Kitchen supplier recommendations?

[dandan]

My next project is to replace our kitchen so I am getting some designs and quotes together at the moment. We are looking at gloss white with curved panels/units on the ends.

Does anybody have any recommendations for a good quality kitchen supplier? I have Howdens giving me a quote via a friend of mine who has an account but wondered if there are any others I should be looking at?

I fitted a B&Q kitchen in our last house without issue but I cant comment on how long it lasted as we moved out shortly after, I have also fitted some Wickes units in my mums utility room but she is not pleased with how they have lasted in the last 2 years.

Thanks.

[wine~o]

Wren are worth a look.

[dandan]

Thanks wino. I had a look at wren but wasn't blown away, maybe I need to look again.

I have found www.diy-kitchens.com and from what I can see and read online, they seem pretty good.

Has anybody got any direct experience of using them? I have ordered a few sample doors to see what the quality is like.

Thanks.

[steviejoiner74]

A lot of people slag howdens but I have had no problems from them,you need to haggle big time with them on price tho. Wren on the other hand....turned up on a few jobs where kitchen has been delivered and loads of stuff missing/wrong sizes and it takes weeks to sort out.

[Colour Republic]

Thanks wino. I had a look at wren but wasn't blown away, maybe I need to look again.

I have found http://www.diy-kitchens.com and from what I can see and read online, they seem pretty good.

Has anybody got any direct experience of using them? I have ordered a few sample doors to see what the quality is like.

Thanks.

DIY kitchens are a big firm which is a trading name for ultima furniture - Ultima is the trade side and DIY-kitchens is the retail side. The doors are manufactured mainly by PWS which is used in lots of independant showrooms although they also do other doors from the likes of Burbidge and Multiwood. The carcases are made by ultima themselves and are a very good quality carcase, much better than any DIY outlet or the likes of wren. They are glued and doweled which is supierior than cam and doweled which is a cheaper method and not quite as strong, whatsmore they are glued true and square unlike some other manufacturers who glue them together out of square! *cough* Howdens *cough*

The only difference between ultima the trade side and DIY is of course the price, although the price on DIY is very keen anyway and also that if you want the doors pre-fitted, that is an extra cost via diy-kitchens and is standard on the trade side.

They do have their problems like anybody but that only becomes apparent when you use them a lot. I no longer use Ultima but that is for reasons that shouldn't affect your choice of who to go for. As a retail customer it is unlikely you will find another retail kitchen that offers such great value verses price., so all in all i'd say give them a try

[Colour Republic]

BTW I have an ultima kitchen in my own house which should tell you something by about somebody who fits a lot of kitchens ;)

[nick200]

Looks great, it was next years project for us but it is one for the books. Thanks

[dandan]

Thanks colour, just what I wanted to hear.

[fin]

ive been fitting howdens kitchens for a while now. the only other type kitchens ive fitted have been 1 wickes kitchen 1 ikea and a few allied kitchens.

my father drove past a local ish wren showroom recently and they had a massive sign outside guaranteeing to beat howdens every time. what are wren kitchens like? apart from the problems described above? considering the last howdens kitchen they have cut right back on the screws they supply. and there was a few odds and sods missing.

[Chappy]

I did my utility room with Ikea stuff and was so impressed with it that I did the main kitchen in it too. The units have a 25 year guarantee too which beat all the competitors. Did the whole kitchen for 3 grand and it looks mint.

[wine~o]

Chappy...how did you find the lack of service void at the back of the cabinets ??

[Chappy]

Yes, it is a ball ache, but I had the wiring already in the wall before I started, and have my plumbing running through the units with konex fittings.

[dandan]

Interestingly, I had 2 quotes in today. Both 18mm doors, gloss white and fairly similar in spec. Howdens were literally double the price of DIY kitchens.

Will see what the DIY sample doors look like, they are supposed to be here by the end of the week.

I will update this post as it seems a few are interested.

Chappy, thanks for the info but Ikea are a no go as I need the service void. The water main comes into the house in the kitchen and there are pipes in all directions.

[happy handyman]

Please do as I need a kitchen supplier ! Good trade prices will help too !

[Colour Republic]

...fairly similar in spec.

When you say similar in 'spec' it would be interesting what you are comparing. I have no doubt that like for like Howdens will be more expensive but it would be a good exercise to break that spec down. Carcase wise DIY-Kitchens will wipe the floor with Howdens, it has better feet, better hinges, better board (Egger), edgeing is better (Howdens use 0.4mm edging where as DIY will be 2mm ABS). better concealed wall brackets, better back boards, blum internals as standard as opposed to upgrades with howdens....

However i'm supprised that Howdens are twice the price. That could only mean 1 of 2 things. You've either had a high price off Howdens or the doors are different.

Gloss White Doors, means very little, they could be laminated, foil wrapped, lacquered or even hand painted. Each one better and more expensive than the one before.

Do you have the names of the ranges you compared?