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!

Units Online are worth a look. Bit more expensive than DIY but some nice ranges, for less than you'd pay by buying the same range from a firm that stocks them.

I see sooo many Wren ads on TV and realised it's because they constantly have to attract new first-time customers.

We did Wren because we liked the style of this particular unit and couldn't find anything similar elsewhere plus they came up cheaper than other places. We fit our own and there was also a huge advantage with Wren as they come fully built and so compared to our last b&q saved loads of time. Can't fault them, good units and fixtures, worktop and ironmongery from elsewhere.

DIY kitchens are excellent quality. You don't really need to visit the showroom as one grey shaker kitchen is very like another. They send sample doors out to see the colours and finishes. Where they really stand out is quality of carcases and interiors, all the information is on the website but you might want to visit some other showrooms so you know what ABS edged shelves/ solid unit backs etc look like.

The house we Iive in now has a Howdens kitchen, it's quite serviceable but a notch or two below DIY-kitchens quality. Independent showrooms (normal type not ££££ bespoke) often buy in similar units but they will be more expensive as you get the showroom/design service.

Betterkitchens.co.uk are excellent. Really good value, high quality and brilliant service. A family run business much like DIY, but customer service is far more accessible, they will draw up a design for you using information you send them (I have experience of both). Nothing was ever too much trouble and my kitchen has been in for 18 months and still perfect.

@Ginkpin there's some great kitchen's out there. We went with DIY but it's only a small galley kitchen. However the quality available for the price charged and the choice too was what got my vote.

But for me having had kitchens fitted from flat-pack B&Q to Magnet to DIY Kitchens, what really matters is the fitters. You need someone to be able to make the kitchen look perfect whatever it's made from or the shape/size of the units. Plus the worktops need to be spot on too.

Anyway, I think the next hardest thing is deciding what units to have where and worktops and colours. But a good fitter will solve unforseen problems and make cheap look good and good look great.

i really want to get a quote from DIY but I am scared of being responsible for all the designing. I can't be sure I'd measure everything properly. How does it work?

@Ginkpin

i really want to get a quote from DIY but I am scared of being responsible for all the designing. I can't be sure I'd measure everything properly. How does it work?

Use their online planner, which is super helpful, so long as you have room measurements etc. You can then play around with the design. Once you're set on your final design, you can send it to DIY kitchens to review. I had incorrectly placed a tall unit which wasn't the correct height and they flagged this to me. They also let me know that I couldn't have the oven unit with a drawer because of the clearance the induction hob would need. They do go through the order with a fine tooth comb (imo experience). Aside from that, they're fairly handsoff as that's their USP. They're not trying to be Magnet, so they won't design your kitchen etc and you need to be prepared for this. All the info you need on the types of units, colours etc are available on their site, with full transparency on prices.

planner.diy-kitchens.com/

I feel like the PR for HMKOC at the moment (honestly I’m not!) but we’ve just finished ours and I love it.

Units were 7k including plinths and panels but not painting. I also have a spice drawer and cutlery insert and a bin unit which pushed the price up as did the reeded glass in the counter standing units. That didn’t include painting/oiling though.

Everyone was very helpful and though I’d done most of the design/layout their designer was very helpful in exactly what units we needed. The office people were all lovely so I can’t recommend them highly enough.

If you have any questions about the process/unit types etc let me know.

Sorry meant to attach some pictures too

Were in the process of getting a new kitchen and we’ve gone with wren. Most of the wren horror stories are about fitting, not the actual kitchen.
We’re using our own fitter who has done loads,of work for us.

We also went to see diy kitchens as it’s local to us, the quality wasn’t very good in our opinion.

@SollaSollew Wow, that is gorgeous! You must be thrilled with it!

Ikea

That's beautiful @SollaSollew ! Similar size to what we'd be looking for too. I assume that didn't include handles/worktop/sink etc?
That's a reasonable price too!

Thanks @Baxdream and @Smallgoon am really pleased.

The £7k was just the units unfortunately! The handles were £60 from Amazon, worktops were £2700 (marble looking quartz) and the appliances were about £2.3k from various internet places/John Lewis clearance section. Sink and tap were I think about £400 all in including delivery.

My old howdens kitchen/quartz/neff kitchen was £14500 so it still seems reasonable.
My thoughts are if we need to get cheaper appliances/worktops but can get decent units, we can always upgrade worktop s etc later.

I wouldn't touch Howdens with a barge pole. Their pricing system is insane. I've heard not good things about Wren but only on MN. DIY kitchens seem to get favourable reports on MN. Im going to have a look at them myself.

I’ll be using Ikea next year. But with different doors. Lots of companies are now offering this.

www.plykea.com/

www.nakeddoors.com/ikea

madebyhusk.com/

customfronts.co.uk/

www.reformcph.com/en/

@SollaSollew your kitchen is beautiful, and layout v v similar to what I've just had designed. Can I ask if you have a table in the room too? Is the breakfast bar enough? Lack of a table of any kind in the kitchen itself (no space for one) is putting me off that layout even though it works brilliantly as a kitchen, IYSWIM. The table would be in room next door for us.

(Apologies for derailing your thread, OP)

We installed a diy kitchen in our holiday home last year and are probably going to use them again this year in our own house. The kitchen is amazing, and the showroom is worth the journey, but then we are only about 2 hours away.

The quality is fantastic, a previous poster questioned the quality but it’s very good. We didn’t go top of the range at all with it being for a holiday house but it’s great.

I didn’t have a clue about the design as I’d never done a kitchen before. I went to Ikea first to get a design done based on the measurements so I would have a rough idea what I wanted. Then in DIY I made an appointment when I got there to sit with one of the designers and they helped plan it out with their units. They add in all the extra things like plinths and end panels that I wouldn’t have a clue about.

Once you order you can change things online and send a message on their portal asking them to check it. I found that process a bit annoying as you submit a query and they can take a few days to get back to you.

We also paid the £250 delivery fee to choose a named date. I had to sit in the empty holiday house miles away from 7am and it arrived at 9.55pm! Almost didn’t arrive at all, they rang to ask if they could bring it the next day but I couldn’t stay over. I found their customer service quite poor however for the price And quality I would still order from them again. They messed up on two items I think which I had to chase up a few times despite them saying they would send them out the next day. That was annoying as we didn’t live there so it was fiddly but we got there in the end.

We paid around £4K for the units etc and then around £1200 for fitting. Fitting was cheaper as it’s all assembled. The fitter said he was impressed with the quality.

Best thing we did years ago was get the design worked out first ( with Karen at OnePlan) then shopped around and compared prices and service offered .
Moved a while back and will be booking again with her. I know I'm not alone as lots of mumsnetters have also used her service.

DIY kitchens looks promising and I'm also considering UnitsOnline too . Like handmade kitchens and Classic kitchens direct but might not suit this property as it's very modern .

I put a Wickes kitchen in my old place, and a DIY kitchen in my current house. The DIY is about twice the size and has more expensive units (tall larders, pan drawers, hidden drawers etc) but was only about a third more than the Wickes one. Quality wise, I think the DIY is better made - and comes assembled, which saves a lot of time / money on installation. They will also colour match almost all their doors / plinths etc so you can get exactly what you want.

Ours is a v simple space, so I designed it myself, but a friend got an independent kitchen designer to do hers, for a few hundred pounds, and it’s incredible.

If I ever need to redo a kitchen again, I will definitely use DIY.

Ikea.

Hi @Zinnia. There is a dining table but it’s behind the breakfast bar as it’s part of a kitchen/diner/small family room. It was a separate dining room before we knocked through and it was fine but you couldn’t have fitted the peninsular in the width of the kitchen IYSWIM. Photo below from where I am currently sitting in the family room bit as I don’t think I’m doing a great job of explaining!