Kitchen re-fit

[Ian F.]

Please can anyone recommend a good kitchen design service? My plan is for the designer to supply all the units etc., but I would like to have it fitted by my own builders.

I have thought about the usual firms such as B&Q and Magnet, but I haven't really got the time to sit around at home with them for hours on end while they faff around! Our kitchen is about the size of a 10p piece and doesn't really need a lot of time spent on it.

I have a reasonable budget but just want the whole ghastly process simplified. I'd be most grateful for any ideas anyone has.

TIA,

Ian

[EricP]

There was a post on this on 2/10 by "lemmy"

Might give some help.

[EricP]

How can a planet sized brain like yours recommend something so mundane and boring??

[rob]

Howdens do a design serivce if you buy the cabinets etc from them, and get your builder to fit them. just had one done and found them to be good. Rob

[Mike P]

.. >On 8 Oct, 03:53, "Ian F." wrote: .. >> Please can anyone recommend a good kitchen design service? My plan is for .. >> the designer to supply all the units etc., but I would like to have it .. >> fitted by my own builders. .. >>

.. >> I have thought about the usual firms such as B&Q and Magnet, but I haven't .. >> really got the time to sit around at home with them for hours on end while .. >> they faff around! Our kitchen is about the size of a 10p piece and doesn't .. >> really need a lot of time spent on it. .. >>

.. >> I have a reasonable budget but just want the whole ghastly process .. >> simplified. I'd be most grateful for any ideas anyone has. .. >>

.. >> TIA, .. >>

.. >> Ian .. >>

.. >> -- .. >

.. >Howdens do a design serivce if you buy the cabinets etc from them, and .. >get your builder to fit them. .. >just had one done and found them to be good. .. >Rob Howdens did a design for our new kitchen with NO obligation to buy .... a bit expensive kitchen for our budget, but we had the plans to show elsewhere.

Mike P

[auctions]

Howden's prices vary enormously according to the mark up the account holder asks for. Their trade prices are pretty good, especially during October when they have the annual sell as much as possible month. If you can find someone who will let you use there account with no (or a low) markup, and you can do it soon, and you negotiate fairly strongly, you'll get a good price, and a free design visit with no obligation as he says.

A

[David W.E. Roberts]

There is also Kitchen George

will prepare plans and a full picking list if you supply the measurements.

They (like Hewdens) can also deliver on short notice, often next day.

They deliver the base units fully assembled, so there is no issue with missing screws etc.

The fitters are starting as I post - hopefully by the end of Wednesday we will have a new kitchen.

The company is fairly new and based around the south east so not available nation wide. They seem happy to treat serious DIYers who are doing self build or renovation (hint, hint) as trade customers, which makes their prices quite reasonable. I beleive that each distribution unit is a franchise so you will have to search for the one nearest to you.

We like them at the moment - we shall see if we still like them by the end of the installation :-)

HTH Dave R

[Ian F.]

That's what I want to do, yes. It's just finding one that doesn't take up

6 hours of your time and then present you with a quote for a billion quid that presents the problem! ;-)

Ian

[Ian F.]

Thanks for that. My builders will obviously be able to deal with them subterfuge-free.

Ian

[Mogga]

Ask yuor builder is they know anyone.

The girl in the independent kitchen place was very nice to us and let us have a good mooch through all her design books that showed full ranges of stuff - but I suspect they'd have wanted a billion quid for a kitchen. We used square paper in the end to map it all out - once you've got a list of standard sizes you know what you're doing with the space you've got - then you could go and pick their brains for the twiddly bits only - ask what they'd do with a funny corner or alcove.

[dennis]

It depends on when you require the results by.. it may be fun to play with a cad package but its not much good if you need the results tomorrow.

[Mark]

Don't places like Magnet do a "free" design service? I know I once used one of their competitors to do this.

Of course you have to be careful if you do this. You often get what you pay for!

M