I know this gets asked a million times about kitchens, but....

[Ginkpin]

Wren?
DIY Kitchens?
Benchmarx?
Howdens?
Something else?

I would get the worktop (quartz) and ironmongery elsewhere probably.

I am going to look at the much recommended Handmade Kitchen's Direct, but I am assuming that they cost more than the above and offer less internal storage options?

I can't really cope with the Howdens pricing system - it's so changeable and vague. We have a Howdens kitchen at the moment and it's fine but I have no idea if our builder got us a good deal or not...

Large kitchen extension being built so will need quite a lot of cabinets and a largeish island. Help!

I'm using a fitter who specialises in customising ikea kitchens so I'm using ikea.
You can design it on the site and get a price list etc.

I used Ikea - in store planners were very helpful. Everything arrived within 7 days. Had a kitchen fitter fit and quartz and appliances bought separately.

The higher end German kitchen that we also had quote came in 3x the cost.

We had a wren kitchen fitted last year really good quality , A few issues with missing or damaged , all replaced next day . Excellent customer service (was pleasantly surprised)

Used our own fitter and worktops

Howdens have been great for two kitchens I have known (Mum and Aunt’s houses). Didn’t go for their own electricals, but everything else was ace and haggled them down loads on the price. No issues with either kitchen. Bought them from different Howdens offices in different areas too.

Another vote for DIY Kitchens.

As others said, the pricing is extremely transparent, unlike some other high street sellers'. Loved the door sample service. Back in June, they were offering up to three door samples for free (I ended up ordering six :D). I see that they're charging for them now, but that's refundable. Also, their range of cabinet sizes is very good, much better than Wickes.

I guess the planning process can be daunting if you're not technically minded, as you have to think of all bits and bobs like cornices, plinths, etc. Ours was a simple galley kitchen, so thankfully very straightforward. However, they have a useful 3D planning tool that prompts you to think about all those accessories, there's heaps of info in their FAQ section, and I've found their support team very helpful.

Just had my second Howdens kitchen. Very happy with it, no issues. Designer was very friendly and competent. Cost 12k inc Bosch appliances, wood counter and Franke hot water tap. Medium size kitchen.

I think it very much comes down to the customer service at your local branch of each retailer really. We've had shit service from Howdens and great service from Wren. People in other parts of the country will have had opposite. So, I would check the reviews of your local stores.

I used DIY Kitchens and have been very happy all the way through. You design it all (measure twice!), they check it for glaring errors and the price is updated as you make changes (make sure you tick the include VAT etc options).
I made a couple of cock ups which meant I had to order a couple of extra panels but they were sent out next day. Units come all pre-made and the installer was again impressed. My builder actually has switched from his usual suppliers as they can't match the quality and price.
It the planner that I love as you can make as many changes as you like at your own pace, I'm still mucking about with a utility room design after 6 months lol

I used Karen at Oneplan to design the kitchen around the appliances I wanted (got them from John Lewis) and then got several quotes. Was torn between DIY Kitchens and Kitchen warehouse- went with the latter as they did my bespoke measurements which meant the cabinets are flush ceiling height which looks really smart. Our builders fitted the cabinets

Has anyone had a quote from Handmade kitchens of Christchurch?

Our last kitchen was Howdens, which was great but I definitely want a painted kitchen. I'm wondering how HKC compare to DIY for painted?

I am thinking of getting a quote from DIY and a quote from Handmade Kitchens of Christchurch to compare.

I live in the mecca of handmade/bespoke kitchens - it's a running joke how many we have on our small London suburb high street (at least eight within a short walk and about twenty within a ten minute drive) - but they are so expensive. I will be gong independent for fitter/appliances/plumber/ironmongery and worktop.

Agree it's a shame about Wren customer service. Such an easy fix potentially.

Hang on... Does DIY Kitchens only have one showroom? In Yorkshire??

Yes! It's a 4 hour drive for me!!

yes they do only have the one main showroom that is how they keep prices down we are lucky and live 1 hour car ride from there but they deliver all over the country and someone on one thread had hers delivered to France, they charge £150 delivery for a sometime that week delivery we paid an extra £100 to specify a day to deliver so my units were only in the kitchen overnight a couple of mine before and after tiling

Magnet all the way!

The only thing we couldn’t get from IKEA that I particularly wanted was pull out larders. Wasn’t worth the extra £££ though.

@Ginkpin there’d be a lot of handcrafted kitchens around us too. I’m not sure if they’re ever worth it as like it or not fashions and tastes do change and I’ve never seen a twenty year old kitchen that I loved.

@Baxdream

Has anyone had a quote from Handmade kitchens of Christchurch?

Our last kitchen was Howdens, which was great but I definitely want a painted kitchen. I'm wondering how HKC compare to DIY for painted?

I don’t think the two companies are comparable although they both arrive ready to be fitted. HKOC is a totally bespoke service meaning you can get their units in any size up to their maximum and there is no extra cost for the bigger units. They are usually compared to other bespoke kitchens like Harvey Jones, Neptune and Tom Howley often with better build quality but at much lower costs. Having read about DIY Kitchens on here I decided they weren’t for us as we wanted a fully bespoke option to get what we wanted - I didn’t get a quote from them so don’t know the cost compares.

I also question spending on a kitchen that’s handmade - will you genuinely keep it forever?

@Qc16 I didn't realise they were in that sort of bracket! I'm just wondering how much a kitchen would be from HKOC .
I love the look of them and love the idea of it being fully fitted.
Can you give a ballpark figure of cost?

I have used Ikea and DIY kitchens int he past and would definitely go for DIY over IKEA if nothing else DIY come already assembled which is a massive tick in my book. I found online ordering very easy. I am currently renovating another house and will be using DIY again but with NAKED doors this time round.

[quote Baxdream]@Qc16 I didn't realise they were in that sort of bracket! I'm just wondering how much a kitchen would be from HKOC .
I love the look of them and love the idea of it being fully fitted.
Can you give a ballpark figure of cost?[/quote]
Our units which include 4 x 3 drawer units, a larder, a larder top, bin unit (2bins), under sink cupboard, base unit, over fridge cupboard, doors with engraving for our pantry as well as all architrave etc come to £8500. All the units are 1m wide apart from the under sink and bin cupboard.
The same from the other companies I mentioned above would be at least 3 times more.

I'm loving seeing pictures of people's kitchens. If anyone else wants to post a pic with a mention of where it's from, that would be great!

DIY kitchens was cheaper (and seemed decent quality) than the other places we looked at (Benchmarx, Howdens, Wickes, Wren). Yes it's a pain designing and ordering it all yourself (but that's why it's cheaper!) and a hassle travelling to the showroom (about 3 hours from us) but I felt it was worth it as a one off (although you can have sample doors sent to home and we did that too because I'm indecisive!). I did order the worktops, handles and some electrical goods elsewhere as I found them cheaper on other websites though.