[Closed] Kitchen advice on a budget

How goods your DIY? if its oaky I would recommend the route I went (and have done for a few mates).

Work out kitchen needed, use the free advise people at B&Q etc.
Order kitchen.
Rip out old one yourself (hire skip if needed), lots of fun with a FBH
Build kitchen cupboards yourself, take time. (just big flat packs and very easy to do)
Place cupboards round the room (not fixed) and if needed get a plumder and spark to do their bits (days work each)
Fit cupboards in place.
Plug up appliances
[b]Hire somebody to fit your worktops [/b](very important to get this right as this is what makes it look like a professional job).
GEt plumber back if needed to sort out sink.
Hire someone to tile if needed, also makes it look good.

If your not comfortable fitting the units/cupboards to the walls, get a joiner for a day to help.

Easy do it for 4k

Even if you have the money, I'd advise against B&Q for fitting. Boy did we have a nightmare with them. Non existant customer service, endless false promises. It was only after the trouble started that we found there are websites dedicated to B&Q horror stories.

At the size of your room it doesn't sound like a big job - Seriously consider doing it yourself. Did ours last year using units from B&Q for less than £2000 including paying joiner and electrician (all base units were 50% off). Look at it as a big jigsaw puzzle. If you can put shelves up you can put kitchen units up. Accept that not everything will fit perfectly - you may have to get medievel to fit the units over pipework etc. Compression fittings and/or flexible pipework makes the plumbing easier. We paid a joiner to cut and join the worktops and an electrician to move some sockets. Plan it in such a way that you don't leave yourself without a sink for too long (do a wall at a time). Budget for a few extra takeaways.
Consider the tools you'll need too - a decent saw, spirit level, drill amongst others.

johnikgriff has it really - most of the bigger outlets - Wickes, B&Q etc have design services so use them to make the best of the space you have.
Neighbours of ours used Wickes' service then bought all the flat pack stuff and organised themselves a joiner, sparky and plumber.
Neighbours did all the ripping out, tradesfolk did all the assembling and installing..

What they said. I've now fitted 2 kitchens myself to a goood standard (IMO). Even if you don't want to do it all, you can assemble units yourself etc, and plumbing is a piece of p*ss!

Ikea's own design software (free download) is good also.

Also, if you are putting a new floor down set all your units higher by about 10mm (depending on floor surface) to accomodate it beneath the plinths and end panels (which you'll need to remove). It's much easier to run the floor under than it is trying to butt up against existing units.

I got mine from Howdens and got a local fitter to install it, its who the trade use.

They also come out and do a survey, plan and give you a diagram all in the price.

Mine cost £3k installed including white goods (fridge, freezer and dish washer)

I would give B+Q the widest of widest berths

[url= http://www.howdens.com/ ]howdens clicky[/url]

monty... 3k installed? can I ask how much the fitting was and did that include any gas, electric, tyling etc? I am very good at DIY and have done electric, plumbing, tyling, door fitting etc but a nackered spine means that is a no go for now 🙁

Fit yourself, it isn't hard and units can be cheap. I did mine, the only proffessional help was cutting the mitres? in the worktop and connecting the gas hob.
Under 1.5k including minimal labour and stainless hob, built in oven sink and taps and wall to wall floor tiles.
I bought the appliances wholesale.
Having seen lots of kitchens go in I went for a painted/foiled finish as they don't age as much.
The estate agent listed it as a sub 10k kitchen. It's like everything if you can buy trade and fit yourself.
Btw I sent my family away for the weekend when I did my own 😉

It was from a starting point of the plastering done, water and the gas put in.

I did the electrics and lighting which I got from screwfix.

The kitchen was £2k, fitting £800 and mates rates at £200 for the tiling.

I'm a kitchen/Bathroom fitter and it astounds me when I see the prices people have been quoted for B+Q fitting.

As a very rough guide to labour prices for kitchens

Fitting units £40-50 per unit inc plinth, handles etc. (pick bigger ones so there's less unit count)
Worktops £50 per joint/cut out
Gas Connection (hob/oven etc) £80
Sink/Tap fitting and Connection to services within 1m £80
Install appliance £10 ea (no services)
Integrated appliance £50ea
Under cab lighting £10 ea (no supplies)
Tiling - Wall £50 pm2, floor £30 pm2 inc adhesive and grout
Remove old kitchen, dispose and make good £250-300 inc skip
Electrical - dependent upon what needs doing

B+Q Units average as are Magnet, Ikea. Howdens units I find nice to fit and usually use myself but you'll have to get a local tradesman on board as they won't sell direct but will do you a plan etc.

Get you appliances online or see if your kitchen supplier will do a deal, don't be fooled by "SALE" prices. do some research online and see what things really cost.

I got myself a wickes kitchen and was really impressed with the quality of the units and the design guy in store. Did a diy fit, all in all with tiles kitchen etc probably cost 2,5k.

I got Ikea all in with fitted cooker hob etc for 3.5k but fitted with my old man. We got tiles ourselves on offer from B&Q.

Only probs with ikea is that there is no gap behind them for pipes etc you need to move them all along the floor which was a pain with concrete flooring.