New kitchen cupboards/kitchen where to begin

Georgesgran

REPORTED

Old threads are often resurrected by Spammers dalrymple then genuine posts are added often without reading the preceding posts - thus missing out how old the original post might be.

That may be the case but I find old posts are often helpful, like this one - not so old as to be out of date, so still relevant to anyone looking into buying a new kitchen.

I second DIY Kitchens - the units are good quality and come ready assembled which is a great help. You just need to find a local fitter.

Also, Dream Doors might well be excellent but if your actual units are old, with stained shelves or yellowed laminate, or had leaks which has caused the chipboard to swell and the laminate to peel off, new doors alone wouldn't make me happy.

I am not a spammer or trying to promote anything for gain. I've been on this forum for more years than I can remember. I just change my name from time to time.

REPORTED

Old threads are often resurrected by Spammers dalrymple then genuine posts are added often without reading the preceding posts - thus missing out how old the original post might be.

Charliegirl can you please tell me the name of the gadget you got to get rid of mice, we live in a terraced house so all our neighbours and ourselves have mice thatks

Oops Petra - didn't see that! I spot some of them but why are so many old posts being shown now?

dalrymple23

Don't necessarily dismiss Wickes. They finished fitting my kitchen yesterday. Brilliant job. The salesman has been overly helpful and knowledgeable. The fitter, similarly. I guess it depends on the personnel in the local store.

I have heard great success stories of people buying second hand kitchens from Ebay or similar sites. The downside is that you invariably have to go and collect it. My old kitchen, which was solid pine, is currently sitting in a skip. Such a waste of valuable timber. Any takers in Norfolk?

Good luck - it is an upheaval, then the headache of deciding where everything is going to go!

I think the kitchen might be built by now.
The OP asked for advice in feb 2024

Don't necessarily dismiss Wickes. They finished fitting my kitchen yesterday. Brilliant job. The salesman has been overly helpful and knowledgeable. The fitter, similarly. I guess it depends on the personnel in the local store.

I have heard great success stories of people buying second hand kitchens from Ebay or similar sites. The downside is that you invariably have to go and collect it. My old kitchen, which was solid pine, is currently sitting in a skip. Such a waste of valuable timber. Any takers in Norfolk?

Good luck - it is an upheaval, then the headache of deciding where everything is going to go!

Cleoryin388 Reported as it appears this is an old thread resurrected for advertising purposes.

A kitchen fitter will get discounts at Howdens who have very good quality kitchens. A lot of people rave about DIY kitchens of Oxford and Yorkshire. They have big showrooms there & the quality is meant to be excellent.

I used dream doors, too.

I would second NotaGran55. We recently used Dream Doors to refit kitchen cupboard doors, including doors on integrated appliances, and trims. They did a brilliant job - all done in a few days. They took all the old doors away and were very clean & tidy. Cost was about £3K for a reasonable sized kitchen with a lot of floor and wall cupboard doors. It feels like a completely new kitchen. I think Dream Doors are a national company so they might have a showroom near you.

Before I retired I always asked around for a good plumber, electrician etc. Niw I use CheckATrade or something similar. Get a few people in to price it up.

If you have a Wickes near you, avoid at all costs. Poor workmanship and dreadful customer service.

A franchise called Kitchen Magic opened up near me. I just needed new cupboard doors. They were fitted by a carpenter, not a handyman and the job was perfect. I have a large kitchen and it was not as expensive as I thought it might be my units look classy and would sell the house.

Years ago I bought a plug-in electrical gadget from Amazon which has a high-pitched noise which mice and rats hate but cats and dogs cannot hear. I have not seen a mouse here for years.

We had ours gutted and completely refitted by an independent company. They took away all the old kitchen and used their regular fitters, electricians and plumbers.

Oopsadaisy1

Wickes have some very bad reviews for their kitchen fitters, it might be an idea to check the reviews for other DIY stores.

DS and DDiL had a new Wickes kitchen and they had no problem at all.

Howdens is really worth considering.

I needed a new gas/electric cooker which didn't fit the space of my old Rayburn so had to make changes. Mice were a problem too. The electrician offered to fit some new floor cupboards and leave the wall ones.
I chose units from Howdens which weren't expensive and i am pleased with my mix and match kitchen. I now have the smooth opening drawers for pans and plates; a spice cupboard and a place for trays and teatowels.
The gap where the pipes mice came in has been sealed off and its all been painted. I am very pleased.

Wickes have some very bad reviews for their kitchen fitters, it might be an idea to check the reviews for other DIY stores.

Thanks everyone. This is from a well known store!! I was surprised

do not bother with any installer who will not take units away and dispose of them.

Going on how little you say you know. I would go with one of the big DIY stores, whose fitters will provide a comprehensive service. Second hand kitchens and similar are a good money saver, if you know exactly what you are doing, but on your OP you say you do not.

When we had our new kitchen a few years ago we got a quote and design from Wickes and also an independent family firm. We went with the independent firm and were very happy with the service and result, Wickes tried to pressurise us to have things we didn’t really want and which were more expensive, They would have taken the old kitchen out and disposed of it, I think it is standard practice to do that but my husband did it, advertised it and it was sold and taken away for £300. My husband also took the old wall tiles off to keep costs down.

I would get a firm in to do it , either one of the national chains eg B & Q or Wickes- more expensive ones are available. You can start by pricing them up in store to get an idea. Or a small local company. They will take care of everything, co-ordinating the various tradesmen and disposing of old units.
Don’t forget to allow space for white goods you want to keep.
A local joiner would probably do a better job but might not co-ordinate the trades and is probably booked up for month ahead anyway.
There are also companies that will just replace the unit doors and worktops if that’s what you want.
All the best.

An installer said they don't remove the old kitchen and if I wanted to take to a tip , I can't leave the units outside uncovered What can I use to cover as i won't immediately be able to take to tip. The alternative is paying hundreds for skip for neighbours to use

Coronation in our area we have this kitchen renovation company that has a very good reputation.
Perhaps you have something similar in your area, or Dream Doors might be able to recommend a company for you?

www.dreamdoors.co.uk/

Try looking at second hand kitchens you may find something suitable.
New kitchen costs £1000s.
Just measure the walls taking out door areas to get a rough estimate.
Depends where you live but labour costs can be quite high also, electrics, plumber, gas(if needed). Handyman would fit the units but you need someone who could make a good job of fitting the worktop.
Always get several estimates.