Howdens Kitchens

[dollym]

See that there is a Howdens, with a small kitchen showroom in East Dulwich. Would be good to hear from anyone who has had a Howdens kitchen installed, together with recommendations for local kitchen fitters. Thanks!

[pps]

there rubbish i guess thats why the council use them the quaily is poor and always has been the draw front come off quicker than the basic b&q ones.

[Wildgirl]

Was this from poor fitting of the kitchen PPS or did you fit it yourself ??? ....I have had a few Howdens kitchens now and they have always been good. I had them fitted professionaly.

[EDmummy]

Quality is dependent on range. Councils use the budget range. We have a high gloss Howdens and it's certainly much higher quality than my friends' Wickes or B&Q. My only criticism are the hinges. Our builder highly recommends Ikea which surprised me greatly - he highly rates their soft close hinges. We didn't have an endless budget and had a huge kitchen and open plan dining room to furnish with units and so far we're happy. Would be interested in other views on Howdens.

[Wildgirl]

Hello EDmummy, I got some clip on soft closer bits from howdens they just clip onto your existing hinges, ask for them at at the store or get your builder to get them for you.

Cheers

[pps]

no wildgirl i never fitted it if i had it would still be perfect now . maybe right about poor fitting .it was my friends kitchen done under the decent homes scheme the council did a couple of years back ,the front came off 3 draws within 6 weeks .i fit kitchens for a living and have done lots in my time .

[pps]

my freind chose the kitchen he wanted and they fitted it the book contained theie whole range .yes i have fitted ikea kitchens and found them to be great valve and quality .wickes do lovely high gloss kitchens too

[bryan]

Crap quality.They give you up to 80% discount once you have opened up an account with them so they can bombard you with junk mail. You still end up paying over the odds for inferior pieces of white covered chipboard that are prone to fall off their cheap plastic legs.

[Mrs Y]

Love my Howden Kitchen which has been fitted for well over a year now and is still perfect.

[dollym]

Many thanks to all of you that have taken the time to respond. Much food for thought!

[Salsaboy]

Ikea all the way. Larger cupboards than Howdens, cheaper, and in my opinion, better quality.

[pps]

agreed

[Emete]

I must be the only one that is happy. I bought a howden kitchen but from the wearhouse in Peckham. They were great. We fitted the kitchen in our self, me my dad and husband. It really wasn't difficult as the the units are already built. I have now had my kitchen for 8 years and going strong.

[Dun]

Hi, we have used Ikea for our last 2 kitchens and will probably use them again as have found them to bet v good quality, last well, great price. I looked at Howdens last time but was not impressed with quality of their finish - even in their top range. My sister had a Magnet kitchen and is was good (survived her and then 10 years of tenants)but I thought Ikea was same quality and much better price. Where I always spend money is on the counter top, that makes the whole kitchen look top quality. Best of luck!

[The Minkey]

I was persuaded to go for a Howden's kitchen by a friend of a friend kitchen fitter. The quality is not good, e.g. the screws supplied to fit the fronts on to the integrated appliances were so short, the one on the dishwasher fell off before I'd even used it. The difference in the length of guarantee between Ikea and Howden's says it all really. I've lived with Ikea kitchens before and it would be my choice in future for a good working kitchen. Good quality, very practical, and affordable.

[The Minkey]

I went for the white gloss. The texture of the chipboard is clearly visible on the edges of the drawer and cupboard fronts. A small but not insignificant thing: The edges of Ikea's shelving appear to have a very slight bevel which in practise means they are less subject to damage such as chipping. The edges of my shelves are all manked up, even in those cupboards which don't get so much traffic.

[OD]

I have used the Howdens on East Dulwich, I have found the staff very helpful when answering my queries. I choose the cream high gloss finish which looks lovely and comaprable with my second choice of ikea. I found that when approaching fitters, they didnt much like fitting ikea cupboards (which are bigger than Howdens).

I found Howdens extremely expensive for appliances, worktops, handles etc and these can be easily picked up online from other vendors!