Forum Topic

Kitchen/Bathroom Companies

Hi allAny recommendations for the above gratefully received. I'm not sure on my budget yet but don't want Ikea and can't afford some German highly engineered kitchen/bathroom!Thanks

Diane Gill ● 5188d8 Comments

Hi Peter yes B&Q and Magnet get terrible write ups - I won't touch them with a barge pole. I'll have a builder doing my extension so they'll probably fit it to the design spec. Cheers

Diane Gill ● 5188d

Be careful of fitting people supplied by some firms. My brother-in-law worked for one of the big suppliers as a sub-contractor and found the organisation at B&Q very poor and felt really bad for the customers and how they were messed around. He has also worked for Magnet and found them poor. The best he worked for was Wickes. Generally the pay rates when affected by the lack of organisation of the companies in ensuring all is delivered made what appeared to be well paid turn out to pay the fitters half of what it should do. So often he would turn up to find parts missing and then would have to delay starts which had a knock on effect. so an independant fitter appears to be the best solution.

Peter Chadburn ● 5188d

Yes Howdens are trade only which is fine as the person planning my extension gets discount.  I can't say I like the styles too much though!  I've just been reading up on Which and John Lewis are tops, followed closely by Wickes!

Diane Gill ● 5188d

I can also recommend Wickes. We fitted our kitchen 10 years ago and it's still in very good nick. I have heard that Howdens are also very good but I think a tradesman has to buy on your behalf - they don't sell directly to the public (I might be wrong about this).

Penny Crocker ● 5188d

My Dad got a very nice 'Shaker-style' kitchen from B&Q, not looking any different from the sort of thing you see in quite posh houses on property-porn TV. It was very cheap and they wanted about twice the price to fit it so he got someone else in to do it.

Susan Kelly ● 5188d

Wickes very good at moment I have also used heathrow kitchens as well excellent qualitY

Mark Ryan ● 5188d

I got my kitchen from Wickes - very reasonable and at the moment they have 50% off. B&Q is also very good.

F Stone ● 5188d

Before you choose a kitchen, find a good fitter.Even a mid-range kitchen can look fantastic if fitted expertly.Many of the stores emply their own 'fitters' who work to a price and are only interested in getting the job completed within budget and will not make the 'little adjustments' that are often found when installing or, if they do, will only make tham at astronomic prices.I wish that I could suggest my own fitter but he moved a couple of years ago and I have lost contact. He used to carry with him a 'portfolio' of completed jobs (something for which you should ask) and actually suggested that we change suppliers before we ordered as the aletrnative he suggested was of superior quality (he was right) and a lower price (right again).

Nigel Brooks ● 5188d