Wickes, B&Q, Homebase for bathroom installation - best one?

[Sunnyside4]

If anyone has used, are you pleased with quality? Did you have any problems?

Thought we'd get a quote off one of them and one from a local plumber (luckily have two recommendations, but one has a nine month waiting list) for comparison and different ideas.

Anyone but Wickes, they are awful.

Easy Bathrooms were good for us, don't know about B&Q or Homebase.

none of them

go independent and source your own items

but one has a nine month waiting list)

he will be worth waiting for imagine

i waited 6 months for mine…. so worth the wait

They all use local subcontractors so it’s impossible to recommend
SIL used wickes for kitchen and bathroom it was the same guy from 20miles away she was over the moon did excellent job couldn’t praise them enough and they have made a great job
but that was down to the individual subcontractors rather than the brand

non of these employe there own fitters

it really proves the point a previous poster has had bad experience with wickes

None of them, seriously. Get a popular local builder and plumber (One with a waiting list - available now means he’s no good.) meet with him in the house for a firm quote (also to make sure you feel you can rub along with him for the duration) and don’t use his catalogues - source things yourself.

I’m thrilled with our family bathroom and new ensuite done this way, we were six months on the builder’s waiting list but it was so worth the wait. It came in at about a third of the price of a package from the high street / big box stores. They all use very poor quality subcontractors and one we went to, Bathstore, shut down the week after we got an (extortionate) quote from them.

We used B&Q recently and I really can't fault them.
The chap instore came up with a design we never would have thought of and it works brilliantly. The ordering process was easy and we could have got interest free credit if we wanted.
They organised the fitting via a local contractor and they were great as well, worked really hard and nothing was a problem
I suppose it varies but we had a really good experience

Twiglets1 are EasyBathrooms more expensive? Just looked and we have one not too far away.

I don't think so. What you can do is get a free plan and estimate from them to compare with other places and then use an independent fitter/plumber if you know one.

We used Wickes ( out of desperation, as it was almost impossible to get an independent) and ended up with the most fabulous fitter. He was extremely hard working, a problem solver, asked all the right questions, went the extra mile. He's definitely been kept in our "little black book of the house" and we've recommended him to several other people.

I fully accept it's luck of the draw.

Catnipcupcakes Nice bathroom. I think you're right about meeting with whoever is going to do the work. I forgot, many years ago in our last house we had three people out to quote, DH wasn't around for any visits, just me. I had two chaps who worked together come out, I can always remember there was something about them I wasn't comfortable with (really couldn't put my finger on it) - DH rejected immediately. Luckily DH is around most of the time now, which is so much better if there's a problem.

Hi @FuzzyPuffling don't suppose you could share who your fitter is? I want to get a quote for a small bathroom renovation for our flat in Holborn. So difficult to find reliable people. Thanks :)

I have no problem sharing, but I'm in SW Devon, so Holborn is rather a geographical stretch.

Hi @FuzzyPuffling
Thanks! Gosh I didn't realise! Thanks anyway - I will keep searching!

Under no circumstances use Wickes. We did and it has taken over 1 year to actually get the bathroom we paid for. Multiple leaks, poorly fitted products, damage to our property. etc They had to instruct another plumbing firm to rip out everything that had fitted (back to brick walls and bare floorboards) and have it done again. They also had to pay us a considerable amount of compensation due to the issues but only as I fought them every step of the way. Customer service is non-existent and designed to get you to go away.

From speaking to other trades we've had in to do other jobs, the problem with Wickes is that they sub-contract all the work out to anyone who applies to be their fitter. There is no standard they have to reach to get on Wickes books and there is no-one checking their work.

They only positive thing about my bathroom now is that it cost Wickes more to rectify it than I paid for it in the first place (thats how much damage they did to my property) and that makes me happy.

Ask friends/family/neighbours for recommendations for a local plumber as they only get work through being good and that is who you want working for you.

One of our neighbours is an ' undodger' for b and q bathrooms and kitchens...he is booked up for years....say no more...they pay him to sort out the disasters !