Any one have any views on IKEA kitchens?

[ElephantOfRisk]

Looking to replace our 19 year old kitchen as it's totally done and to be fair, it has been for a while. We were dilly dallying about knocking through to another room but have actually canned that. DC have a couple of years left of Uni, we are a couple of years from retirement so just want to redo what we have on the basis that we would intend to move once DC are settled into jobs and potentially move out completely.

In theory we should just leave it as unlikely to get value back and fast moving market here etc but I'd rather get in something new, plain and not too expensive. Looking at IKEA amongst other things.

Has anyone used their planning and fitting as well as buying the units?

How was the experience?

We were very happy. We have the Voxtorp handle-less cupboard and drawer fronts and medium-range appliances and the quality is good. Trying to use the planner online at home was utterly impossible - I don’t know who designed such a useless and fiddly piece of software but it doesn’t do IKEA any favours and would definitely recommend an in-store planning session with somebody who is used to the sheer futility of the planning programme.

We opted not to go with their fitters due to lead time (I believe it’s still a long wait now as well) and went with a local outfit instead who were great - but they did say that many fitters hate doing / will decline to do IKEA kitchens due to no service space at the back and some other non-standard aspects, so best to check ahead.

They are a big pain to put in, though the basic 'carcass' is decent quality for the price.

We've had two and fitters (builders) have complained both times about building them! I loved our last one which we had for 6 years in our last place, I'm not so keen on the current one which started to look a bit tatty around the edges fairly quickly, but they can be very good.

If you're on a limited budget, would recommend. I might spend more on something a bit more sturdy next time myself.

Thanks both. We could afford something more expensive but thinking we need something that will look decent enough for maybe us using for 3 years or so and then still okay for any buyers to feel they didn't have to rush in and replace.

I was thinking to let them plan and fit it. We currently have an L shaped bit and then a bit of space that might fit some full length pantry style units and then we also have the utility room so not sure whether to do that or not.

I have an IKEA kitchen (fitted 7 years ago) on the recommendation of our plumber. Used IKEA planning service but plumber and his team fitted it. Still love it and it still looks good - though in hindsight would have chosen different handles (are long with an ‘edge’ - my clothing always catches although it’s only me this happens to!). I would definitely buy a kitchen from them again.

We had an IKEA kitchen fitted 3 years ago, used their software to plan it and a few trips to their planning service to finish it. They had some great ideas to help improve my original plans. We went with their fitters as we couldn’t find anyone who’d fit the kitchen for a reasonable price here, they were actually the best value, and ended up doing a great job. Unfortunately the worktop hasn’t worn too well, and their after sales customer service is v poor imo, but I’d probably still use them again.

Just asding the final touches to ours and love it. Too tired to give details now but placenarking to write a proper reply tomorrow.

I very nearly went for one but steered away in the end
The only issue being for the me the difference in sizes and no service area.
Check out DIY kitchens, we got ours from the tyere and I'm really happy with the quality etc.
Get a plan from somewhere and then use that to help you start your DIY kitchen. Price for price DIY and ikea were roughly the same.

Both my parents have fitted ikea kitchens in their houses - both about 8-10 years ago. They’re still going strong and look great!

Only caveat is that mum’s had issues with a couple of the appliances (microwave & oven), which are also IKEA.

Very pleased with the quality of the cupboards they are very spacious and we had a design that very little of a normal shower rooms offered.

Planning process was okay on paper I found it a bit more stressful than going to somewhere like Wickes or Ren because every time we phoned up we got a different consultant so there was no consistency but in the end it all turned out fine everything turned up as planned.

Price point was good we did get a quote for IKEA fitting but we decided to source our own fitters so that we had consistency and somebody we could talk to about things for us it was more difficult because we have we are having a full re-fit i.e. not just changing cupboards we were doing plastering tiling electrics and all those had to marry up I didn't feel that IKEA would offer us that as a smooth and stressfree service and also we were lucky enough that we have a small utility room with a fridge and at the time we also had a cooker so we did have a separate kitchen the whole job did go on a lot longer than itPerhaps would've done using someone else but the whole kitchen including a solid oak worktops and fitting and a 2 1/2 thousand pound kitchen came in at under 10 grand so I was pretty pleased with that and that was flooring plastering tiles plumbing electrics everything we did decorate it ourselves

Ikea kitchens are great imo. I have always gone for the cheap white 'Veddinge' doors as I actually like them best and have found they last well, but next time I'll have custom doors made to fit just to make it look a bit more fancy.

In my last flat I had a fitter who specialised in fitting Ikea kitchens and was really helpful with configurations etc, and made the most out of a tiny kitchen. He put together the plan and shopping list for me to go to Ikea to purchase. If you can find someone who does the same I would recommend!

We built our kitchen from IKEA ourselves, it looks great and was a much cheaper option.

I've said this before and I'll say it again - a good friend of mine is a kitchen fitter. He says Ikea are hands down the best of the budget kitchens.

I'm currently having a kitchen fitted and my builder says he won't fit IKEA kitchens. It's not because of the quality, but because of the lack of gap at the back of the carcasses. Apparently Swedish services come up through the floor, which make fitting them properly in the UK an expensive pain.

He also says he refuses to fit Wren kitchens too, but that is a quality issue.

We've had an Ikea utility room on order (basically a smallsize kitchen). There have been problems getting hold of the sinkI had to collect a 24kg object from the store, and my husband had to collect two other bits and pieces that were in the country but seemingly unavailable to the fitting service. The process is labyrinthinethe design people and sales people and installers don't seem to communicate well with one another. We stuck with them despite all the issues because the basic kit seems good quality. The service space issue is annoying, but we are having the plug of our new dryer taken off so the cord can be put through a small hole in the side of a cupboard and then a new plug replaced. The fitter was worried about doing this for warranty reasons, but it was a lot simpler than any solution they had.

I think my husband will have apoplexy if it doesn't now all turn up in a week's time or so, with the fitter coming on Dec. 6th.

Thanks all, seems like a mainly positive view then apart from fitting which, if we got them to fit, wouldn't be my problem. I'm leaning toward getting them to do the measuring and planning etc too (measuring is just £35) I know I could do that myself, but if they do it and something doesn't work out, it's not my fault!

I've had an episode of severe stress which has affected my ability to make decisions so I think it's best to get someone else to have a go at a plan as well which I can tweak as required.

Thank you all again for your help :)

We had an IKEA kitchen installed 2 years ago as part of a knock through. Our builders fitted it, we went with a granite worktop from another supplier. It’s superb, I really love it. We have recently had a couple of estate agents round and they both thought the kitchen was from the local high end kitchen company that most people near us use 😆

My advice is to make sure you use excellent fitters and a higher spec worktop.

Apparently Swedish services come up through the floor, which make fitting them properly in the UK an expensive pain.

It's actually very simple to solve, you can either reroute services at plinth level (we did this - cost £100) or create your own service gap by bringing the units out from the wall a couple of cm and fitting a slightly deeper worktop.

Easy to make and fit and for the price the quality is good, IKEA test their products well and are happy to replace items, you can also just buy drawers,doors or shelves if you change your layout in the future.
Only negative is that there is no service space at the back of the carcass so you have to an your pipe and cable runs more carefully.

To be honest the kitchen we have now was the original one on a new build (we moved in when it was about 18 months old) and it has holes punched in the back of virtually all the bottom cabinets anyway and not neat ones either so I'm not too precious if they need to cut holes in things inside.

On our current one, the facing has ballooned away from the backing on some of the doors and has cracked and the little gap the left for trays and chopping boards was stood in by DC when they were small and the bottom broke off and has never successfully been reattached. It's also cream but grainy so attracts grime, is hard to keep clean and overly decorative.

It need to go!

I hadn't thought about one of the more basic ranges to kit out the utility better. That's a good idea.

We'd plan on keeping the same layout so not sure of that would help with the services issue. We have concrete floors so that probably doesn't help.

We have an IKEA kitchen that’s about 7 years old. We used their design and fitting service which I can’t fault - they have shedloads of options and clever ideas. The kitchen still looks and works as well as it did on day 1. The fitters were also excellent and install for John Lewis amongst others.

We didn’t use their appliances though, except for the extractor and dishwasher because the reviews weren’t great. We had to use their dishwasher because when we bought the kitchen they didn’t yet have a door for aftermarket built in dishwashers - we had no end of problems with the dishwasher and eventually got a full refund and replaced it with a Siemens.

Just one thing point, a poster on here said she needed a sink or something to carry on with her build but it wasn't in stock and the op had no car and ikea wouldn't deliver it to her from a different store. The sink being extremely heavy she was left worrying how to get the sink because it was a specific size for her kitchen and they would not help her. Or at least by the time she came to mn for help. I found that extraordinary when she had paid out for a kitchen.

@oneglassandpuzzled

We've had an Ikea utility room on order (basically a smallsize kitchen). There have been problems getting hold of the sinkI had to collect a 24kg object from the store, and my husband had to collect two other bits and pieces that were in the country but seemingly unavailable to the fitting service. The process is labyrinthinethe design people and sales people and installers don't seem to communicate well with one another. We stuck with them despite all the issues because the basic kit seems good quality. The service space issue is annoying, but we are having the plug of our new dryer taken off so the cord can be put through a small hole in the side of a cupboard and then a new plug replaced. The fitter was worried about doing this for warranty reasons, but it was a lot simpler than any solution they had.

I think my husband will have apoplexy if it doesn't now all turn up in a week's time or so, with the fitter coming on Dec. 6th.

I feel your pain I am trying to refurb my rental flat and it’s taken hours of going in to the store, having online meetings, then a day before delivery date I get a curt email saying they’ve changed the delivery date- it’s 4 weeks later. Nonetheless, they go ahead and partially deliver the next day- when I’m not at the property. They also deliver the day after. Fingers crossed they will actually complete the delivery at the end of the month. I’ve had to get zen about it or I’d be pretty stressed out.

We fitted our own ikea kitchen and it was a complete bastard. The dishwasher connections were all different and the door likes to come off... A lot. I do like our kitchen but as others have said, you need a fitter who has fitted them as they seem to be different. And whatever you do don't do it yourself. Worst week ever