Bathroom refit - Wickes, B&Q etc?

[iknowwheretheothersockgoes]

I'm looking to get my bathroom redone in the new year.

I want to have B&Q/Wickes etc do the pull out and refit as I'm really fed up with my local tradespeople. Is that unwise?

I just want to replace the bath (keep the existing shower system) replace the toilet, sink and radiator. And then just get the walls retiled and the flooring replaced.

Has anyone had a good experience with these companies?

Wickes did our bathroom neatly 10 years ago and I was very happy with them.

do B&Q / wickets have fitting teams or subcontract the work out?

When I used b&q it was subcontracted out. And the price b&q give you won't include any tiling or anything, you agree that with the fitter separately.
That was 4 years ago though.

Don't go with Victoria plumb. Would not recommend.

I've bought from Victoria Plumb before, do they have a fitting service? What was your experience?

I believe they subcontract out the work

Don’t use B&Q!! When they did ours they managed to hammer a nail into a central heating pipe and caused our kitchen ceiling to come down. They then tried to deny it was them!! Emergency plumber took photos though, and after a long saga our insurance company made them pay up.

They have a design and fitting service. First flag was designer designed the bathroom without listening and priced so when the subcontractor turned up to check the prices changed because the main issue that we needed solving wasn't in the design. I should have cancelled then but they had full payment and I was desperate.
it's gone down hill from there!

B&Q subcontract to local companies. They flooded my kitchen and left for the day, leaving me to find it when I returned home from work five hours later - but neither take responsibility for the damage.

(Flooded my kitchen by bursting a bathroom pipe when fitting the bathroom, sorry.)

Wickes and B&Q sub contract the work out -
They aren’t the cheapest but they do a good finish.
It all depends on your local area when it comes it local tradespeople- we had our kitchen and bathroom refitted 5 years ago and the local tp that did ours completed the work £2500 under what Wickes quoted us.

I thought going with VP and paying premium prices would ensure a professional job and good finish. I was wrong. It's still not even finished.

I'm part the way through the process with Wickes, as in the fittings are all ordered and the fitter is coming next week for an initial survey. I chose them as I hoped it would be easy and all in one and quick!(I want as little hassle as possible, having just moved house and the sellers fibbed fixing the leak etc) So far it's ok and they have done what they said they will do. My only niggle is that I have had to pay in full and they might not be able to fit until March. Which is a pain when you have no shower, but everyone has a long lead in time,

I asked in Wickes earlier this year and they had at least a 10 month waiting list for bathrooms.

This is my cloakroom, £3k and it looks worse than before. It was supposed to be a straight swap, loo and vanity and half tiled...

Nice cat!

Ha! You aren't allowed in there without him, he takes cuddle taxes.

I would not use Wickes. They subcontract the work and take no responsibility for any problems caused by the fitter. Essentially, you are paying a premium for no reason.

Our problem was that we cannot wait for a recommended fitter to become available as we have no shower or bath and are currently washing in a bucket. (Thanks, lying git sellers) We hoped that with Wickes we would have a speedier service and comeback if it all went wrong.
I have, at least, spoken to our fitter.

No...not B and Q....my neighbour is a self employed 'unbodger' for them...he has a contract with them and enough work for years ahead....!!...

Thanks all.

I'm totally fed up with local tradesmen. The local FB/NextDoor pages are full of recommendations from the spouses, relatives and friends of the tradespeople, so I don't feel like I can get a good recommendation from there.

Can a friend or neighbour recommend someone? We found our builder by asking around at church for who had had work done recently!

I can't comment on the other or fitting service as we fitted it ourselves, but quality wise another vote against VP. In less than 3 years every tap/plug etc has gone wrong (caps of ends, seizing, all the "chrome" paint peeling off). Would never buy from them again. Only upside was their after care was quite good when we complained the first time.

Which is Victoria Plumb and which is Victorian Plumbing? Whichever one has the green tick logo I would NOT recommend either. For goods, not fitting, that is.