New Kitchen

Inside a floor cupboard have metal mesh type drawers that are used for tins and jars. Great as not tall and that agile. Best thing I did . Have also the swimgout shelf for pots and pans.

Yes thanks makes sense. I will look at the drawer options. I’m arthritic with metal spine so the long missed freestanding range cooker from house 20yrs ago will not be coming back but a sensible waist height oven might be a good idea. The fairly low fitted one in the inherited kitchen that came with this house is slowly killing me off. Not sure of optimal position really.

Yes the metal drawers are ideal as I have bad rheumatoid arthritis. There is also room on ‘ floor” of cupboard to put long foil rolls etc. Howdens will recommend a fitter or you can find your own. Had a little problem with cooker after a year. They told me who to get in and paid half. We found them good to deal with. You just might have a good one like we did nearby.

I’ve just downloaded Howdens catalogue so will peruse. Thanks again.

OP, I've written on another thread about IKEA kitchens today and I was very impressed with what they came up with. For £40 (or £20 If you have the IKEA family card), they will come to your home and measure everything up for you and plan a kitchen around your needs and requirements. They will arrange the removal of your existing kitchen and install the new one. They have some ingenious space saving ideas with easy access for corner cupboards and "secret" drawers within drawers to maximise space. Their full bespoke kitchen service does seem very good and carries excellent guarantees.

Shop around for appliances you'll be surprised how much you can save.
Private fitting is not always cheaper get a few estimates. Always ask what their guarrentee is on the fitting, and ask for it in writing.
Think through where you want your sockets to be placed and under wall unit lights.
Think about how you would work in the kitchen,these design centre don't always get it right.
The kitchen which was fitted in the house we moved into was a complete mess. I think they must have had a trainee on the job.
Double check all measurements, even kitchen fitters can make mistakes.
Most companies sub contract their fitting, gas and electrical services, these may or not be included in your overall price just ask which are.
You don't have a kitchen fitted every year so get it right.
You could take your kitchen out yourself and sell it on including appliances, I did and the money went towards the new kitchen.
Best of luck it is possible to have a great kitchen that you will enjoy working in for many years.

Yes I sometimes think I investigate too much, old work habits, but I don’t want to get it wrong as you all say it’s a big expense the biggest % of whole extension cost. So I will download everything and look at all the suggestions offered as sometimes something obvious gets missed if you don’t ask. So thanks!

Don't buy direct from Howdens, even though they are meant to be very good. Get whoever you will be using to fir it to actually make the purchase, as the "trade" price will be quite a bit cheaper

If I was going for a new kitchen, I would definitely go for deep drawers for pans etc rather than cupboards, much easier to find what you are looking for without scrabbling around.

I don’t think you can buy direct from Howdens ? Could be wrong but I’m sure it’s trade only.

My kitchen is very small but I’m lucky enough to have a walk in larder/pantry that DH has shelved from top to bottom. I have seen my dream kitchen in Wren Kitchens..... sigh.......It is lovely but will stay exactly that....a dream

Ooh good tip about trade prices. I was thinking markups by builder but yes it may well be cheaper. I want those lovely deep pots and pan drawers no more “scrabbling” love it. Won’t have depth for longed for walk in larder but plan on high larder cupboard(s) next to oven at eye level or high level water the term is.

Hey has anyone seen those mid height units? I think they might work allowing for things on top, decorative things not piles of turines, candle sticks and unused vases. A row of these on one short wall 2.8m, (u shaped kitchen long side 4m) long side counter with hob, window on short wall opposite the med height units? Across the gap of the u joining to dining, old family heirloom from France 2M oak table so delineate the kitchen dining break I’m thinking entrance each side of a row of units maybe 1.8m leaving room each side do in and out or possibly an island but it would have to be a narrower one not a huge square one.

It’s beginning to seem like fun putting it down here. When I’m searching on my own on the web, hub not too well at moment, I get brain freeze. Too many choices my Mum says “didn’t used to be like that a green, a yellow or a blue cabinet with a pull down flap was the only choice”!

I have two deep drawers for pans etc and at the top a large shallow drawer for my hundreds of utensils. I have swing out shelves in the corners and a drawer unit fitted in most of my cupboards. It helped for reaching stuff at the back. I don’t know how big your kitchen is but my best buys were a floor to ceiling fridge and a freezer the same size. It means I don’t struggle to put stuff away. The induction top is a boon too and turns itself off if not in use and easy to clean. Our fitter bought the appliances but at the cheapest price available on the internet.

Have just read your original post. All my appliances are Miele, expensive but totally reliable and, yes, I have a self-cleaning oven.

When I had to replace my hob after managing to crack it trying some chef or others method for turkey we deliberately chose one with no knobs, as we had found they are a bit of a dirt trap, so now have a touch control one.

Much easier to clean!

Is it pyrolytic? I had a supposedly self clean steam system in my Panasonic oven and it was absolutely useless, good oven though. I don’t know what they called the cleaning systems everyone has in North America but they sure did work and I’m hopeful this new pyrolytic is going to be as good. Really high temp and a pile of ash at the end!

Yes Country mine is pyrolitic.

Yippee!

Don’t forget if the carcasses are still good in some areas they can be kept. We kept some and of course it does not look any different. We did find that our fitter had lots of contacts. Floor man, electrician, gas fitter etc. He just coordinated it. It took a tad longer than he said . Thank god for microwave and the odd meal outl. You can’t buy direct from Howdens but they have good catalogue and kitchen showroom. The fitter will sort it all but Howdens comes to design the kitchen which was good. They have various makes of cooker to get in for you.

I just did something that’s rare for me I searched wickes kitchen installations on YouTube. Mmmm

My present kitchen is from Wickes and I can highly them. After 9.5 years, 3 of the doors started to delaminate but because their kitchens are guaranteed for 10 years, they sent me replacement doors with no fuss or quibbling. The hob and oven that I bought from there have worked, without ever failing, for over 12 years.

Thank so so much. I guess it comes down to the fitter but my husband loves one of the Wickes kitchens.

Choose a colour that you can live with for a looong time! Personally I would go with neutral for the expensive and permanent things.

You could have a bright colour on the walls if you want, paint is relatively cheap and not too much hassle to change. Bright accessories (even just oven gloves & tea towels) can give a bit of zing without breaking the bank!

Just a word of caution about Wickes. They outsource the fitting and it might be brilliant or it might be awful. We had 2 bathrooms done by Wickes last year. What we were promised would be a 3 week job took over 4 months. We never knew whether or not they would turn up, we had 2 large leaks which ruined some newly decorated ceilings, plus stains on new carpets.

The area we are in is North Oxfordshire.

Howdens and Leeks were top except concerns as mentioned about fitting/fitters and quality mostly due to some online video streams showing kitchen installations from hell 5 months!. All your advice is paying off because I looked around a bit today and found another site recommending DIY kitchens. Online and a north England showroom but apparently much cheaper for mainstream styles. I shall investigate but I won’t be back for a bit as I have to go look after Mum for a little while. Well I want to, that didn’t sound right.

My neighbours have a WREN kitchen. He fitted it himself, real perfectionist, and it is beautiful. Serious kitchen envy here now.
DD and SIL have just had a kitchen from Benchmark, but I think you have to be ‘trade’ to purchase them. Also very covetable.?