26 Feb 2015

A question about : Kitchen quotes seem high

Hi,

We're having a lot of fun trying to get a new kitchen. I confess we don't know much about this sort of stuff... we are happy to pay a reasonable amount for it (so long as we can afford it), but it feels like we're being quoted very high amounts right now.

We want a fairly basic white gloss kitchen with NO new appliances. There will be six base units (one corner), two wall cabinets, and some shelves. We want about 2m of wall tiling, and about 10m of laminate flooring. We have a new dishwasher which would need to be plumbed in & wired etc, but that's about it.

B&Q quoted over Ј6k for supply & installation, but later came back with Ј5.5k. Then a local kitchen company quoted Ј7.5k, before saying they could do Ј6.5k. Most recently we found a local builder who someone we know has used, but he is quoting Ј6.5k to supply & install a Howdens kitchen - but that's with us supplying the work surface and flooring too.

All of this seems like an awful lot, since we're not after top of the range kit or anything - and we're not actually getting a huge amount of equipment. It's basically a pretty small kitchen.

I was initially thinking this would cost no more than about Ј5k for what we are after. Can anyone please tell me if I am being unrealistic? We're in London, which is no doubt assisting with the high costs..

Thanks.

Best answers:

  • Hi,
    I recently bought a new kitchen and just units ranged from Ј3800 to about Ј6000 with B&Q and Homebase. In the end I went for B&Q and was a discount on at the time so got if for about Ј3100. Its the basic high gloss white too. Mine is also with appliances so maybe urs does sound a bit high!
    Installation quotes for me were around Ј700 to Ј1000 for private fitters'joiners.
  • Hi, thanks for your response.
    I definitely think mine seems a bit high. The independent builder has basically quoted Ј3,000 for installation, and another Ј3,500 for the units etc. Plus I'll have to spend another Ј500 on the work surface and flooring.
  • Howdens high gloss units are about 30% more expensive than their matt ones I'm afraid.
    Mind, I had a kitchen fitted last year in matt and in hindsight, I would rather have had gloss,
  • If B&Q have quote Ј5.5k for supply ans installation it could be an idea to buy the kitchen from them and find a local independent fitter to quote on fitting it. I imagine they would be able to knock of Ј500 without to much difficulty
  • Have you considered IKEA? You would save a lot on the units and quality is good...
  • Yeah, thanks - was thinking something along those lines might be sensible.
    I just checked the B&Q quote, and their labour charge was Ј3,500. I don't know whether I'm being unrealistic, or whether we have been unlucky with the quotes we've had so far. It just seems more than I'd have expected.
    Edit - @ Steve
  • I think IKEA do a fitting service. A guy I work with is in the process of using them.
  • Have you thought about asking a chippy?
    Day rate of around Ј200-250 and would take around 2weeks. A basic kitchen is not difficult to fit at all for a competent person.
  • It depends what needs doing but I imagine if b ans q are charging Ј3.5k a kitchen fitter would charge Ј2k. Thats going from my experience anyway
    Quote:
  • Ј3.5k???? For that labour charge I'd come down to London, kip on your kitchen floor, eat takeaways for a week, get the job done and drive back home a very happy man!
    Ikeas are wonderful if done properly, so don't be put off by one 'builder' turning his nose up at it - and remember - if you hire a builder to do a kitchen fit - you'll get a builders fit - not a kitchen fitters fit.. there is a huge difference...
    Ask around - I'm sure you can find someone who's had a kitchen fitted recently...
  • Wickes do a nice gloss white kitchen (or did when we looked) and they were easy to haggle with. Howdens do a nice white gloss kitchen (we got one). I'd ring your local depot to send someone round and give you a free quote, then find out from a local fitter how much to fit it (if you're in London this will probably be as much as the kitchen cost :/ ). For tiles go to Fired Earth and pick some really nice ones, then buy them from a distributor like Tons of Tiles for half the cost.
    Also as a guide our kitchen cost about 3k all in from Howdens and fitters quoted from Ј1800 to Ј4000 to fit it..This is in London.
  • Heres my take on the labour side of things, this is westcountry so adjust for London prices
    Based on what you say and i work on my own.
    day1: all base and wall units installed
    day2: worktops on with mason mitre joints and all appliance cut outs
    day3 doors on, pelmet and cornice fitted and handles on
    day4 tile walls and lay underlay ready for floor
    day5 grout tiles and fit laminate and appliances
    day6 finish off fit plinth do a snag and adjust as required, have a cuppa while the cheques being written Ј900 give or take
    Thats labour only and only intergrated appliances fitted, and i dont travel to London! cheers
  • Im not saying you dont know your stuff but there normally is quite a bit more to it than that like removing old kitchen and tiles, electrics, plastering walls, new ceiling lights, disposing of rubbish, gas certs, electrical certs. These are the things that can push the cost of a fit up
    Quote:
  • I priced a basic kitchen with a few more cupboards at around Ј695 at Wickes (Galway version) recently and that included worktops as well.
    So the units are flatpacks and 3 dimensional jigsaws, you need to be able to use a spirit level and a drill / screwdriver and understand how to hang a door.
    How fitting can be Ј'000's I do not know !
  • Thanks very much everyone. Lots of useful info there.
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