DIY Kitchens!

[AltheaVestr1t]

Currently planning a house move and a new kitchen, and I'm leaning towards a navy and white kitchen from DIY kitchens. There are a few DIY Kitchen threads on here but none since 2016. Does anyone have any good or bad experiences of DIY Kitchens to share? Thanks!

Despite the fact that I somehow managed to say the company name FOUR times in my post, I don't work for them, promise!

We bought ours from them three years ago - it all went really smoothly and the quality is good!

look at some of the new kitchen threads there is one devoted to DIY kitchens, i had mine from them four weeks ago and delighted with it theres one called kitchen website ? might be on page 2 or 3 by now but it all pictures and opinions of DIY kitchens

How did you guys plan out your kitchens so you knew what to buy?

I can't really remember! I think there was some sort of planning thing on the website... Ours was going into a new extension so we could do more or less whatever we wanted!

Never heard of the company you are referring to, but others on here have go ex-display kitchens at a reduce priced.

@Elouera that's a good idea, I'll look into that. Thanks!

We were originally looking at wickes and got them to do the planning and give us a qoute this gave us a base to work from as they were more expensive than DIY so we used wickes plan to put on to the DIY planner and if you live near enough to Pontefract its worth making an appointment to go to the showroom as you can see the units in mini kitchens in person, and the staff there are really good at answering questions and ironing out little bits you hadnt thought of

We bought DIY kitchens. Easy and no issues.

I measured the area, cut out templates of what I wanted, applied blue tack and rearranged on a plan to fit.
The website was really good at explaining end panels, plinths etc and when I put my order through the company called me to check a couple of things. Delivery was no probs also

I planned everything out on graph paper. Took my design to Wren or Wickes (can’t remember) more to see if it would work.
It did and seeing a picture on paper I realised an outside door I wanted to brick needed to have a window left in it.

I measured and measured and listed and checked over and over. And measure and measure the cornicing etc so i knew which bits were to be cut from which lengths and then ordered

Everything went very smoothly. Only added expense was having to pay for 2 smaller vehicles to get up our very narrow road but I am always conscious of big deliveries.

I built my own kitchen through DIY kitchens last year. Used their on line planner it was ridiculously cheap compared to a wickes fitted (although i wouldn't get appliances from DIY Kitchens) and the quality was great.

Has anyone actually compared quality of DIY Kitchens with Howdens?

its difficult to compare howdens to DIy as howdens deal with builders we didnt go there so i dont know what the protocol is, but my fitter does a lot of howdens kitchen fits and he said ours was better quality and better price

We had a DIY kitchens kitchen. Very good, and great quality for the price. I like that they aren't flatpack. Very well put together. Our joiner commented on the quality, he usually deals with howdens.

I designed it myself on graph paper and bought it online, the sales person dealing with it emailed me to ask if I was sure I wanted x unit as it didn't fit with the rest of the kitchen and y would work better - he was right!

the DIY online planner won't let me in because I hadn't already saved it before they deactivated it. Now struggling with the Magnet version.

I was all set on getting a DIY kitchen but I found their shakers to be old fashioned & limited choice. Their quote was basically the same as Wren & B&Q.

Cons - They don’t measure up or plan for you. There’s no finance options. It’s quite a trek if you don’t live up north.

Pros - they come fully built/nailed (for some fitters this is a hinder if you have service pipes/areas that need notching out) You can choose any colour you wish (bespoke paint).

They use 18mm carcasses - this is industry standard across all the big kitchen places.
They use 8mm solid backs - again industry standard (howdens only use 40mm)
They use good quality abs edging
They use Egger/MFC for their carcasses which is better than MDF used at most kitchen outlets.
You can have matching colour carcass (again this may be a negative if you want to change your doors in future)
They have a lot of size choice & can bespoke make sizes

That should have said howdens have 4mm backs

It’s quite a trek if you don’t live up north.

Don't they deliver?

I have a Howdens kitchen in this house and I can confirm the DiY-kitchens one in our last house was better quality. Other places do just as good quality but unless a similar online operation, not as cheap.

@FlamedToACrisp

It’s quite a trek if you don’t live up north.

Don't they deliver?

Yes, but if you actually want to view what you are buying, you have to go to their only showroom in yorkishire.

You delivery comes with a pack of biscuits and some yorkshire tea!

I've just ordered from them. A great range, BUT, as someone has mentioned, there is an extra charge for a smaller van if a ginormous lorry won't fit in your road. I live ina typical Victorian terrace area with narrow roads - the lorry would have fit down it, but wouldn't have been able to make the turn!
The delivery is expensive as it is, without that extra, unexpected charge!
Furthermore, if you order just doors, they charge you £6 per door to drill hinge holes in it.
Sigh!

missbunnyrabbit It was me who had to have the extra van.
I have got used to asking about van sizes when ordering stuff and paying the extra.

We have just had a delivery which unless I paid for 6 smaller delivery vehicles I wasn’t going to be able to get. No one would deliver it.

Ended up hiring a vehicle and collecting it myself.
Then very quickly unloading it. It is a very quiet road. No cars on the 45 minutes it took me to unload.

Fortunately I can drive 8 wheelers.

Ours went in 2016.

We took out a Howdens kitchen only 5yrs old but having extension. The DIY one is far better quality. Doors are thicker, backs are solid, inside is same colour as doors. It all just feels better quality.

I used graph paper and measured a million times. They were super helpful and sorted one issue we had (my fault!) quickly.

I'd definitely recommend.

I didn't visit the DIY-kitchens showroom before ordering my first kitchen. I ordered the sample doors and also looked at other kitchen showrooms so I knew what I was looking at in terms of edgings, carcase construction, drawer types etc. An independent showroom (normal type not hand built timber type) should have display cabinets of similar standard (and probably gets them from that factory). I didn't need to go and look at yet another sage green Shaker display to know that was what I wanted.

When they were delivered I literally stood in the garage and thought "I could park my car on these".
The business model is supply only not design, but like Ikea, if you do some of the work, you benefit from the better price.

Anyone had natural oak kitchens from DIY Kitchens?
Which says that oak is more durable www.which.co.uk/news/2019/04/which-kitchen-cabinets-will-really-stand-the-test-of-time/

I wonder how durable is DIY's oak?

I was looking into cream kitchens but now think of Norton Oak www.diy-kitchens.com/kitchens/norton-oak/details/

It looks like I will end up doing design myself. Judging by the prices on the website DYI kitchen will cost 50% less than Howdens.