New kitchen - Wren, Howden or somewhere else?

[LivingOnAnIsland]

Does anyone have anything useful to share with me re kitchens please? My kitchen is old and tatty - I did think about just replacing the doors but I've decided to go for a new one. I'm finding all the brochures look very similar, so I need to know how long it will all last (the surface of my B&Q kitchen doors looked great until it started peeling off). Also, I have a fairly new washing machine, fridge and freezer. My inclination is to keep them - but will I regret not getting integrated? All opinions gratefully received please, thank you.

I heard a bad report about Wren on radio 4 about two years ago. We went with Wicks, who were brilliant. Have had Howdens in the past, different houses, who were also good. We didnt go integrated, family who have couldn't replace when things went wrong many years down the line.

That's useful to know. I like the look of integrated, but at the same time I hate walking into someone else's kitchen and having to try all the cupboards before I can find the fridge.

DIY Kitchens. They have a showroom at Pontefract but it is an online business. Brilliant quality and prices and if you can visit the showroom you will be impressed

We are just starting a building project for a utility, not kitchen but similar. My advice would be:
-Look around for quotes, they can vary dramatically from place to place.
-Don't accept the quote given, there is lots of room for negotiation. Our quote from Howdens was £2500 - DP negotiated it down to £1850!
-Howdens/Magnet Trade and a couple of others prefer to work through the contractor, they also offer them better prices too, so if you have a fitter in mind take advantage of their discounts
-Flat pack at wickes/B&Q/Ikea are hugely cheaper, but are a false economy unless you are fitting yourself, as the fitter will just add on money to their quote for making up the units, so it's really not that much of a saving in the end
-Integrated appliances are great aesthetically, but as a pp says, really tricky to replace (and very much more expensive than freestanding - I cant find a tumble dryer for less than £400!)

We have just had a new Wren kitchen. It is beautiful and much better quality than kitchens we've had in the past.

The bad reviews about Wren are on the fitting so we decided to DIY. Soon found that was too much for us and hired a company to do it. They said they are kept in work fitting Wren kitchens as they are designed for actual fitters to put in, not for DIY (we bought the pre made cabinets; I don't know if that's the same for the flat pack).

Thank you

We also had a Wren kitchen this year, as did friends of ours. All of us really pleased with the quality and the customer service to be fair.
My BIL and DH gutted ours but BIL is a bathroom fitter so not just a DIYer - it wasn't easy but they did a good job.
Not sure who fitted my friends'.

Another one here who has a Wren kitchen and more than happy with the units.

Less so with the 'fitters' and their so-called Customer Service