Kitchen Retailers - Who do you recommend or who to avoid

[Rad82]

Got mine supplied by german kitchens manufacturer schuller. Fitted by joiner i work with.
Otherwise i would go for howdens as they stock all the items. So if u short on something u get it next day but with wren b&q and other shite u wait for weeks.....

[Suntan Sid]

Kitchen fitters, money for old rope!

Anyone with a modicum of skills can fit a kitchen.
If you can build flat pack furniture you can fit a kitchen, it really is that easy.
There is only one job that is difficult/worrying, jointing the work tops, however if you buy the templates and practice on the worktops you just ripped out, you'll be able to do it.

Fair enough, if you don't have the time and the tools and you have the cash to spare go for it, but if you're of a practical nature there is really nothing to it.

I'll be fitting another in a few months time, if I can do it, I'd say most people could do it!
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"Everybody needs money, that's why they call it money!"

[Tankie]

I agree with Suntan, in the past I have bought my Kitchens straight off the shelf and done all my own fitting, I know everyone does not have the skills or even the time , but do not rely on big name to come up with the goods, they just want your money ,not the problems when someone gets it slightly wrong.
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Always learning, everyday is a school day

[groovylee]

ui went with Ikea for ours. as has previously been said, there are no service gaps on the carcasses, so if you have a myriad of plumbing on the walls, it might not be for you. if not, or you hare handy with modifying things to fit, the cost for the finish was great.

I was quoted anything from £18-30k from various companies, and in the end i did it myself for £10k. the only job i subbed out was the fitting of the worktops as i didn't want to fuck it up

only other bit of advice id offer is to use drawers in place of cupboards on the base units. we only have two cupboards in our kitchen, and they are all a bit of a mess. the drawer units ont he other hand, are absolutely great
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Past - 1988 honda revere 600, 1996 kawasaki gpz500s, 1999 Yamaha R6

Current - 2002 Aprilia RSV1000R & 1999 Kawasaki ZX6R

[DrSnoosnoo]

[MattEMulsion]

Thanks for all of the replies. Just to clarify I have an bare house in which the kitchen has been extended, rewired, plumbed and plastered hence why I have had a couple of designs done even though items like the position of the sink, cooker and washer are preset.

I don't have the time to fit a kitchen myself and I wouldn't use a fitting service supplied by the likes of B&Q or Wren etc, I would use a local tradesman. I'm not so much bothered by the cost of the kitchen, I just want reasonable value for money and something that is going to last. The horror stories you here about the likes of Wrens after sales service and damaged/missing parts really puts me off even though their kitchen designs and perceived quality seem really good.

I've taken on board the Howdens and Benchmarx/Wickes recommendations and I'll have a look into them. As for finding reliable tradesmen then that is proving to be a problem. Oh and I've also got to go through the same process with the bathroom...
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Yamaha YZF-R6

[DrSnoosnoo]

[Hex]