Is Howdens cheaper than online retailers?

[Thorfun]

greetings. i'm considering opening a trade account at Howdens (if they'll accept it that is) but i'm wondering if their prices are cheaper than you can buy elsewhere online? Howdens don't display their prices on the website so i can't do a comparison without opening an account. i'd rather not bother with the faff of opening the account if they aren't actually cheaper.

 

has anyone who has an account done this research or can check prices on doors, architrave, skirting, door frames etc and post them so i can compare?

[Kelvin]

They popped by our build to ask if they could quote on some stuff so I let them loose on the utility room. Very simple layout. £6600! 😂 DiY kitchens came in at £2800 and it’s better quality imo. 

[Thorfun]

thanks @Kelvin. kind of says it all really! any idea about individual doors or skirting etc?

[Kelvin]

We have a Howdens in Blairgowrie but because of the big Trade Only sign I’ve never bothered going in so no idea. The trades seem to use a Perth building supplies place rather than the local Howdens. 

[saveasteading]

We've used Howdens for kitchen 1, and about to for kitchen 2.

And several times through the ages.

 

Have used benchmarx many times and magnet in the past too.

 

Whenever I've used the diy store stuff it has been much inferior in panel thickness, strength, flatpack of course, and veneer.

 

I can't commrnent on @Kelvin s recommendation, so of course check them out.

 

Unless it's changed, benchmarx and wickes are the same stuff, with a slight overlap in the quality/ range, which is interesting.

 

Someone on here said they got a better deal at a different Howdens.

 

What annoys me most is silly prices for the skirtings, end panels etc.

Ask to delete them, saying uou will buy them elsewhere,  and see what happens.

Oh, and another whole end panel to separate 2 units...you can get 2 out of one, or delete for a plainer appearance. 

  On 25/10/2023 at 16:38, Thorfun said:

Howdens don't display their prices on the website

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They are serious about being trade only. They used to have 2 price lists, one for end customers with 20% built in for the installer. Now they don't.

It's unlikely they will turn a blind eye and give a trade accpunt as it will annoy the genuine fitters.

[Thorfun]

Thanks @saveasteading but I’m not interested in kitchens as we already have one now installed. I’m interested in doors, skirting, architrave and other joinery bits. 

[Kelvin]

I suggest getting a DiY kitchens sample pack for anyone else thinking about kitchens (not @Thorfun 😂 ) Even that is excellent tbh. 22mm panels. Solid oak worktop. Comes pre-assembled and glued although you can specify dry assemble. 
 

 

Edited October 25, 2023 by Kelvin

[Buzz]

Hi @Thorfun what are you looking for ? I have an account and will gladly share the howdens price .

[nod]

  On 25/10/2023 at 18:06, Thorfun said:

Thanks @saveasteading but I’m not interested in kitchens as we already have one now installed. I’m interested in doors, skirting, architrave and other joinery bits. 

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Get a quote from Howdens Then take it next door to Benchmark and they will usually beat it 

[jayc89]

My mum worked at Howdens for 30+ years (well, Hygena, MFI etc before then), I got a quote for our Utility room through her friend who works out of one of their depots and they said we'd received the highest discount possible, it was still 20% more expensive than DIY Kitchens. Needless to say we went with the latter and the quality is spot on. We plan on using DIY Kitchens for our kitchen too. 

[Thorfun]

  On 25/10/2023 at 18:11, Kelvin said:

I suggest getting a DiY kitchens sample pack for anyone else thinking about kitchens (not @Thorfun 😂 ) Even that is excellent tbh. 22mm panels. Solid oak worktop. Comes pre-assembled and glued although you can specify dry assemble. 
 

 

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We will need a utility room at some point so will definitely take a look. 
 

but doors are more important! 😂

[Thorfun]

  On 25/10/2023 at 18:13, Buzz said:

Hi @Thorfun what are you looking for ? I have an account and will gladly share the howdens price .

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Thanks. To start with I need 2x FD30 fire doors for between the house and garage. And the door frame to go with them. If I could get a price on something pretty generic I can compare with online retailers. 
 

architraves and skirting will come later as I’m not sure what size the wife wants. 

[Buzz]

  On 25/10/2023 at 18:37, Thorfun said:

Thanks. To start with I need 2x FD30 fire doors for between the house and garage. And the door frame to go with them. If I could get a price on something pretty generic I can compare with online retailers. 
 

architraves and skirting will come later as I’m not sure what size the wife wants. 

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Something like this ?

[Thorfun]

  On 25/10/2023 at 19:22, Buzz said:

Something like this ?

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Amazing! Thank you. I will Google a similar door later and compare the results. 

[Buzz]

  On 25/10/2023 at 19:25, Thorfun said:

Amazing! Thank you. I will Google a similar door later and compare the results. 

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And the non fire door price 

[Thorfun]

  On 25/10/2023 at 19:38, Buzz said:

And the non fire door price 

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I assume the ‘from’ price is for the 2’3” door?

[Buzz]

  On 25/10/2023 at 19:41, Thorfun said:

I assume the ‘from’ price is for the 2’3” door?

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They only have 2 prices but lots of sizes it looks like upto 762 wide is £66 and anything above that is £69 .

This is the largest they do 

[Jenki]

Up very North, my options are limited, but there is a Howdens.

For the Kitchen I planned ours using DIY kitchens, but they won't deliver here, I could collect from Yorkshire though. I got a price (no worktops ) around 4k. Went to Howdens 7.2k, I sent them details of the diy Kitchens, and in the super sale they price matched. But they have a leaflet on each competitor, and list the differences, reducing the offering to match quality..  one example being that DIY kitchens soft close option is an add on to the draw box, and clip on soft close for hinges. ( I'm told?).

Bottom line, you need to haggle big time to get a decent price.

We ended up paying 4k for the full kitchen, with an upgrade to the walk in larder. Our concession was the removal of the cutlery draw and bin which I'll get elsewhere. They were a ridiculous price.

 

[Jenki]

@Thorfun word of warning, don't look at the XL joinery book for doors, especially the coffee themed pre finish options. They look amazing but  £££

[saveasteading]

  On 25/10/2023 at 18:06, Thorfun said:

skirting, architrave and other joinery bits. 

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With doors we got the best price at Howdens. This type all look like the same US source to me, so shop around as all the merchants are intermediaries.

If anyone knows how the oak laminate is made, please tell. I can't work it out.

 

Skirtings and other mouldings are best from specialists who do nothing else. If you want pine, you can sometimes get these direct from the mill.

I built a few mill buuldings, and could see the packs of mouldings going out shrinkwrapped, with 4 or 5 different diy store stickers on them. 

 

We once got oak skirtings at an amazing price, after lots of shopping around.

I think it was online.

 

[saveasteading]

I've spoken to the kitchen buyer here, over breakfast. She says the giveaway quality difference is in the door finishes, Having compared lots of air bnb recently. Being used, they have had time to wear or fail.

All new, but on several, the film was peeling off at the edges.

The difference in door prices is huge. 

[Thorfun]

  On 25/10/2023 at 19:22, Buzz said:

Something like this ?

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so i've only done a quick Google but found this from door superstore, an XL joinery FD30 for about the same price as the Howdens one (it's actually £2 cheaper).

 

https://www.doorsuperstore.co.uk/product/xl-joinery-suffolk-essential-fd30-fire-door-oak-internal-door.html

 

and as above someone said that XL are stupidly expensive it leads me to think that maybe it is just cheaper to shop online for doors that bother with trying to open a Howdens account.

 

not a very scientific experiment and definitely not a lot of research gone in to it though!

[dpmiller]

better chance of it arriving in one piece if you collect from the local depot than expecting some courier to take care of it...

[Buzz]

  On 27/10/2023 at 09:12, Thorfun said:

so i've only done a quick Google but found this from door superstore, an XL joinery FD30 for about the same price as the Howdens one (it's actually £2 cheaper).

 

https://www.doorsuperstore.co.uk/product/xl-joinery-suffolk-essential-fd30-fire-door-oak-internal-door.html

 

and as above someone said that XL are stupidly expensive it leads me to think that maybe it is just cheaper to shop online for doors that bother with trying to open a Howdens account.

 

not a very scientific experiment and definitely not a lot of research gone in to it though!

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We went round the houses looking for doors and skirts ,in the end it went to howdens as swimbo could look and touch them in the local branch and as @dpmillersaid above if anything was damaged a simple process of taking it back and picking up another in 30 mins , thankfully we didn't need to but it was a consideration. 

[Thorfun]

I think, in the end, that we're going to go with these throughout.

 

https://www.jewson.co.uk/p/premdor-interior-grade-plus-fireshield-door-1981-x-838-x-44mm-white-PCD23114

 

Jewson came up trumps again and I've been quoted £71 per door. seems a bargain to me as we don't have much money left and we can paint them whatever colour we want!