Which is it to be-Magnet Howdens Benchmarxs DIY Kitchens or an independent ?

[DonMaico]

Hi am very tempted by DIY Kitchens based on the many positive reviews I have read  about their products but one negative review  put me off because of the hassle and time it took to get   replacements for some damaged cabinets and the fact one was missing from the order. As I wont be fitting myself I cannot waste my fitters time.

In terms of quality and durability the alternatives seem to pale by comparison but at least I can get what I want with minus hassle .

MY current kitchen which is now ten years old ,is a Benchmark Turin but given it is one of the foiled types, some of the doors are already beginning to delaminate .I also had to replace some of the screws with longer ones because  a couple of the doors in a corner unit fell off and a  pan drawer collapsed . I guess the supplied screws are too short but it also shows to me the inherent weakness of MFC. Maybe it's not dense enough and therefore not great at holding screws wherever there is a load . 

Anyway I am now looking for alternatives but I have no idea which are the better options of the ones I mentioned in the thread title. All have positive reviews but are made in a similar fashion with perhaps the thickness of the cabinets differing .There is local fellow who supplies both fitted and bespoke kitchens so I hope to have. word with him soon . The bespoke's doors are in framed with the doors   fitted to the frames via butt hinges. To my mind that is a  sign of quality although  the price may well end up being far more than I am willing to pay .I'd would go as far as £20k all in if the quality is there  -cabinets , quarts worktops, pelmet lights taps sink   a single oven combination microwave and induction hob.Existing  fridge, extractor and dishwasher I would keep as they work fine .I had one quote from Howdens for their painted  Chelford range  which made me almost  fall on the floor as I worked out that the cabinets would come to 10k, more or less. I know that is RRP buy my mate  paid almost half of that and that included appliances. Anyway I would welcome suggestions ,Thanks

 

I also included a plan of the room which also includes for print of the current kitchen .I would to like the new kitchen to more or  less follow it 

Kitchen_planb_2_1_copy.pdf

[PeterW]

10 minutes ago, DonMaico said:

As I wont be fitting myself I cannot waste my fitters time.

Quick answer to that is to book the fitter for 2 weeks after the delivery date. It is what they advise, as do Howdens, Wickes etc to cope with that very issue. 
 

12 minutes ago, DonMaico said:

shows to me the inherent weakness of MFC. Maybe it's not dense enough and therefore not great at holding screws wherever there is a load

No issue with MFC - the issue is BenchMark are bottom of the range and the cabinets are only 15mm. DIY - and other decent ones - are 18mm. 
 

14 minutes ago, DonMaico said:

I had one quote from Howdens for their painted  Chelford range  which made me almost  fall on the floor as I worked out that the cabinets would come to 10k, more or less. I know that is RRP

You need an account to buy from Howdens at anything like standard pricing - and also wait for the March/November sales.  

[DonMaico]

27 minutes ago, PeterW said:

Quick answer to that is to book the fitter for 2 weeks after the delivery date. It is what they advise, as do Howdens, Wickes etc to cope with that very issue. 
 

No issue with MFC - the issue is BenchMark are bottom of the range and the cabinets are only 15mm. DIY - and other decent ones - are 18mm. 
 

You need an account to buy from Howdens at anything like standard pricing - and also wait for the March/November sales.  

thank I l''bear that in mind .I was hoping to find a fitter who has experience with DIY Kitchens and let him do all the planning ordering etc .I also got sample aFROM DIY Kitchens for one of their cabinets and what struck me is how dense the MFC is 

Edited April 18, 2021 by DonMaico

[ProDave]

I like Howdens, because they have a branch close to me and if there is anything wrong that needs changing even if not in stock they can usually get it quickly.

 

Contrast that with the last kitchen I was involved in (I only did the electrics not the fitting)  the customer had ordered it all from a big orange DIY store and it had all been delivered.  When the inevitable happened and parts did not fit and the design was wrong, you could not just pop to the local branch and pick them up, everything had to be ordered with a corresponding time lag, resulted in a very unhappy fitter who could not finish the job and had to keep coming back when the parts arrived.

[nod]

I fitted a German kitchen (Nolte )

Far cheaper than Magnet Wickes 

and similar price to Howdens German lookalike 

[tonyshouse]

I use Lamtek for carcuses, any size and style then buy doors to fit , gets a away from multiples of 100mm for best use of space 

[DonMaico]

43 minutes ago, nod said:

I fitted a German kitchen (Nolte )

Far cheaper than Magnet Wickes 

and similar price to Howdens German lookalike 

funnily enough I was trying to use  their online planning tool without much success .It only only seems work in multiples of 100mm so difficult to get accurate measurements 

[DonMaico]

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

I like Howdens, because they have a branch close to me and if there is anything wrong that needs changing even if not in stock they can usually get it quickly.

 

Contrast that with the last kitchen I was involved in (I only did the electrics not the fitting)  the customer had ordered it all from a big orange DIY store and it had all been delivered.  When the inevitable happened and parts did not fit and the design was wrong, you could not just pop to the local branch and pick them up, everything had to be ordered with a corresponding time lag, resulted in a very unhappy fitter who could not finish the job and had to keep coming back when the parts arrived.

we have branches all over the place here as they are very popular with kitchen installers but the £16k quote did me baulk somewhat but as you say there  reliability  in terms of delivery  and availability is a big plus with them

Edited April 18, 2021 by DonMaico

[PeterW]

4 minutes ago, DonMaico said:

funnily enough I was trying to use  their online planning tool without much success .It only only seems work in multiples of 100mm so difficult to get accurate measurements 

thats a standard measurement. You use spacers to get the correct gaps plus it allows rooms to be out of square. Also, the depth of a corner isn’t a multiple of 100mm so you need the adjustment 

[nod]

23 minutes ago, DonMaico said:

we have branches all over the place here as they are very popular with kitchen installers but the £16k quote did me baulk somewhat but as you say there  reliability  in terms of delivery  and availability is a big plus with them

I’ve fitted loads of Howdens kitchens Very rarely anything missing and a massive stock of bits 

It’s just a shame that they never give there best price You have to go through the same nonsense each time 

 

A real problem with the German kitchens is Six weeks turnaround for anything missing or damaged in transit

We had a door and a cupboard damaged and a five mtre stainless finger rail scratched So wasn’t able to order the quarts If I’d have been fitting for a customer Six weeks without a kitchen would have caused a real problem 

 

[wozza]

3 hours ago, PeterW said:

No issue with MFC - the issue is BenchMark are bottom of the range and the cabinets are only 15mm. DIY - and other decent ones - are 18mm. 
 

 

Benchmarx are 18mm see here:   Kitchen cabinets | Benchmarx Kitchens & Joinery

 

DIY KitchenS have 8mm cabinet backs, Benchmarx have 12mm

 

Benchmarx also now do a dark carbon coloured cabinet - (not yet showing on website)

 

We have just had a very competitive quote from Benchmarx, I have compared Howdens, Wickes and Benchmarx and a local manufacturer (factory is at the rear of the showroom) like for like and for me Benchmarx is winning.

 

 

Edited April 18, 2021 by wozza

[Oz07]

A lot of the time you won't know whether DIY things are damaged till you unwrap. It's decent stuff but I would say the clue is in the name. Trying to do ordinate with pro fitter on timescale is asking for trouble 

[DonMaico]

2 hours ago, nod said:

I’ve fitted loads of Howdens kitchens Very rarely anything missing and a massive stock of bits 

It’s just a shame that they never give there best price You have to go through the same nonsense each time 

 

A real problem with the German kitchens is Six weeks turnaround for anything missing or damaged in transit

We had a door and a cupboard damaged and a five mtre stainless finger rail scratched So wasn’t able to order the quarts If I’d have been fitting for a customer Six weeks without a kitchen would have caused a real problem 

 

yes I don't think my wife would be too happy about something. like that happening

[DonMaico]

1 hour ago, wozza said:

 

Benchmarx are 18mm see here:   Kitchen cabinets | Benchmarx Kitchens & Joinery

 

DIY KitchenS have 8mm cabinet backs, Benchmarx have 12mm

 

Benchmarx also now do a dark carbon coloured cabinet - (not yet showing on website)

 

We have just had a very competitive quote from Benchmarx, I have compared Howdens, Wickes and Benchmarx and a local manufacturer (factory is at the rear of the showroom) like for like and for me Benchmarx is winning.

 

 

my next port of call will probably. be Benchmark although looking at their brochure it's difficult to ascertain which doors and other frontages are not of the wrapped type. ythe Somerset range are the only ones too have sort of description that is they have "solid timber frames with veneered centres" whether that means they are painted finish I dont know  but none of the other ranges give any description at all so my instinct is to assume they are all wrapped 

[gaz_moose]

what door style do you want?

I have the J-pull handle less ones, I looked at all the big DIY sheds and wren etc.. and found that a lot of the door had edging strip on them, had hinge recesses on each side, or were really orange peely in texture. in the end I got an Ultima one from DIY kitchens and it is nice. I did have some issues with damaged stuff arriving but it was near the start of lockdown so could see they were just trying to rush orders out. the delivery drivers are decent guys, they have a fleet of smaller vans that deliver small orders that drop off replacement stuff, longest I had to wait was 2 weeks for redelivery.  all their stuff comes premade so get thiings like cooker,fridge,corner and sink units dry assembled

[DonMaico]

I finally decided after getting three quotes from Howdens, Benchmarx  and Magnet to opt for a local  independent retailer/installer who uses doors supplied from Second Nature fitted onto carcasses made by a firm in Eastbourne   called Gallery Furniture Systems. Their carcasses are made from high density MFC, have18mm backing and come in a choice of colours .Still undecided about worktops but it will probably be a choice between Quarts and Tristone .I shall keep most of the appliances as they are stallion good working our as well as the tap and will replace the oven and induction hot plus add a  boil in combination oven/microwave/ grill. Any thanks for the feedback

[patp]

Has anyone, as a Self Builder, managed to open an account with Howdens? I wondered if I could type up a letter head and some compliment slips. Chris is a plumber by trade but no longer trading so not really a big fib.

[Conor]

4 minutes ago, patp said:

Has anyone, as a Self Builder, managed to open an account with Howdens? I wondered if I could type up a letter head and some compliment slips. Chris is a plumber by trade but no longer trading so not really a big fib.

When we enquired and explained we were self builders, they said they'd happily open an account. In the end we've gone with a local company as they are well priced, fully supply and fit and have personal recommendations.

[patp]

Are there accounts all the same do you think? I used to work in a Builders Merchants and there were trade accounts and trade accounts. It all came down to how much the client was spending. I chose to open a cash account with our local builders merchant. It was my opinion that cash is king in the building trade. Some large builders run up three months worth of credit before de camping to a rival where they do the same thing. Only when all accounts have been suspended do they pay their balance off.

[dpmiller]

15 minutes ago, Conor said:

When we enquired and explained we were self builders, they said they'd happily open an account. In the end we've gone with a local company as they are well priced, fully supply and fit and have personal recommendations.

@Conor who did you go with? PM if preferred...

[Conor]

3 hours ago, dpmiller said:

@Conor who did you go with? PM if preferred...

Haldane of all places. We priced Howdens, and four independent places in Belfast/Ards/Bangor. Haldane where second cheapest to Howdens but kitchens much nicer and they install. One place we priced sells same range as Haldane but was £3k more expensive for basically the same kitchen!! A friend got one installed by them last year and was very happy. 

 

And they take credit card with no additional fee. Most others don't. 

Edited April 27, 2021 by Conor

[joe90]

Howden’s usually price match any similar quote( they always did for me ) and I went back and forth between them and “others” blaming the customer on getting the other quotes ?