DIY kitchen

[NikChillin]

I have been looking at these and wondered if anyone has used them before? Any recommendations? They seem to get good reviews.

[plexer]

Love machinery http://www.diy-kitchens.com/about-diy-kitchens/factory-tour/

 

Ben

Edited December 14, 2012 by plexer

[NikChillin]

Well, after the expense of new oil fired boiler plus other things, I am revisiting the planned kitchen makeover. Diy kitchens do get good reviews, has anyone had dealings with this company? One of the local kitchen fitters said they were a pain but I'm not sure if it was because he can't add his cut into the price.

[Disaster]

I bought a kitchen from these guys just over a year ago:

Make sure you know exactly what you need to get and the right amount - i didn't think about fancy endings to cupboards or those bits that go round the bottom of cupboards that hide your lights (if you fit them). so plan plan plan.

Pay the extra £75 or whatever top get the doors fitted, it's worth it (get soft close hinges).

The oak worktops aren't as thick as some and a bit of mine has slightly warped (600x600mm) the rest is perfect.

Overall the quality of the cabinets and doors is great. I really shopped around and they were the cheapest by a fair whack. If you're handy kitchens aren't that hardest to fit but worth taking the time to make sure it's done well.

[Disaster]

Should have mentioned, yes they're good, I can highly recommend if you want to save a couple of thousand pounds!

[NikChillin]

Thanks Disaster, yes, I think I will start making notes of all the little hidden items that I will need. The main concern is the worktop at present, I plan to get quartz. I did get a few quotes back in 2012 but to knock out a wall, do the walls and floor and have a kitchen fitted was going to be about £25K. The kitchen was £7000 and £2500 to have it fitted. (without appliances)

[Disaster]

Quartz is good and apparenlty easier to fit than granite as they produce it/mould it to your spec, although they cost about the same in the end I think. I'm not sure if DIY-Kitchens do Quartz... but looks like you know who does.

Yeah I was astounded to get a quote for a grand to fit my kitchen, although, having done it myself I can see why, it's quite hard work (I chipped my sink!).

I think I made a trolley up on DIY and kept adding bits over the course of a month or so until I thought I had it ready.

If I do another kitchen, I'll go with these guys again but get all the fancy add ons.

[Achandler]

You need specialist equipment to cut quartz.

 

Why not go to a place that you can buy a kitchen from in boxes (my brother works at one) and get the units cheap. Then they tell you everything you need but don't have the same expense because it is basically from factory to you, a lot come prebuilt too, so you slide the boxes into place (well after you have messed about getting your wall flat measuring everythign 50 times, finding the floor isn't level and all the pipework needs adjusting etc, the list goes on). Then get a kitchen fitter to cut your tops for you.

 

My new kitchen cost me about £1100, including worktops, I have oak butchers block style or whatever it is. Then fitted it myself - the worktops which I paid £220 for someone to do properly for me. Without appliances ofcourse!

 

Wasn't a big kitchen, but was 1 full height cupboard, 3 wall cupboards and about 6 low down cupboards/ sets of drawers.

[NikChillin]

I would like someone else to fit the kitchen really but they want to supply the kitchen too, I like the prices at DIY kitchens, I haven't heard of other factories selling kitchens though... interesting

[Achandler]

If you buy from a factory then they usually know people that will fit it for you too.

[NikChillin]

If you buy from a factory then they usually know people that will fit it for you too.

Good point...

[Seb1780]

I used to fit kitchens until a couple of years ago and I'd echo what others have said - Plan, plan and plan again.

 

Most designs I saw (even "professional" ones) did not take into account things like pipe runs, waste water handling and electrics. And when it comes to electrics it's not just about connecting the hob; also consider the current location of sockets and where the cables run and how they might fit in / interfere with the design. I found that electrics were so critical to most kitchen projects that I got myself Part-P qualified so I could do the work myself rather than getting in a sparky. If you don't know what part-P is then don't even attempt anything that involves working on the leccy.

 

When it comes to the cabinets don't forget all the trim, end panels, cornice, pelmet, plinth etc. - running a plinth between end-panels and/or walls is not only easier to do but also far more aesthetically pleasing that trying to install a return plinth (IMHO).

 

Once you get the plan sorted you can build your shopping list - take this round all the retail sheds (B&Q, Ikea, Homebase etc) to get an idea of the real cost, they may also pick up on small aspects that you might have missed. Once you have an idea of what they will charge then look at the specialist on-line and "professional" suppliers. Most builders merchants will offer some kind of kitchens, and most of them will be at a lower cost than the retail equivalent - some might require you to be in the trade, but good Office skills and a bit of blag can get you a long way here. I have (still) an account with a nationwide joinery supplier who offered 85% discount and £30,000 credit based on my being a handyman!!

 

I used to fit around half a dozen kitchens per year, and I would normally allow two weeks to do the work (from rip-out to fully fitted and tiled) but I would have spent at least 20 hours planning, researching and designing before I started.

[eyetea]

Nothing to add to this thread, but wanted to just say it's really useful for me as we're thinking of redoing our kitchen in a year or 2! Dad will be retired and the Mrs' Dad is a leccy / handyman and they've fitted kitchens before, so between us we can do it ourselves!