We're looking at kitchen units at the moment - hoping to catch a bargain in the current sales. If you've fitted a new kitchen recently, what's your experience of the everyday brands?
You may have used none of these, but which are the better ones to fit and for overall quality?
B&Q Homebase Wickes Ikea Magnet
and are there any others that should be on that list?
Simon
Well screwfix would have been a good bet if MFI hadn't gone under. Now they will have to find someone else to buy from.
the only issues I had concerned:- a) the plinth base sides. The units came will open legs, which I hated, the kits to box them in didnt really "work" and I effectively made them myself, they seem an afterthought, all you really get it matching materials and some silly unworkable clips. Also the fixing bases of the legs fouled them so I had to make little cutouts. b) the tops of the doors under the sink rapidly absorbed water from spillage, I cured this by fitting a metal strip along the top. c) the drawer sides were daft, not coming to the top of deep drawers, so I added extentions, oh and I couldnt get the runners to engage at first, IIRC B&Q man here gave me some advice, forget what.
Everything else worked and fitted well, note the prices go up and down to accomodate 50% offers.
Overall I prefer Wickes (takeaway range), then IKEA - do look at the units though, there isn't much of a 'void' at the back to take pipes etc. B&Q are just OK, never fitted the other two, but Homobase always seem expensive to me.
In article , Bitstreams scribeth thus
Make sure you pay with it by credit card and that you get all the bits at once.
Bit of a bugger to have something outstanding on "back order" and the supplier to go pop in the meantime;!..
I have no connection with B&Q, think "Man at C&A" if you're old enough;-)
I don't remember what advice I gave.
I didn't have the problem you describe with the legs and plinths, nor drawer runners.
I cut slot on the front underside edge of my worktops to force any spills to drip on the floor before they run underneath (seal it well afterwards!).
MBQ
I'm afraid I am
neither do I but it worked.
With Ikea there isn't ANY void at the back. One solution is to use a wider worktop, and not have the units actually touching the wall at all. (I like the bigger worktop anyway).
We are very happy with our Ikea units. Be aware, that unlike everything else at Ikea, the door/drawer fronts are NOT self-service. You need the kitchen design desk (in the showroom bit) to print you off a list of required bits. You give this to a man in the warehouse bit, and he operates a complex automated shelving system and gives you the bits you wanted.
Or, in the real world, tells you that they aren't in stock.
I would scratch Hombase off that list, they look like following Woolworth's
Installed two with absolutely no regrets. Lots of accessories available and no need to worry if they'll match for fit etc.
One thing to be aware of: there's no space behind the units for pipes etc so you may wish to plan for that (I buried them in the wall/plaster for the brief runs necessary).
We are looking for a kitchen at the moment, and have not been impressed with the units in the Ikea showrooms. They tend to fall apart and look shabby very quickly (I'm assuming one season in the showroom is like five years at home).
The Wickes Calgary has caught our eye, but it's probably still too expensive for us. Any tips on how to knock down prices of Wickes kitchens?
-- Jason
Ive always found hygena QA to be a decent compromise between quality and price.
Isn't - or rather wasn't - that an MFI brand?
I think mine came from, of all places, Currys..
It was an MFI brand, but obviously MFI never made anything themselves..
Both of the kitchens I installed are lasting well, haven't 'fallen apart' in any sense of the phrase and are certainly not looking shabby (both are high gloss finishes).
If you're bothered about their resilience, they come with a 25 year guarantee...
I redid my kitchen back in the UK with B&Q units and thought them very good value. Unlike some other budget ranges you do get a bit more choice with 400 & 800mm base units, being able to replace the standard hinges with 170 degree ones, choice of drawer quality etc.
Agree with the other comment about the plinths 100%
We've got a Wicke's kitchen as well. Happy with the kitchen itself though the SS sink is a bit on the thin side. We just waited until the ones we wanted were in the 50% off sale and then an extra 10% on a bank holiday.
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