Has anyone ever bought from a store like Wickes, Homebase, B&Q and employed your own fitter? Was it cheaper?

[Guest]

Hi all, I’m new to the home renovating game and finally I’m in a position to get a new kitchen, but still on a budget, however I have a few questions…

I have shopped around and have an appointment with Wickes on Saturday (wanted somewhere local and independent but struggling to find that if I’m honest!).

Firstly, has anyone ever bought from a store like Wickes, Homebase, B&Q and employed your own fitter? Was it cheaper?

Secondly, after researching the integrated cooker, hob and dishwasher’s available it may work out cheaper for me to buy them separately from somewhere like A.O and get a handyman to fit them, has anyone done this? Was it cheaper? Was it easy to do?

TIA for any insight anyone can give.

[Claire]

We bought our cupboards from wren which were quite cheap, we bought our tops independently which came out much cheaper and also the appliances and we got wren’s fitters to fit them as it actually worked out cheaper to use their fitters after getting quotes independently.

[Jackie]

Maybe cheaper to buy it yourself and look for a local fitter. Best to get the fitter to give you some recommendations of work he’s done for other customers.

[Jackie]

Found then to be expensive they quoted me for my small galley kitchen £8.5 plus over 2 thousand for fitting. Got it done by a company in Bridgnorth inc fitting electrics appliances everything for just short of £6000.

[Debbie]

I had a full quote inc fitting and appliances from wickes. Shopped around for appliances and found my own fitter, who knew sparky/plumber etc. Wickes kitchen that I went for wasn’t cheap but it’s well made. It took around a year in total to come together as I bought tap and sink in sales etc. Had to wait five months for my fitter to be available but once I’d got everything in place, fitting was only about 4 days.

[Maurice]

I bought off the shelf from B&Q fitted myself did it all for under £600.

[Rosie]

I bought my kitchen from b and q. They sent round a designer to design the plan & measure up. The price for B & Q to fit the kitchen was almost as much as the actual kitchen, so I got quotes (using b and qs design) from a couple of carpenters. They were a fraction if the price & I engaged a sole craftsman who did an excellent job. He even tweaked the design for the better. He engaged plumbers, plasterers & electricians. I shopped around for the white goods & oven and hob.

[Christine]

My son bought a fitted kitchen from market place £400 was immaculate.just got his brother in law to fit it .and my son did his own tiling.

[Mark]

Your local Howdens will design & supply a kitchen for a fitter to install.

They do appliances at all budget levels & will recommend a local fitter if you don’t have one.

If you live near Knutsford then drop me a DM as that’s where I’m based.

[Rob]

It's worth finding someone to fit it first that is good, recommended and that you feel you can work with and that you'd trust them to get the job done.

They will have a preferred supplier of kit (other than white goods - that's up to you) as some of them will refuse to fit sub-standard kit.

[Darren]

If the hob or oven are gas you need a gas safe engineer to fit it, I know it's crazy as they're just a bayonet fixing but that's the law.

[Sue]

The wickes kitchen we bought has been excellent like new after several years. Excellent service and great fitter.

[Christina]

I suppose every B&Q is different BUT my son and his wife bought a new kitchen late Summer 2022. plus all appliances including taps sink. Built in oven. Microwave. Dishwasher and. Fridge/freezer etc.... it is still not finished...... the worktops are not jointed on the corners correctly, they have had 3 microwaves delivered so far. It has got so bad that after letters, threats etc... of exposure of their practices ( plus overcharging) they have been given permission to find their own kitchen fitter to put things right and have all the worktops removed and new worktops fitted by a qualified fitter of their choice

[Denise]

I got mine from IKEA, with their units they clip onto a rail. I got someone to put up the rail, as it needs to be perfect and then put all the units together myself and clipped them on, fix them together once up. A good friend cut the worktops and end panels and put them on for me. Dishwasher and ovens, fridge are integrated so just plug in, qualified electrician to fit induction hob. I am a single mum and not very handy but couldn’t afford kitchen and someone to fit it all.