Opinion on prices of fitted kitchen cabinets

yartin · Post by **yartin** » Sat Mar 06, 2021 11:20 am

Hi
I am looking to order wall and base cabinets for my kitchen, last time I bought was 20 years ago and no idea about pricing.
With lockdown, choices are limited where to shop from.

Many on here are praising Diy-kitchens so thought to give it a go, need your opinion about pricing feedback from the following 2 examples:

1. 2150mm x 500mm - Tall Larder With Internal Pan Drawers - 2 Doors @ £504.61 inc vat but still to add side panels, plinth and maybe pelmet and cornice.
https://www.diy-kitchens.com/kitchen-un ... wp2031634/

2. 600MM DOUBLE BASE UNITS WITH DRAWERLINE
https://www.diy-kitchens.com/kitchen-un ... wp1004693/

Thanks

arco_iris · Post by **arco_iris** » Sun Mar 07, 2021 6:31 am

I can't express an opinion on pricing because it's extremely difficult to compare like for like. B&Poo has a terrible website & are flat-pack, Wickes & Homebase want to do it all for you except fit it. What you need to look at is the total that your order comes to and whether you can afford it.

DIYK is very good in this regard once you get your head round the website & know what you want your layout to be. I know because I've just done it. The units are fully assembled and well packed with LOADS of cardboard, carefully delivered by their own crew right into your house (make sure you have space available). My doors are solid wood painted though they do cheaper foiled mdf ones as well.

I took great care in the planning, using firstly sketches followed by scale drawings. DIYK has a downloadable planner (in advice|downloads) with cutout templates, not that I used it. Then as you add units to the basket you can save it and recall it days later, and edit it, before submitting an order & getting a delivery week commencing date (which they stuck to). Even then you get a few days grace to change it before they start manufacture (nothing is in stock until an order is placed, so they say).

IMHO the quality is excellent and after-sales service (through Support Tickets) second to none. Damages/blemishes get replaced without quibble.

They're a long established independent husband & wife business with a turnover of nearly £60m in 2019 (up from £32m 2018) and a strong balance sheet, search Companies House for Ultima Furniture.

Finally, I didn't initially go to them for composite worktops but when I did in desperation they less than anybody else, 20% less than a local manufacturer, though that's yet to be confirmed at templating (next week). They sub-contract to a specialist firm.

fin · Post by **fin** » Sun Mar 07, 2021 10:22 am

the diy kitchen job i recently finished theyve helped out a great deal witht the odd bits and pieces that needed to be sorted out. the website could defffffo do with being made easier to use though

yartin · Post by **yartin** » Sun Mar 07, 2021 10:23 am

B&poo are much cheaper but they have terrible reviews so not going there. I usually don't bother with wickes or homebase, never trust their quality. I had a quote from howdens but too high and I think can't buy direct so that's out. Wren and magnet are only remaining options and possibly Ikea.

Do they arrive fully assembled including legs & handles?
Will they dispose the packaging or do it yourself?
How long is delivery after submitting order?

fin · Post by **fin** » Sun Mar 07, 2021 11:32 am

homebase kitchens are flipin hopeless. i did one a while back. all flat pack so a mess on. in comparisson howdens was wayyy better. and they were cheaper too.

benchmarx which is wickes are actually alright and if its benchmarx they swap stuff no questions asked basically.

arco_iris · Post by **arco_iris** » Sun Mar 07, 2021 8:20 pm

yartin wrote: ↑Sun Mar 07, 2021 10:23 am B&poo are much cheaper but they have terrible reviews so not going there. I usually don't bother with wickes or homebase, never trust their quality. I had a quote from howdens but too high and I think can't buy direct so that's out. Wren and magnet are only remaining options and possibly Ikea.

Do they arrive fully assembled including legs & handles?
Will they dispose the packaging or do it yourself?
How long is delivery after submitting order?

Forget B&poo, useless website. Howdens impossible to deal with by a DIYer, making their prices up as they go along puts me off. Ikea stuff is all weird sizes so leave it alone.

Is your last para. aimed at DIYK? In which case......

Fully assembled & glued (you can specify items unglued if you want to dismantle a unit for modification) including leg sockets fitted to base carcases and a simple matter to twist the legs from a separate fittings box into each socket, two seconds. Magic corners & pull-outs like the larder unit you linked to come assembled/fitted. Be aware though, see * below. Handles come separately as they don't know where you want them fitted.

No, they don't want, or will take, packaging away. Loads of plastic sheet, bubble wrap & acres of cardboard means a trip to the recycling centre - the cardboard is very useful though while doing the job so hang on to it.

At the point of placing an order, a delivery date in "week commencing Monday..." is given about 3/4 weeks later (I don't recall exactly) and they stuck to it, mine came on the Thursday of the indicated week. So if you're employing a fitter, book him for the Monday after to be on the safe side. I believe, though I didn't see it or use it, you can specify a delivery day as long as it's after the w/c date.

The same applies to composite or granite worktops, and so far, for me, they are within the lead times stated. I didn't order the tops until I had the bases fixed.

* I encountered a small issue in that the 20yo kitchen inherited with the house turned out, on dismantling, to have had the floor tiled AFTER installation with the plinths/legs 45mm back. It transpired, on arrival, that DIYK legs are 65mm back so leaving a 20mm untiled gap - if straight runs, this could be packed out, but I had ordered curved units which come with shaped plywood** plinth. This piece has 25mm extra on the return length which could allow for packing out but then is not a precise shaped fit so I chose to retile - I can be very pedantic in this regard. Every other kitchen I've DIY'd (four in last 3 years, buy-to-lets) I've tiled the floor completely before commencing the build - the bloke I bought this house off was a cheapskate.

** Although 'door fronts' are solid wood, curved parts are plywood and plinths, decor panels, cornices etc. are mdf, yet all have the same grained finish.

yartin · Post by **yartin** » Mon Mar 08, 2021 10:12 am

Which door style did you go for @acro_iris?

arco_iris · Post by **arco_iris** » Mon Mar 08, 2021 3:22 pm

Sorry for delay, busy fitting a kitchen!

Linwood Alabaster on Alabaster cabinets - off-white.

Struggled a little, not DIYK's fault, this is a 250y.o. listed cottage with not a single straight wall or 90° angle in any direction!