i'm going to be buying a kitchen from wickes/homebase/b&q. my place is a 2 bed flat and i may let it out in the future so i'm looking to have easily replacable appliances. i already have a white waching machine and white fridge.
im wondering whether to get a freestanding cooker and just leave the space in my kitchen design for it. or whether to buy one that will fit in with units and allow the worktop to continue around the hob. also whether to match up with my white appliances or go for stainless steel. same with the sink. any tips?
also if im going to get a freestanding cooker then should i shop around or just buy from the kitchen diy shop, do they charge much more?
Not necessarily... any letting agent will tell you that built-in appliances are far trendier and hence, all other things being equal, a property is more marketable with them fitted.
Depends what target market you're aiming at of course.
BTW how often do you need to replace a cooker? Admittedly changing a hob can be awkward, given different worktop cut-out sizes, but swapping one built-in oven for another is really no harder than swapping a free-standing cooker (in fact easier, as it can be lifted by one person!)
decided to get a built in one as i really like the look of the hob with worktop around. are diy shops reasonable for appliances? or can i buy a lot cheaper elsewhere? just wondering whether to get the diy shop kitchen designer to quote for appliances or just units/accessories.
For large appliances (dryers, washing machines etc), Miele or top-end Bosch in that order (middle and low end Bosch machines are IIRC made in Spain and are not in the same league; Logixx, if they still market with that subbrand are the high end, Classix is crap and Excell is middle).
I have 3 Miele appliances (Washing machine, bottom end, miles better than top end of most other makes, a Revolution IV cylinder hoover which is the first domestic cylinder hoover that I've used that I believe is actually capable of anything good; and a fridge which does actually seem to stay cold enough without freezing to make food last a good couple of days longer than my old no-name fridge). Miele "just work" for what thay are designed to do. They cost a packet, but allegedly last a long time. I've have to take 5 on that one before I can personally vouch.
I also have a Bosch tumble dryer that is basically sound and still just works, after 7 years and the dishwasher is easy to DIY service (not a fault, but somehow (cough) powder got into the rinse aid tank so I had to strip and clean it).
Basically, buy German...
My old Vax hoover was middling as a domestic hoover but will take almost any abuse as a lightweight "builders" hoover, eg garage and DIY duties. Personally I've found it better for that than the Henries and friends, but to be fair, I only ever used beaten up old Henries at work, so it's not a fair comparision.
Can't complain about my old Hotpoint freezer. Simple, quiet, works, 12 years old.
IMO don't touch Hoover (crap tumble dryer, got a refund, bought the Bosch), White Knight, Electrolux, Ariston (parts are bloody expensive).
Cannon (sp?) make basic but solid gas cookers IME, Panasonic combo-microwave reliable and consistent (but opinions vary), NEFF make some pretty fancy ovens and hobs, but I don't like their "basic" built in oven, though the electric hob is OK.
IIRC there are - as with many car parts - only tow or three actual maunufacturers out there* - the rest is just badge engineering.
You wont go WRONG with Miele.
The rest? its plain luck as far as I can tell. I hvae old model hoover stuff that has outlasted several more modern hoover machines..
Basically all modern kit is built down to a price: things are made of flimsy plastic, not metal, and the expectation is the unit will be junked every 5-10 years when a new kitchen/refurb happens. Miele seems to be the exception.
when it comes to things like clutches, gearboxes, fuel injection systems and the like
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