Magnet

[Russell griffiths]

My wallet has just slowly retreated into a dark corner to hide. 

I cannot believe the prices of some of these kitchens. ?

[Nickfromwales]

6 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

My wallet has just slowly retreated into a dark corner to hide. 

I cannot believe the prices of some of these kitchens. ?

Time to shop smart then. You can make a stunning kitchen and fit cheap appliances for now, upgrading as you go.

As I've said, everything in the magnet showroom is available from magnet trade, literally thousands of pounds cheaper. . 

Get B&Q and wickes to design you a kitchen with the space you have, then get them to do two or theee variations explaining that time is of essence, then use those free drawings to start a design of your own. 

Upooad it here and we'll chuck in our 2-cents. Bingo. 

[Jml]

Can also use quotes from B&Q and Wickes to beat the price down, we were able to reduce quote substantially on that basis, although went with Wickes in the end.  May also be cheaper to shop on net for appliances especially in sales as could probably do better than 10% reduction.

[Russell griffiths]

Tbh I’ve got a Howdens account, and find them easy to deal with can’t remember any major problems and always fairly quick to replace any missing bits. 

When it comes time to do mine I think I will have a look around but will probably come back to Howdens as long as I can get what I’m looking for. 

[Nickfromwales]

Howdens are just too "bread and butter" imo. You can do much better for not much more £. 

[nod]

I’m quite surprised at the cost

i realise that if I go down the route of quarts granite etc

The price of the worktops will be about the same

But the price of chipboard cupboards amazes me

a friend of mine had solid wood carcasses a couple of years back

I didn’t ask him how much they cost I’m sort of glad that I didn’t now

 

we are no further on choosing a kitchen But we are pretty settled on a layout Which means I can get on with the first fix electrical and plumbing also

[nod]

Just now, nod said:

I’m quite suprised at the cost

i realise that if I go down the route of quarts granite etc

The price of the worktops will be about the same

But the price of chipboard cupboards amazes me

a friend of mine had solid wood carcasses a couple of years back

I didn’t ask him how much they cast I’m sort of glad that I didn’t now

 

we are no further on choosing a kitchen But we are pretty settled on a layout Which means I can get on with the first fix electrical and plumbing also

 

Ps We called into Wickes

The salesmen Sorry designer Asked what budget we had I ruluctently told him 10k with sold wood worktops 

Well that cut our half hour slot short 

No chance were his exact words

 

i dont think that we are being unrealistic for a supply only kitchen 

 

 

[Nickfromwales]

5 minutes ago, nod said:

 

Ps We called into Wickes

The salesmen Sorry designer Asked what budget we had I ruluctently told him 10k with sold wood worktops 

Well that cut our half hour slot short 

No chance were his exact words

 

i dont think that we are being unrealistic for a supply only kitchen 

 

 

Don't tell them the budget. Just say you'll pay accordingly for the kitchen you like. Ask them to omit appliances so you get the cost of the 'wood' only. Basically that'll de-cloak the cost of the actual kitchen. It's harder then for them to garnish the price with the usual 40% that they then revoke.  

[Simplysimon]

alternatively, with some extra work try -

http://www.theusedkitchencompany.com/product-category/kitchens-for-sale

http://www.usedkitchenexchange.co.uk/product-category/used-kitchen/

https://www.kitchenexchange.co.uk/

save a fortune and recycle

 

[nod]

22 minutes ago, Simplysimon said:

alternatively, with some extra work try -

http://www.theusedkitchencompany.com/product-category/kitchens-for-sale

http://www.usedkitchenexchange.co.uk/product-category/used-kitchen/

https://www.kitchenexchange.co.uk/

save a fortune and recycle

 

Top tip Simon

thank you

[jamiehamy]

Got the floor in this afternoon which means the kitchen is now  95% complete :-) still got 2.5 bathrooms to complete tho. 

 

Really pleased with the kitchen. 

[Onoff]

22 minutes ago, jamiehamy said:

Got the floor in this afternoon which means the kitchen is now  95% complete :-) still got 2.5 bathrooms to complete tho. 

 

Really pleased with the kitchen. 

 

My missus hates me having tools in the kitchen but I may suggest some dedicated shelves like you've done to keep the boxes of screws, glue etc handy!

[Nickfromwales]

26 minutes ago, jamiehamy said:

Got the floor in this afternoon which means the kitchen is now  95% complete :-) still got 2.5 bathrooms to complete tho. 

 

Really pleased with the kitchen. 

Is that a wren kitchen ? I've just done one identical to that with the chrome verticals and the chrome fingergap for handleless doors. Getting the washer / drier under the base unit chrome strip leaves VERY little wiggle room. 

[jamiehamy]

1 hour ago, Nickfromwales said:

Is that a wren kitchen ? I've just done one identical to that with the chrome verticals and the chrome fingergap for handleless doors. Getting the washer / drier under the base unit chrome strip leaves VERY little wiggle room. 

It is - I'll need to check I can get the dishwasher OUT now the flooring is in! 

[Nickfromwales]

12 minutes ago, jamiehamy said:

It is - I'll need to check I can get the dishwasher OUT now the flooring is in! 

It was beyond tight, and the washing machine was a total barsteward to level as it had to be taken in and out to get it level. D/W should be easy as the rear leg drops from the front panel. 

[Jeremy Harris]

Not sure if this is a useful tip or not, but I chose to completely floor our kitchen before even taking delivery of the units.  Instead of fitting skirting boards where the units were to go, I bonded on 50mm x 50mm white PVC internal angle, with neutral cure silicone.  This effectively sealed the stone floor from the walls all around, so if there's a leak water can't get to the plaster or under the stone (I hope!).

 

It also makes for a very clean area under the kitchen units (I know you can't see under there..........) and hopefully it won't become a haven for woodlice, spiders etc.  In the utility room, where the non-built in  washing machine fitted next to a unit that had a side panel that went down to the floor, I did the same trick and lined the floor to wall/panel area where the machine slides in with the same 50mm x 50mm white PVC angle, again so that any water that leaks can't get at the walls or unit.

[TheMitchells]

We've just finished our Howdens kitchen and the OH, who fitted, it was impressed by the quaility and ease of installation. much better since the last one we did a few years ago.  I thiink you can acheive a lovely kitchen by using fairly standard carcasses then use better quality worktops and appliances.  Its was only a small kitchen for our renovation house but came in at around £4k.  That was units, appliances, handles and oak worktops, a; from Howdens, in their Oct sale.

 

 

 

[jamiehamy]

On 28/12/2017 at 10:23, curlewhouse said:

I mean if you were designing from scratch, who would choose chipboard as a base material in areas which may get wet? One leak under the sink and with most kitchens you've got a soggy mess.  

Voila! Out sink unit and the bin unit both came with these, which have rubber seals at the edges. I've had a small leak from the tap area as I've not tightened it (and someone splashed a lot) - just sat on this and caused zero damage :-) 

[jamiehamy]

On 12/28/2017 at 00:23, Nickfromwales said:

I was only the fitter, but they still cost ME money. Delivery drivers REFUSED point blank to do the first drop ( requested so we weren't all sat arout scratching our arses ), but no chance. Told the stuff had to come off the wagon in perfect harmony, according to the order in which it was loaded onto it. Fair enough, can't argue with that methodology can you? ?

Wagon turns up late afternoon and the kitchen was third deep so they basically threw most of the other two kitchens which were in the way out onto the street, then, whist tired and pissed off from this perfectly orchestrated ballet of bullshit, proceeded to bash and unsympathetically wrestle the kitchen I was fitting into the property. Then they slung the others back onto the wagon in no real order. Tidy. 

5 damaged units 

6 damaged doors ( as they're ready fitted to the damaged units ) 

Most decor end panels either wrong or damaged 

Oh, and they gave us two items from another customers order. They must have been right pissed off. I didn't notice until towards the end of the fit as we had to abandon it twice due to duff parts. 

Gloss white decor ends, the tower ones retail at £200+, are full gloss foil on 1 face / 4 sides and the other face is Matt White with open seems where the Matt meets the foil. Utter dogshit. Radius's on the 3 sides and square edged at the junction. They came damaged but I could have wiggled something if the bloody things were reversible. Nope, that would be too easy. ?

Replacement decor panels arrived either damaged or a different colour white. Weeks and weeks ( 7 iirc ) passed before the manager got involved and told that they'd even stopped putting the wrappers and foam corners on the deliveries. He assured us the next one ( the 900x960 breakfast bar one ) would be delivered super fast, by a unicorn on a bed of cotton wool. It again arrived with no additional wrapping, other than the cardboard, and again smashed on one corner. As it was gloss one side only, again we had to charge for a wasted journey as we couldn't even flip it over, ( which at this stage the customer would have accepted ). 

To summarise. 

Wren. 

1) Showrooms are stunning. If you go in there with cash, you'll leave with a kitchen without a doubt. 

2) That's where the dream ends. 

3) Big wait, and then a load of broken, uncared for stuff arrives which is unfit to install. 

4) Fitters won't hang around so you lose your 1st choice fitters

5) New fitters get pissed off when replacement gear also is a load of ? so they leave too

6) Go to Magnet. Everything in the expensive and lovely showroom is available from the trade outlet in the building next door. £13k retail kitchen for change of £7k. Delivered with nothing damaged. Replacement parts turnaround much quicker. ( I dropped my chisel and it fell against a door, damaging it. I told the salesman what had happened and as he couldn't believe I hadn't spun some elaborate story and blamed them for it being damaged replaced it free of charge ). 

If I ever get asked to do a wren kitchen, it'll be with a huge disclaimer which I'll want signing before I start. 

(I missed this earlier!) Polar opposite from ours - I was pretty cynical and waiting for it to balls up and paid close attention to the whole process. Delivery was smooth as anything - told in advance,, phone call in the morning and turned up bang on time. When they turned up, I asked when they picked it up - they said that morning - everything leaves from the factory and is co-ordinated to that the first delivery is at the back (obviously didn't happen with yours!). They don't move any units once loaded - the whole back of the truck comes off at the depot and the driver takes an empty back down south. Packing wise, not a single thing was damaged. Apparently everything was manufactured the day before (near Hull no less). I even found the pack they sent with all the units, plans and notes pretty handy. And I liked the week polystyrene 'thing' they sent up to put doors on if you had to take them off. Oh - and the 'free' worktop, tap and sink to be installed temporarily until the Quartz worktops came - a nice touch. 

 

Re: the foil faces on the tower units, I agree on this - ours is chalk white (matt) so not as noticable but it's not good for the price. 

 

Anyways, we're getting ready to order the bar and utility room - I wonder if it'll be as smooth second time round?! 

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, jamiehamy said:

(I missed this earlier!) Polar opposite from ours - I was pretty cynical and waiting for it to balls up and paid close attention to the whole process. Delivery was smooth as anything - told in advance,, phone call in the morning and turned up bang on time. When they turned up, I asked when they picked it up - they said that morning - everything leaves from the factory and is co-ordinated to that the first delivery is at the back (obviously didn't happen with yours!). They don't move any units once loaded - the whole back of the truck comes off at the depot and the driver takes an empty back down south. Packing wise, not a single thing was damaged. Apparently everything was manufactured the day before (near Hull no less). I even found the pack they sent with all the units, plans and notes pretty handy. And I liked the week polystyrene 'thing' they sent up to put doors on if you had to take them off. Oh - and the 'free' worktop, tap and sink to be installed temporarily until the Quartz worktops came - a nice touch. 

 

Re: the foil faces on the tower units, I agree on this - ours is chalk white (matt) so not as noticable but it's not good for the price. 

 

Anyways, we're getting ready to order the bar and utility room - I wonder if it'll be as smooth second time round?! 

Yea, when I saw your kitchen ( and commented ) I clicked my stopwatch.

Sounds like your branch should speak to the clowns this side of the bridge as it was 3 kitchens on the same wagon, in the wrong order. The other two kitchens must have been firewood after the delivery monkeys finished with the unloading and re- loading. 

 

 

 

These were 2 of the 5 damaged units. I think this was done when they unloaded and just smacked them down on the pavement. 

 

 

 

 

I would say around 60% of it came damaged. 

[nod]

On 01/01/2018 at 14:57, TheMitchells said:

We've just finished our Howdens kitchen and the OH, who fitted, it was impressed by the quaility and ease of installation. much better since the last one we did a few years ago.  I thiink you can acheive a lovely kitchen by using fairly standard carcasses then use better quality worktops and appliances.  Its was only a small kitchen for our renovation house but came in at around £4k.  That was units, appliances, handles and oak worktops, a; from Howdens, in their Oct sale.

 

 

 

Agreed looks great 

like the breakfast bar also?