New Kitchen Advice

[Mel Smooth]

Do you mean Howdens are cheaper for unit/ appliance costs? Just asking because the Wren site reckons they are cheaper on their comparison scale. I confess that I didn't even look further at Howdens yet - am only just embarking on the investigation process, having not actually moved into the house yet.

From experience Howdens are cheaper yes, although I’m aware the Wren sales people will possibly be on commission based on sales/profit.

A friend of mine wanted a kitchen that was only available from Wren and one other bespoke supplier - obviously quite expensive. He’s in the trade himself so knows the score on prices.
Basically, the guy gave the Wren salesman a figure to beat which he claimed the other supplier had offered, and Wren matched it - the wren salesperson claiming “I wouldn’t even sell it to my mother for that price”

I guess it all comes down to what people want, whether they are confident to push for a deal etc.

Must say, the Wren kitchens I’ve installed have been good, really detailed drawings that are easy to follow. My one gripe is the unitd come fully assembled with the doors on and hardware in, which is fine unless it’s a big unit, then they become pretty heavy.
On the other hand, Howdens are as good as anything quality wise, and their customer service is 100%

My advice is get a price from Wren, then go to Howdens and see how they compare.

 

[BrianM]

I’ve just bought a DIY kitchen, arriving next week.
Howdens couldn’t even come close price wise which is unusual, although not my normal Howdens.
Ive fitted a DIY before and the quality is excellent.

 

[need_my_wedge]

Must say, the Wren kitchens I’ve installed have been good, really detailed drawings that are easy to follow. My one gripe is the unitd come fully assembled with the doors on and hardware in, which is fine unless it’s a big unit, then they become pretty heavy.

According to the Wren salesman, they have 3 types of units, a delux model, standard model (assembled) and standard model unassembled. The latter is cheaper because they need assembling, would that not increase the fitting fee though?

 

[Mel Smooth]

According to the Wren salesman, they have 3 types of units, a delux model, standard model (assembled) and standard model unassembled. The latter is cheaper because they need assembling, would that not increase the fitting fee though?

It would increase the cost but most installers would have all the units assembled in a day or less for an average sized kitchen.

 

[Neilds]

Interested if any currently doing a new kitchen are bothering about a wine cooler. We have a place where we could easy have one, bit tbh we are not too bothered - my Mrs isn’t exactly a wine connoisseur and I don’t indulge…just wondering if it’s something that most folk have installed…from what I’ve read here probably not.

Sounds like you know the answer in your own head but don't want to tell the Mrs she can't have one

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

From experience Howdens are cheaper yes, although I’m aware the Wren sales people will possibly be on commission based on sales/profit.

A friend of mine wanted a kitchen that was only available from Wren and one other bespoke supplier - obviously quite expensive. He’s in the trade himself so knows the score on prices.
Basically, the guy gave the Wren salesman a figure to beat which he claimed the other supplier had offered, and Wren matched it - the wren salesperson claiming “I wouldn’t even sell it to my mother for that price”

I guess it all comes down to what people want, whether they are confident to push for a deal etc.

Must say, the Wren kitchens I’ve installed have been good, really detailed drawings that are easy to follow. My one gripe is the unitd come fully assembled with the doors on and hardware in, which is fine unless it’s a big unit, then they become pretty heavy.
On the other hand, Howdens are as good as anything quality wise, and their customer service is 100%

My advice is get a price from Wren, then go to Howdens and see how they compare.

Bit of a saga for us.

We went to Howdens for an initial design and quote, but they never followed up so…; went to Wren when we changed our thoughts and got a nice design and a good quote - and were ‘convinced’ to put down a deposit - but on reflection not too happy about that and not really convinced by the designer (hecsaid he was quite new to it) so…; went to Optiplan and got a good design - correcting issues the Wren guy had built into his design. We decided to go Optiplan, put down a deposit and got our refundable deposit back from Wren - discovering that the Wren designer had ‘left’; then Optiplan went bust so…; through chargeback got our Optiplan deposit returned and went back to Howdens and have got a good design and a good quote.

That is where we are…Howdens - with our builder fitting as he and his fitters has done loads of Howdens kitchens and know the local Howdens team well.

And who needs a wine cooler anyway…we hadn’t thought of having one until Optiplan were able to offer us an AEG one free as we were buying 4+ AEG appliances through them ?

 

[Golfnut1957]

I fitted a Wren kitchen for my daughter last autumn. Quality ok, lots of issues with what exactly was delivered, excellent customer service (mostly via an app).

I fitted a Wickes kitchen for my self in 2021. Quality great, two components missing at delivery - one key, customer service was shocking. We've sold it to you now off you toddle.

As someone mentioned, DIY Kitchens. I fitted one here when we first moved in, in 2007. Absolute quality kitchen, it's still being used by someone else. The service back then was also first class, it may have changed, I don't know.

 

[KenL]

With Wren we had a chap come and measure up, the designer did a decent job, our kitchen is not that fancy.
The installer came round and spent 2 hours going through the design and assessing the job. He spotted a couple of things that would improve fitting the kitchen and these were fed back to Wren.
So, their design process seems pretty thorough. What really counts is the job the fitter, his electrician and his plumber do.

 

[Piece]

As I raised the original OP, I've had my new kitchen just over a year. Initially, I went through a forensic Wrens v Howdens comparison. Long and short is at the time, Wrens and Howdens were similar on units pricing. When scoping for installers via Howdens, without exception, they said Wrens stuff is good but Howdens is much better. How much of that "bias" is due to them having Howdens accounts, who knows? A year on, we haven't had a single issue with our Howdens kitchen (touch wood). I also felt the Howdens designer was fully focussed on us, rather than Wrens undertone of selling and closing.

In the end, I'm sure Wrens would be fine. As with Howdens, its down to who you get to install (we had one guy first quoting, but didn't give us the confidence. Second one was spot-on). With Howdens, that's your decision, but with Wren, you effectively get what you are given.

 

[Mudball]

Pushing the boat out... my socials show some great work by these guys >. https://thewoodworks.com/kitchen-tours > obviously top dollars and out of our budget. But we wanted to see a Rolls-Royce before settiling for a Fiat. Visited the showroom. The quality difference between this and Wren is very big. Carcas is still chipboard, but some of the other options is mind blowing. They have their own fitters.

Also on the list https://hubblekitchens.co.uk/ A friend got hubble and is mightly showing off.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

As I raised the original OP, I've had my new kitchen just over a year. Initially, I went through a forensic Wrens v Howdens comparison. Long and short is at the time, Wrens and Howdens were similar on units pricing. When scoping for installers via Howdens, without exception, they said Wrens stuff is good but Howdens is much better. How much of that "bias" is due to them having Howdens accounts, who knows? A year on, we haven't had a single issue with our Howdens kitchen (touch wood). I also felt the Howdens designer was fully focussed on us, rather than Wrens undertone of selling and closing.

In the end, I'm sure Wrens would be fine. As with Howdens, its down to who you get to install (we had one guy first quoting, but didn't give us the confidence. Second one was spot-on). With Howdens, that's your decision, but with Wren, you effectively get what you are given.

This…^

 

[fundy]

As I raised the original OP, I've had my new kitchen just over a year. Initially, I went through a forensic Wrens v Howdens comparison. Long and short is at the time, Wrens and Howdens were similar on units pricing. When scoping for installers via Howdens, without exception, they said Wrens stuff is good but Howdens is much better. How much of that "bias" is due to them having Howdens accounts, who knows? A year on, we haven't had a single issue with our Howdens kitchen (touch wood). I also felt the Howdens designer was fully focussed on us, rather than Wrens undertone of selling and closing.

In the end, I'm sure Wrens would be fine. As with Howdens, its down to who you get to install (we had one guy first quoting, but didn't give us the confidence. Second one was spot-on). With Howdens, that's your decision, but with Wren, you effectively get what you are given.

You can buy supply only from Wren and employ your own fitter. Not that we are going to go with them but the fitting quote in excess of 4k would ensure I did lol

 

[Bunkermagnet]

My current kitchen is a Wren, and I fitted it. If Magnet still did resin bonded mitred joints I would have dont with them, but they don't so they lost out.

 

[chrisd]

You can buy supply only from Wren and employ your own fitter. Not that we are going to go with them but the fitting quote in excess of 4k would ensure I did lol

I bought a Wren kitchen and had the builder who was doing my renovation fit it. Wren was fine, but Mrsd and I took over the design process so we got exactly what we wanted and Wren organised the work tops and island top through sub contractors.

 

[need_my_wedge]

So, our Wren kitchen has arrived and fitting begins on Tuesday.
Hopefully it will go smoothly..?

How did this go Ken, are you pleased with the kitchen and quality?

I went to Howdens, had them come out for a survey and design. A friend of mine has an account and offered to provide me at trade without mark up. Got the price, very surprised, a lot more expensive than I thought, and it didn't include worktops or fitting. Had Wren come do the same, their design process was much better, in my eyes, the quote came in less than Howdens by a couple of grand, it included better quality appliances, and a fitted quartz work top. They gave me a fitting price too of course, but did say it would be cheaper if I had my own fitter. At this point, I have to consider Wren as price for appliances and worktop alone are substantial savings.

Now we have to find out the cost of taking a wall down to open a kitchen diner. Mrs Wedge really wants to do that, anyone have any ballpark figures? It's a supporting wall, a little over 2m and needs an RSJ - timber frame house, current wall is hollow dry wall, so no brickwork to come down.

 

[KenL]

Our new kitchen is fantastic.
The fitter was first class. We ended up removing the floor tiles and getting a new floor. Fitter added this in for a very small charge.
All good.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

…and so today our bifolds went in and the look superb and open supremely easily.

However…at night with lights on inside the room and darkness outside the reflection in the bifold of the lit interior is a bit ‘wavy’ and varies according to my viewing angle.

Now I read that the tempering of the glass (required to strengthen large panes of glass) is likely to, or will (?) cause some such wavy distortion of the reflection and is not a manufacturing error - it‘s just what you get. But is that the case? I’ll ask the question tomorrow as its unexpected.

Nothing at all noticeable of course during the day. Could simply be something we have never noticed in bifolds of friends as we’ve never been inside their room with the bifolds at night…

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

How did this go Ken, are you pleased with the kitchen and quality?

I went to Howdens, had them come out for a survey and design. A friend of mine has an account and offered to provide me at trade without mark up. Got the price, very surprised, a lot more expensive than I thought, and it didn't include worktops or fitting. Had Wren come do the same, their design process was much better, in my eyes, the quote came in less than Howdens by a couple of grand, it included better quality appliances, and a fitted quartz work top. They gave me a fitting price too of course, but did say it would be cheaper if I had my own fitter. At this point, I have to consider Wren as price for appliances and worktop alone are substantial savings.

Now we have to find out the cost of taking a wall down to open a kitchen diner. Mrs Wedge really wants to do that, anyone have any ballpark figures? It's a supporting wall, a little over 2m and needs an RSJ - timber frame house, current wall is hollow dry wall, so no brickwork to come down.

If you cant have padstones in the existing walls the rsj will span between, then you might need steel posts set in foundation pad. Depends upon the nature of any wall above that the rsj has to support.

 

[need_my_wedge]

If you cant have padstones in the existing walls the rsj will span between, then you might need steel posts set in foundation pad. Depends upon the nature of any wall above that the rsj has to support.

That problem has gone away. Was made redundant yesterday, kitchen will still get a facelift but the walls not coming out now to save cost.

 

[KenL]

That problem has gone away. Was made redundant yesterday, kitchen will still get a facelift but the walls not coming out now to save cost.

Oh no, sorry to hear that.