did a great job. I agree the cupboards are very deep. I much prefer the drawers.

I have a cheap Ikea kitchen and it's great. But don't use the Ikea kitchen fitters to install it. I cannot emphasise this point enough.

OP I didn't buy appliances (or work tops) from DIY, I sourced everything separately. Come to think of it, I did buy my Franke sink and tap from DIY because the cost (when you factor in the delivery charge from elsewhere) was about the same.

The other point to make is that the cupboards from DIY come ready assembled, not flatpacked like IKEA and other places. Probably not going to make a difference to your decision, but certainly if you're paying for an independent fitter, you'll need to pay for additional time of a fitter putting cupboards together if you go with a firm that just supplies flatpack. Something to bear in mind in your costings.

I built my IKEA cupboards to save money. Really easy.

IKEA do a cut to fit worktop range which is more expensive than standard - we're having this to get a deeper worktop on one side to put dishwasher under so you could get narrower too.

Wandered into Wickes today to look at the Benchmarx units I had seen and was told that with their "sale" on the prices were comparable to benchmarx anyway. So may order kitchen from there. But have read many horror stories of wickes kitchen fitters so still trying to find independent. Man I spoke to also reckoned 2/3k for their fitters which I think is a lot given that it's a galley 3m long..damn I want ikea now but i need those precious few inches. Too scared of ordering DIY in case I mess up the measurements.

I am also about to order from DIY-kitchen. Decided on the Broadoak shaker painted 'all white' units as I have a big kitchen and its not very bright. Getting light Amtico flooring and Duropal Harvard block worktop.
I started off wanting a white gloss kitchen, but over the many, many weeks of looking have decided the prices for wood kitchens in Farrow and Ball paint colours are a brilliant price. Plus 10% off their prices until Monday.
Wish we lived closer as would love to visit showroom. However after all the really positive reviews going to do it anyway.
If it is a Second Nature kitchen door you are buying you can find local showrooms by going on their website.

go to B and Q fantastic price

Watching as we are about to do our kitchen too - I like the look of some of the ikea ones so good to know they are ok!

Ikea - without a doubt ...never used their fitters, used someone recommended to me.
Biggest problem with Ikea there isn't a space behind them -(or there wasn't) they fit flush to the wall. Means you get the most cupboard space but if you need eg pipes running behind them they have to run through the cupboards or on the floor (not good for a long waste pipe as not enough 'fall') - not hidden behind the back and never checked but guess might cause problems with drawers...
I got work top from elsewhere (really good quality laminate) and it fits etc - just - but I wish I'd got the slightly deeper Ikea ones - I get drips down the fronts as the worktop is almost level with them -not quite deep enough...also (oddly) I supposedly could have my dishwasher (Bosch) semi integrated but it sticks out too much - slightly deeper worktop and I could have...
(And don't get Ikea taps ...after 4 years my first ones needed a new cylinder - hassle getting the right one (they'd changed design slightly) but got one then 3 months later the lever started freely rotating and they didn't do that part. They were good sent me a new tap of equal value, paid for it to be fitted (cos I'd not DIY'd it) - my new tap after 18 months is really stiff to turn - so stiff it is loosening on the sink. 'normally' you could just grease the O ring but this appears to be a fixed unit ...another new tap ...which I don't think they'd supply now....)

Ikea cupboards are really dead easy to assemble - so you can save by doing that yourself - but be warned my fitter didn't want me to do that ... (but then I ripped out my old kitchen and then suggested I'd do that and I think it was getting to the point it wasn't worth his while traveling to me just to fit the units to the wall and cut the work top) ...also he rightly pointed out that if they are pre-assembled they either need to be kept in another room and carried in or you can't move in the kitchen for units before they are fitted....(if there are 2 of them they can assemble the wall cupboards and fit them together then for the base units one is assembling, the other is fitting/putting on doors etc - needs less space)

Not sure where this kitchen is from but it has a built in toilet lol - www.chatkitchen.co.uk/laugh-zone/

Ikea and it looks very expensive! My builder who fitted it for me did swear abit though (he's a friend!) as they needed to build it and that obviously took time (but we paid him for it).

Everyone can't believe it is an ikea. Dh did plan it out quite obsessively (he is an architect).

We got a wren kitchen, and got a local joiner to fit them.
We live in a very old house and haven't a straight wall or floor in the place but he was able to fit it brilliantly. The units came ready made so it only took him 4 days to fit a whole new floor, a kitchen and work tops.

I'd ask around people for recommendations for a joiner, and they'll probably know a plumber and gas fitter for those bits.

Got a shock when I realised my fav style (painted wood) was also the most expensive.
I got an IKEA wooden one and had a professional spray painter paint it in F&B pointing. Loads cheaper than Howdens and still looks great 3 years on.
Got the worktops online (wood ones, better quality than IKEA and cheaper). Then used money I saved on Fisher and Paykel appliances (love the range, hate the fridge!).

Ikea here too - we built the carcasses and paid a jjoiner to fit. The fitting makes a difference

Lots of lovely storage options (drawers within drawers etc) and the drawer gubbins are Blum I believe

We were going to buy worktops elsewhere so it can be done but used the IKEA ones in the end

We used the 2 years Instant free credit which was even better! Deposit then about £100 per month which included a tall oven unit and double oven, 4 drawer units, dishwasher and unit, slim cabinets, £400 for the extractor!, sink, taps, worktops, and 3 wide up and over wall units, side panels etc

No regrets

If you go to Ikea you can book a free planning appointment where they will design and price your kitchen for you with no obligation to buy.