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New Kitchen


Batman
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Never been in a position where have needed this done.

 

Just curious, anyone done theirs lately.......?

how much would something like this cost for a decent (nothing spectacular) standard.

 

The kitchen we will have will be very small. 4.5mx2m. It will need the floor and walls re-done and probably a plug point or two moved.

 

 

how easy is it to install plumbing for a dishwasher (would have to be a slim line one and have seen a good spot for it in my mind)

when I say how easy. I will be doing none of the work and getting someone in to do it.

 

have googled around for all of the above and the general prices on various blogs are all over the place (as expected really)

 

am visiting BQ at the weekend to see what they say but fully expect them to be at the more expensive end of the price scale

 

Cheers

Edited by Batman
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Mate I work for howdens, drop me a private message and I'll sort you out with my staff discounts x

What are the staff discounts like compared to trade? Trade "discount" seems to be about 60%-70%; I've got a mate of a mate at Howdens who offered staff discount but I never looked into it. Thinking of re-doing the kitchen now so I might give it a go.

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Fitting wise £800-£1500 that would be a straight forward kitchen

Generally around 8 units dishwasher hob oven sink 2 worktop joints, plinth, pelmet/cornice

it is abit like how long is a piece of string

Use most of the kitchen company's down here and howdens are by far the best on price quality etc

 

adding moving sockets or if you need a cooker supply or hob supply bump the cost up, as well as gas

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Great advantage of Howdens is the cupboards come all premade ready to install or at least they used too.

 

Yup, they still do - and it's all from stock, which is quite handy. No waiting around for it, which is decent.

 

What are the staff discounts like compared to trade? Trade "discount" seems to be about 60%-70%; I've got a mate of a mate at Howdens who offered staff discount but I never looked into it. Thinking of re-doing the kitchen now so I might give it a go.

 

Yeah, the trade discounts can vary depending on product, can be anything between 55-85% on kitchen units (dependent on range, accessories, upgrade items), whilst other items consumbables/hardware (30% and up), mouldings, doors, joinery (40% and up) and flooring (60% and up).

 

As for staff, once again, it's dependent on the range but it could be anything between 70%-85% off the units and 70%-95% off the range panels, plinths etc. Obviously, the pre-discount prices are huge thus enabling the large percentage off but it's still great value for money and it's no obligation - the survey and design service is free, there is never a deposit required on the kitchen so if you do decide otherwise nothing is lost.

 

As someone said above, one of the major things for us is the cabinets are pre-made and all our products are from stock, with the exception of some of the metric internal doors or decorative kitchen items... and if we don't have it at the branch, we can source it in very good time and have it dropped out to you if required.

 

Anyway, I don't want to bore any of you too much but if anyone does require any information by all means don't hesitate to ask.

 

The Kraken, are you local?

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Crab Lungs sorted me out with a kitchen a couple of years back and it was one of the best decisions we made when we rebuilt this ole house.

 

Haha, oh yeah, I forgot about that... Hope everything's ok with your kitchen and you're doing well, Um. :)

 

Yes pal, I'm in Highfield.

 

 

OK, well, I'd be more than happy to pass my contact on when you're nearer the time if you wanted to come down to the showroom and see what we do :)

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Just sharing this info - for balance.

 

I was going for a Howden's kitchen - but the 70-80% promised by my builder turned out to be nearer 30% and would have been paying about £10.5k including fitting.

 

I decided to have a look elsewhere to compare and my old man suggested I check which? The kitchen supplier with the highest rating for appliances/fitting etc was......................... Ikea.

 

Yep, I thought 'Ikea' also.... So anyway, I decided to go down with our girl and have a look and price up a fitting - just for interest and comparison. Anyway, long story short. Ikea offered me the identical style of kitchen, with 2 additional integrated appliances (btw all appliances come with a 5 year warranty) for just under £8k. This includes fitting also - by an independant company - and this also comes with a long warantee on parts and fitting - think it was 10 years.

 

Anyway, we have just arranged ours and fitting is in 4 weeks time. If we decide that we don't want or need anything during the fitting process - such as additional shelves etc, these can be taken back for a refund.

 

Payment is on a two year (interest free) plan to spread the costs.

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Just curious, anyone done theirs lately.......?

how much would something like this cost for a decent (nothing spectacular) standard.

 

depends how much you want to spend really and how much on top of just the kitchen install you want. If need sub floor sorting, plastering, decorating, tilling etc it can get expensive but if you just want a budget howdens kitchen some worktops and a new sink you can do it for a couple of grand easy.

 

 

how easy is it to install plumbing for a dishwasher (would have to be a slim line one and have seen a good spot for it in my mind)

when I say how easy. I will be doing none of the work and getting someone in to do it.

 

really easy. You just need a plug socket, a length of pipe to the waste and a cold feed.

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I have fitted loads of kitchens and personally always go to Howdens. Used to use Magnet but my customer got messed around by them over an American fridge/freezer so haven't gone back.

 

Some of the high end Howdens stuff isn't quite as good as it should be IMO but that's only ever been little problems I've encountered which most people probably wouldn't even consider a problem.

 

Have hears good things about Wren kitchens, there units are delivered built like Howdens but also with doors and handles attached.

 

Have fitted a couple of IKEA kitchens, both fine and good value for money although takes times to build it all and also the plumbing for the sinks is always a bit suspect. worktops there are great value especially.

 

Never fitted b&q or Wickes kitchens.

 

I would suggest shopping around, if I was fitting a kitchen for myself and didn't want to spend a fortune is get units, doors and handles from Howdens, shop around for some timber worktops, get a sink from a plumbers merchants and look online for appliances.

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OK, well, I'd be more than happy to pass my contact on when you're nearer the time if you wanted to come down to the showroom and see what we do :)

How does it work Lungs; do I need to find a builder first?

 

I did look into it at the turn of the year, and had a builder lined up. I got the Totton branch to come out and measure up etc. and price me up.

 

Since then I decided I didn't want quite the design and my builder told me couldn't do it, and still can't.

 

I've been reluctant to go back to the Totton branch lest they think I'm mucking them about. But I still want the same type of kitchen they planned (minor changes to make), so there's already something to work with.

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We recently ordered a complete kitchen from Wren - they have a store at West Quay.

 

Units are supplied pre-assembled and seem to be very good quality.

 

Initial consultation & design at their showroom followed by a home visit for final measure up - both were effortless.

 

Delivery was exactly when they said it would be.

 

Their prices are already very competitive, but we managed to secure a sizeable further discount (plus free units and worktop for a utility room) before handing over a deposit.

 

We've not had it fitted yet (that's 2 weeks away) but, so far at least, I'd have no hesitation in recommending them.

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How does it work Lungs; do I need to find a builder first?

 

I did look into it at the turn of the year, and had a builder lined up. I got the Totton branch to come out and measure up etc. and price me up.

 

Since then I decided I didn't want quite the design and my builder told me couldn't do it, and still can't.

 

I've been reluctant to go back to the Totton branch lest they think I'm mucking them about. But I still want the same type of kitchen they planned (minor changes to make), so there's already something to work with.

 

Ideally find a builder, though I can definitely recommend a couple of really, really good tradespeople who do an excellent job (I'm not supposed to recommend, but there are certain people who I trust implicitly).

 

Ah, sod it. I'll message you!

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We recently ordered a complete kitchen from Wren - they have a store at West Quay.

 

Units are supplied pre-assembled and seem to be very good quality.

 

Initial consultation & design at their showroom followed by a home visit for final measure up - both were effortless.

 

Delivery was exactly when they said it would be.

 

Their prices are already very competitive, but we managed to secure a sizeable further discount (plus free units and worktop for a utility room) before handing over a deposit.

 

We've not had it fitted yet (that's 2 weeks away) but, so far at least, I'd have no hesitation in recommending them.

 

I'd say Wren are definitely our biggest competition and from what I can tell, very comparable quality.

 

I've not had much dealing with them but of the companies we hear of the most, it's usually Wren. I've seen their products though, and they are pretty good. (speaking impartially, of course). It's always quite interesting to hear other people's opinions on what I term as a competitor and find out their experiences as it good for us to be on our toes when it comes to this business.

 

Gruffalo, did you know of Howdens or consult with Howdens at all before deciding on Wren, just out of interest?

 

Irrespective, enjoy your new kitchen! :)

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Howdens? Booooooooooooooooooo!

 

Come to Benchmarx for a quote, you'll be very satisfied that you did! Same sort of setup as Howdens, prebuilt carcasses, 24hour delivery on stocked items, 48 hours on products not stocked. Have to find your own fitter as with other kitchen firms but could point you towards some I can unofficially recommend.

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Gruffalo, did you know of Howdens or consult with Howdens at all before deciding on Wren, just out of interest?

Both.

 

I know a couple of people in the trade who use Howdens a lot, one of whom arranged a home visit from one of their sales team.

 

No issue with anything they did, I just preferred the experience with Wren - from initial consultation through choosing the kitchen type, the design, the home visit and price negotiation.

 

And whilst I had no intention of playing one off against the other, having a Howden's quote clearly on show when the Wren guy popped round may well have helped the haggling process !

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Thanks all for the excellent advice here! Amazing what useful info you can find on SaintsWeb - we're shortly be in the market for a decent kitchen and utility room. Have experienced Magnet, I really don't want to have to go back! Just assumed the only other option was Howdens but will now look into Wren and Benchmarx too. Thanks all.

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  • 1 month later...

Few years ago when we moved house the kitchen was still c1953! So was obviously on the agenda. Having no idea I thought I would look at Mark Wilkinson Kitchens as I had seen some nice examples on my travels.

Phoned up, asked for a brochure. Few days later a parcel is sat on the doorstep, open it up and what only could be described as a Coffee Table book was inside, very pretty, hardback and lots of pages and pretty pictures, reading the spine I instantly thought : this is this is going to dent the budget!

The Wife whipped it off me and started ooo-ing and aaaa-ing through the pages as I was left with the covering letter, all very polite and nice, the Wife was already cooking baked beans on toast in half a dozen of them......... Then I came to the line in the letter to confirm my fears "......our Kitchen prices start at around £40,000!!...." I laughed and read the letter to the Wife got to that line and the book was instantly closed.

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I thought I would look at Mark Wilkinson Kitchens. Phoned up, asked for a brochure. Few days later a parcel is sat on the doorstep, open it up and what only could be described as a Coffee Table book was inside, very pretty, hardback and lots of pages and pretty pictures, reading the spine I instantly thought : this is this is going to dent the budget! ........ Then I came to the line in the letter to confirm my fears "......our Kitchen prices start at around £40,000!!...."

 

 

I had the same experience! In the end I got one from Homebase for £1,800, had it well fitted with a nice worktop and people still ask "was this handmade?"

Edited by buctootim
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Ok all you experts out there, how do I go about arranging an appointment with Howdens?? (I don't have a kitchen fitter/tradesperson yet)

 

Thanks..

 

You'll need a "kitchen fitter / tradesperson" to get a design and quote from Howdens. If in the early stages there is nothing stopping you going to one of their showrooms.

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You'll need a "kitchen fitter / tradesperson" to get a design and quote from Howdens. If in the early stages there is nothing stopping you going to one of their showrooms.

 

Many thanks, I think I'll just pop in and wing it for the time being - then look for a tradesperson once I know what I want.

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I had the same experience! In the end I got one from Homebase for £1,800, had it well fitted with a nice worktop and people still ask "was this handmade?"

Funny that as we (still) didn't know what we were/are going to do in the end regarding an extension, didn't want to blow a massive heap on the kitchen and then bin it 5/6 years later. As nearly a year after moving in the kitchen looked like a tinkers den and it was making us tetchy (thank fully the house came with a walk in pantry) ended up going to Wickes bought one of their Take Away Kitchens. Like you added a nice worktop, built the units and put them up myself, the Wife insisted that we got the chap in who tiled the bathroom to put up metro tiles, folks who came round when it was done couldn't believe the transformation or price.

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Funny that as we (still) didn't know what we were/are going to do in the end regarding an extension, didn't want to blow a massive heap on the kitchen and then bin it 5/6 years later. As nearly a year after moving in the kitchen looked like a tinkers den and it was making us tetchy (thank fully the house came with a walk in pantry) ended up going to Wickes bought one of their Take Away Kitchens. Like you added a nice worktop, built the units and put them up myself, the Wife insisted that we got the chap in who tiled the bathroom to put up metro tiles, folks who came round when it was done couldn't believe the transformation or price.

 

I'm planning to do exactly that with the Utility room to help save on budget. I wasn't sure it was enough for the kitchen though - perhaps I'll do the utility room first and see how it goes. Thanks all for advice/suggestions.

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  • 1 month later...
Yup, they still do - and it's all from stock, which is quite handy. No waiting around for it, which is decent.

 

 

 

Yeah, the trade discounts can vary depending on product, can be anything between 55-85% on kitchen units (dependent on range, accessories, upgrade items), whilst other items consumbables/hardware (30% and up), mouldings, doors, joinery (40% and up) and flooring (60% and up).

 

As for staff, once again, it's dependent on the range but it could be anything between 70%-85% off the units and 70%-95% off the range panels, plinths etc. Obviously, the pre-discount prices are huge thus enabling the large percentage off but it's still great value for money and it's no obligation - the survey and design service is free, there is never a deposit required on the kitchen so if you do decide otherwise nothing is lost.

 

As someone said above, one of the major things for us is the cabinets are pre-made and all our products are from stock, with the exception of some of the metric internal doors or decorative kitchen items... and if we don't have it at the branch, we can source it in very good time and have it dropped out to you if required.

 

Anyway, I don't want to bore any of you too much but if anyone does require any information by all means don't hesitate to ask.

 

The Kraken, are you local?

 

Crab Lungs, do Howdens do carcasses only? Also, if I give you the outline of a design, are you able to mock it up and give an idea of pricing please? Sorry to ask, have tried at Basingstoke but they appear to be too busy to help! Many thanks in anticipation.

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I’ll give another thumbs-up for Wren. I refitted our kitchen a couple of years back after looking at a most of the mentioned. I’d probably say Wren, Benchmark or Howdens (but not a lot wrong with Ikea, Wickes or B&Q either tbh) All that I looked at come (unlike the old Hygena days!) with carcasses already made up but a consideration with Wickes (back then) was there was no service area behind the units for pipes, cables, etc.

 

Went with Wren because it was very good quality and also done a great deal with them with a few extras thrown in on top of the ‘latest offers’. I bought the worktops and a couple of other bits and fitted it myself so saved a few bob there, although I had the worktops cut in by a pro at mates-rates.

 

Any of them will come out, measure up and supply an impressive ‘3D’ computer mock-up to give you a very good idea to how it will look.

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  • 4 weeks later...

For those interested I ended up designing and purchasing the kitchen myself from diy-kitchens.co.uk - they are a genuine rival for Howdens and Benchmarx, all units come pre-assembled and they have a great range of cabinets, large and small. Highly recommended.

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