Chapters - (00:00:01) Introduction and FREE KITCHEN GIVEAWAY! (00:01:21) Delivery (00:05:33) Unpacking (00:05:50) Unpacked (00:08:39) Installation - DIY Kitchens (00:09:34) Installation - Wren (00:10:27) Installation - Magnet (00:11:11) Installation - Howdens (00:11:53) Installation - Wickes (00:12:42) Post installation (00:15:53) Are the kitchen doors wrapped/painted or edged? (00:17:25) Is the gloss finish mirror like or orange peel effect? (00:18:39) What is the thickness of the cabinets and doors? (00:20:29) Is the front of the door the same as the back? (00:21:30) Was there any damaged or missing items upon delivery? (00:23:21) How many items made up the delivery? (00:24:46) Were the cabinets supplied rigid assembled and were they glue and dowelled? (00:25:21) Are the cabinets sturdy? (00:25:42) How did the units arrive? (00:27:25) PRICE - How much did they cost? (00:29:21) What were the quotes? (00:33:02) Do the suppliers provide sample doors? (00:33:41) Are the drawers integrated soft close? (00:33:56) How many external cabinet colours does each supplier have? (00:34:25) What depth are the pan drawers? (00:34:58) What colours are the cabinet exteriors? Do the cabinets match the doors? (00:36:37) Do the doors have hinge holes on both sides? (00:37:56) Who is the best kitchen supplier? (00:39:55) 1st - DIY Kitchens positives and negatives (00:45:35) 2nd - Wren positives and negatives (00:50:14) 3rd - Magnet positives and negatives (00:53:28) 4th - Howdens positives and negatives (00:57:50) 5th - Wickes positives and negatives (01:02:48) Conclusion
Excellent and in depth reviews. Being in the trade I really enjoyed watching and you have obviously put a huge amount of work into creating this,. Thank you, I am going to check out your other videos. As a long time kitchen designer myself working at the very high end of the market ( starting price £80K + ) I think the DIY Kitchens range especially seems superb value and I was pleased to hear they do a straightforward honest pricing structure. I hate the fake "time critical" discounts from any company. It's so easy to add a "drop" into the pricing and folk still fall for it even when it is so clearly false. My first pro tip for anyone contemplating a kitchen is always try to install deeper worktops than the old "standard" 60cm depth. It makes no difference to standard base cupboards so why not pull them out a bit more? Gives you more working space, a decent service void behind, keeps damp away in very old houses, the wall cupboards don't feel so "in your face" and the sink, tap and hobs don't feel cramped either. With composite ( man made ) or stone worktops you are not limited to size like the old formica ones so I would suggest 70cm ( this is our company standard ). Plus if you come out to 80cm depth on the hob or range cooker worktop then you can put a higher up-stand behind with a 100 to 150mm worktop shelf on top. We call this a "Cook's Shelf". Very handy for spices, oils etc and "frames" any splashback nicely off the worktop.
Second pro tip might sound obvious but always leave a decent gap between your worktops and an island ( if planning one ). I work to 90cm to 100cm minimum. So many times I have seen existing kitchens with islands that are far too big and the walkways too cramped, barely allowing a dishwasher door to open for example.
This is absolutely sensational Nick. This trumps any and every kitchen review I’ve ever seen. If Which? Reviews are not as good as this. Well done on amazing work.and the fact that your new house has such a spacious garage to be able to do this is excellent!
Wow the amount of work that must have gone into this video is phenomenal. Thanks so much! We purchased a DIY Kitchen earlier this year (largely due to how highly you spoke of them in previous videos) and we absolutely love it. Our kitchen fitter said he would tell all of his customers to buy a DIY Kitchen as the quality is so high and they are so easy to fit, especially with the doors already being attached and the feet being such good quality. All the best with your home renovation project
Went into diy kitchens showroom because of your CZcams video of your own personal kitchen in cornflower blue. Was super impressed and this video only further solidifies my decision to go with DIY kitchens. I had never heard of them before you thank you so much for taking the time to make these videos and informing everyone of the differences. This video is particularly brillant as it compadres the real thing like for like - amazing! Keep up the great work as an interior designer it’s so wonderful to see the construction of them too. Thanks again nick
What an amazing video. Thorough, informative, fair and unbiased... not to mention surprising! I hadn't really come across DIY kitchens and if I had, I might well have overlooked them if not for this. Thanks for all the effort and financial investment you clearly put into making this content for all of us... will definitely be looking up your other videos :)
I noted long ago your praise of DIY Kitchen's in West Yorkshire. I love the look of their no nonsense, good quality products... I did not realise they came 'assembled'...which for me would be a great bonus. This video will help loads of folk Nick. Very well done. 🌞
An incredible amount of time, work and money clearly went into this video. Thank you! So incredibly helpful! This video deserves 10x the amount of views. Subscribed and looking forward to watching your other videos
This comparison is probably one of the most informative videos I’ve seen on CZcams. End of! Hadn’t heard of DIY Kitchens before but thoroughly impressed with their units. Excellent work mate, keep up the good work, I’ll be subscribing to your channel for sure.
They are all rubbish. Get tailor made hand crafted cabinets from RPM CUSTOM CABINET'S LTD in West Yorkshire. 18mm backs. ABS EDGED all round. Soft close everything. Pre assembled. Made from egger cheaper than these rip off kitchens here 😎👍
I love this. Myself and my partner have just bought our first home & our kitchen is on of our projects for later on in the year. Thank you for this nick! 😊
Thank you so much! I'm about to get a new kitchen, and the manufacturers I was going to go to, came up last on your review. So much good information on what to look for in assessing the quality was also much appreciated! Thanks again for all your hard work! 👍
Just found you after seeing the CZcams 'short' video from 5 kitchen review and..... it's absolutely brilliant what you've done for us putting this type of thorough video together. I've subscribed off the back of this. Thank you so much
Excellent video Nick, worthy of your own consumer series on BBC! I’m not in the market for a new kitchen at the moment but I have two sons who have recently purchased their first homes so will definitely be pointing them in the direction of your content. Keep up the good work 👍
Good video Nick. I’m a carpenter/cabinet maker, I don’t fit kitchens anymore but when I did the doors always went on last to avoid any chance of them getting damaged during the install. I’m about to start a bungalow renovation for my mother-in-law where I will be fitting a new kitchen, probably Howdens as I have an account with them but I may look at DIY Kitchens as well. It’s worth noting that Wickes kitchens and Benchmarx are the same, Benchmarx are the trade arm of Wickes and they’re a lot cheaper. Good review though mate, very helpful
WoW DIY kitchens have come a long way!!!! A few years ago this would not of been the case, no instructions, wobbly carcasses missing panels and parts. It’s great to see they’ve improved a lot. Thank you for this
Been using DIY kitchens for the last 8 years (14 kitchens in that time) and always got install instruction with original biscuits and tea (although they have gone fancy now with brownies). Instructions manual also available on line, although I have yet to see any kitchen fitter I’ve used refer to them. I read the instructions and use it resolve “issues” raised by fitters with their interpretation of tge design. Any damaged units or missing parts replaced without fuss so long as reported as per their process. Only had better service from a local company who have sadly gone out of business many years ago.
That is an outstanding video - the level of detail and thoroughness of your reviews makes it easy to see why you placed the manufacturers in the order you did. Perhaps most importantly, this review demonstrates that price is not the factor to go on - at the start I assumed the DIY would come at the worst quality because putting quality or value into a product costs money that gets passed onto the customer. The huge headline price on some followed with a big discount is actually a manipulation of the customer - it suggests the true value is higher than it actually is and that the customer is getting an unbelievable deal. I can't stand being manipulated. This review shows what is most important in a kitchen build and why. Thank you very much indeed.
I'll probably opt for DIY kitchens when I eventually renovate my kitchen hopefully next year. Thank you for the extremely informative review! I would have liked to see an Ikea kitchen review as well. Heard a few people say they’re good quality for the price.
How do you not have more views?! Your research has been invaluable for someone like me - a single middle aged woman- for whom kitchens are a minefield. You've given me so much information which i otherwise would never have know! Cannot thank you enough Nick as I embark on my first kitchen update going solo.
This was so interesting, I moved into a new build house and having watched your video i am reassured that i have a quality kitchen. It is identical to the DIY Kitchens but manufactured by Symphony Kitchens. It also shows how much profit the likes of Wickes are making and the customer has to do all the work!
My Kitchen is from DIY Kitchens and is fabulous. You have to ensure you know what you are ordering as it’s not so easy to just go and pick up something you have forgotten. I can’t fault them though. I went to a Wren showroom to get a quote and was shocked at the poor design they tried to sell me and the price of it! The salesman spoke to me as if l was about 12. I am a mature lady and an ex kitchen designer! I could see through his lack of experience immediately.
Thankyou for this, I’ve been trying to convince my husband to use them and I think this video will actually help me loads with my argument on why we should use DIY Kitchens! 😊
As a consumer I never knew about the edge/wrap thing, thanks for highlighting it. The DIY Kitchen seems low budget but goes to show it's a decent quality compared to well known brands such a Magnet.
You hit the nail on the head with the pricing, we recently bought a kitch, not from any of brands you're comparing but we did enquire with some and I hated the way they do the pricing and sell to trade only so public diy like me can't buy. Ended up going with ikea in the end as it worked out alot cheaper than even diy kitchens buy obviously sacrificed some quality with the backs on the cupboard ls not being as thick etc etc
What an outstanding video. I am thoroughly impressed and I would have paid money to watch such a high-quality and information-packed set of reviews. This has helped me tremendously as part of my research which has primarily focused on comparing DIY Kitchens vs Howdens vs Wren. I'm a new subscriber and I see you have an excellent library of videos for me to watch. Thank you again for such a brilliant video. People like you are why I love CZcams for how much it has taught me on countless topics.
You legend. This will help a lot of people. Going to be ordering my DIY kitchen this summer hopefully thanks to yours and other positive mentions of them from other channels. 👍👍
Just watched this and I have a wren kitchen and my doors don’t have hinge holes on both sides, only where they’re needed , I have the shaker ermine infinity plus and chose the taller wall cabinets which weren’t available with other companies and I really wanted the large 2 door corner larder, it would have been a good idea to mention the guarantee that came with the kitchen, we had 1 door where after 5 years we has a small amount of delamination and wren replaced everything in the kitchen that matched the doors so doors, end panels, plinths, cornice and kick boards and gave us £750 to have them fitted and I couldn’t fault their customer service
Bravo to DIY kitchens, biggest plus for me is the colour matched cabinets (big saving on end panels) and single hinge doors (as long as you got your opening choices right).👍
Really interesting video Nick, from someone who has been fitting kitchens for the past 40 years, I’ve fitted all the brands you’ve reviewed and have to agree DIY kitchens have a great product at a great price. last year I visited their show room ( the only showroom they have ) which is at the factory, with out a doubt one of the best showrooms I’ve ever been to. Not having 200 showrooms round the country definitely keeps the price down.
Excellent video! Thank you for taking the time to show what is out there, this video is fantastic! Saved me a lot of time driving to every store to compare quality etc!! 🥰
just fitted a DIY Kitchen. superb quality. Only issue was with the wall units which were fitted between units both needing end panels ( tall cooker unit and cooker hood unit) clearance is too tight and needed joints packing by a few mil as doors rubbed no matter how you adjusted hinges. Just too tight. Easy fix but only found out after units fixed which meant a bit of faffing around and re-spacing. Also filler panels tighten the gaps between units compared to clean run with no fillers. Maybe a slight chamfer on filler panels to trick the eye. All in all massively impressed with quality and the people on the phone every time I've had a reason to call. 1000% recommend
Bet DIY kitchens are thrilled with your video coming out with them on top. Id definitely use them seeing this video. Had a quote from Wicks for my mother's tiny teeny kitchen, nearly £8000. Four base units, one sink, one oven, one hob , laminate worksurface. 😮
Fantastic video Nick. You covered everything. For me DIY Kitchens wins hands down for quality,look and price. I didn't realise you could get units ready made.🤪 30+ years ago I bought from Magnet and Southern and they delivered units in 2's and 3's. The bathroom we ordered never did turn up. At the time their customer service was non existent, I swore I'd never buy/recommend. Thank you for doing this comparison. So many people are blinkered regarding so called discount.
Absolutely fantastic video, and the first of yours I’ve seen (thanks algorithm for once!). I’m a carpenter by trade an£ have fitted many kitchens. My experience pretty much matches your own with DIY kitchens coming top, Wren second and Howdens third. I find the biggest downside of Wren is they always miss something off the delivery/deliver damaged units. My experience is getting replacements is a nightmare (unlike Howdens and diy kitchens). They also always claim ridiculous RRP prices (I fitted a large kitchen that was supposed to be £30k marked down to £15k, but in no way way this even a £15k kitchen!). Subscribed, keep up the top work!
Thank you, Darren. So nice to hear your comments align with what my carpenter and I found! Hopefully more people can discover this video and save a lot of money!
On Howdens kitchens the colour of the drawer depends on what level of cost you elected for so the Blum Motion drawers will be dark grey and the cheaper ones light grey. You might find the dark grey edge on the Howdens unit is a peel off edge protector.
Nick this was soo helpful, we're thinking of finally changing out kitchen in the next year or two, if you had done an Ikea kitchen you would have covered pretty much everyone we were looking at.
If it helps, the IKEA handleless range has the thin lines on the edges of the doors (at least for their matt finish, not sure about gloss) and the plastic hole fillers on the backs. On the plus side transparent prices, interest free credit and 25yr guarantee. The drawers seem extra deep compared to others too. The backs are thin board maybe 2 or 3mm. I'm not opposed to it being flat pack as they're quick and easy to put together. At least you know it's been done right, if you are competent enough to put together yourself. I'd be more concerned about trades, not following instructions, taking shortcuts, or missing important steps out to save time, leaving you with a poor quality finish. Better to have a cheap well fitted kitchen, than an expensive one done badly! Try and visit one they have done recently to see for yourself 👍
Excellent review! I have never heard of DIY kitchens, we were going to go for one of the others but have just changed our minds. We could buy a kitchen and pay a kitchen fitter and still come in under what we were quoted for the kitchen alone.
They are all rubbish. Get tailor made hand crafted cabinets from RPM CUSTOM CABINET'S LTD in West Yorkshire. 18mm backs. ABS EDGED all round. Soft close everything. Pre assembled. Made from egger cheaper than these rip off kitchens here 😎👍
This is such a thorough and detailed video! Can’t thank you enough and tell you how appreciated it is. One more thing you could’ve compared is any guarantees the companies offer which would give customers extra reassurance. Thanks again and would love to win one of the kitchens, hopefully the DIY one!
Wow! How is this video not getting more attention?! Its amazing! You put so much time, energy, and information into it! Really appreciate you and can't wait to check out the rest if your content! 👍🙂
Really helpful video. I'm literally in the middle of trying to find a good kitchen and this has helped so much. One test I would liked to see would be the draw sturdiness test. Basically just pull them out then give them a good rattle. Some of them in the showrooms have way too much movement. In the market for a shaker style kitchen and would love to know who you think does the best one. Top work!
Nick, a really fair and helpful video. We have just visited the DIY Kitchens showroom. It was fabulous and helpful staff. Thank you for taking all the time and trouble to give an assessment on the different kitchens.
Hi Nick, Firstly congratulations on the comparison review, i've been meaning to do such a video for countless years so to see someone finally do it is great. It's got a ton of helpful info for consumers. However, just a few things... I know you said you might get terminology mixed up being a sparky, but calling a kitchen door 'wrapped' means something else in the kitchen industry and that is 'foil' or 'vinyl wrapped' which is one of the cheapest methods of finishing a door. There are many ways to finish a gloss door - Vinyl wrapped, laminated, PET Coated doors (the same thing shampoo bottles are made from and how the example doors in your vid from Magnet and Howdens are made), Acrylic with laser finishing for seamless edges, Lacquered (i.e. painted) doors which is what DIY, Wren and Wickes do. So I know you used the word 'wrapped' to mean you couldn't see any visible edges on the doors, but like I say in the kitchen industry that normally means a cheaply manufactured door and not a high quality lacquered door. And that is all before you get to what the door is made of MR MDF, MDF, Chipboard, Fibreboard. All of it has a big impact on the quality of the door and price point. But regardless of the doors, i'd urge you to do a part 2 to this if you still have the kitchens. The technical side is what really sets one kitchen apart from another and has a big affect on value for money. Firstly the board material can vary massively. From quality MFC from leading brands such as Egger board and Kronospan, to cheap paper faced melamine. The edging of the units from 0.4mm edging to 2mm abs edging. If you cut the units up you'd see a vast difference in quality, from the thickness of the covering to the density of the fibre board. The difference in board used can mean a kitchen falling apart within just a few years of general use, or lasting 20 years and even surviving water damage. The drawers are all different in your examples. From entry level Blum Metabox (howdens), to Blum Tandom Box (DIY, Magnet & Wickes), up to Blum Antero (Wren) which is a step up again. The hinges, again all are blum but not all are equal. DIY are Blum clip-on soft close, the cheapest of them all, some of the others are Blum integrated soft close, but it's not just the hinges, the mounting plates can differ and vary in form, function and adjustability. It's the difference of each hinge costing just over £1 to costing £3-£4 each. The wall hanging brackets, from top quality 3 point concealed hangers which can support huge amounts of weight, down to cheap block hangers which haven't moved on or improved in 40 years. The shelf pins... cheap pins, to locating pins, up to routered in locking pins The feet, from basic skinny brittle plastic legs up to the big foot DIY use. The quality of interior fittings also vary massively from the different brands on show. DIY's basket system is one of the cheapest type, even if it is made by Kessebohmer. That alone can mean a good few hundred pound difference in your price comparisons. All in all, out of your examples, DIY would still come out top for quality verses value for money, they are great kitchens. But it should be pointed out that their prices are cheap because they are the only one in your example that doesn't offer ant design services where as all the others do and that cost has to be built in to the kitchen price. Also whilst they top the list for quality in many categories - Door quality, unit board type, wall hangers, feet... they do also penny pinch in some other areas such as hinges, interior fittings, arguably drawer type.... as do the others in some form or another. If you ever found the time it would be great to see you do a part 2 on the technical side of kitchen manufacture and really take a close look at the components used between your 5 examples. I think you might rate the others in a different order and see some extra value in some of them, or even worse, you'll see some of them are way over charging based on technical quality ;)
Hi Colour Republic, thank you for taking so much time on this. The below will be really useful for my future videos and my renovations too, so I am very appreciative of both your kind words and effort! Take care.
Best kitchen video I've ever watched, you are amazing thank you so much. Currently looking now on DIY kitchens. I'd love to see you do the same videos for bathrooms and also looking at home base, b&q and IKEA kitchens.
This is the most helpful video on kitchens I've ever seen. One thing to ask - is there any difference in the weight that the drawers can withstand? Thank you so much for taking the time to create this video! Well done!
Thank you. That’s a really good question and I’ll try and add this information to the video if I can. Standard pan drawers usually have runners that can withstand 25kg on smaller base units and up to 50kg on larger units, which is obviously plenty. I will find out the breakdown for each if I can but thank you for asking the question!
What a great video this is and extremely useful for anyone looking for a new kitchen and the differences to look out for. Thanks for taking so much time to produce this, it must have been quite a task. Thanks again
Great. I would say that Howdens can come flat packed and at a cheaper price. They also had a free planner come round, you can look at the computer generated image onscreen, make any alterations and then have a detailed plan for measurements printed off.
Great to see all the kitchens together! We have a new kitchen from Magnet my husband fitted it last November, it’s absolutely gorgeous. You do get a choice of the interiors from silver edging with white interior, oak edging and same inside or grey interior. The thickness of the units differ too depending on the range you pick, ours is the Ludlow which is the top of their range. My husband has been a joiner/locksmith for over 35 years fitted thousands of kitchens, he rates Magnet the best out of all these kitchen samples from what he’s fitted. We have units from Howdens in our utility, they’re great but not as solid as Magnet. The fact that Magnet had the option of wooden doors instead of wrapped made us choose them as wrapped will come apart or blow in time, obviously budget is a factor in everything. Everything came with ours, no damage or missing parts. Friends have had Wren with damaged doors and missing parts, we also have friends who have had Howdens kitchens with missing parts but I think it’s down to the region not the company.
Ye no problem. Couple of other things I’d say are Wickes do have the option if you pay for a factory assemble, they don’t tell you this in every store we just over heard someone speaking. My Howdens doors don’t have hinge holes on both sides but they’re the basic white range. My magnet doors are wooden and don’t have holes on both sides either. From what I’ve seen on DIY you have to have a little bit of knowledge to sort a kitchen out, hence why they’re call DIY suppose but you have definitely helps a lot of people with this review! My husband also looks at hinges and draw runners when he inspects kitchens were as I don’t think of that but he is really impressed with the Magnet, Howdens and Wickes ones. I agree with you on pricing, they try to make out that you’re getting a really good deal by knocking off 50% or 25% etc but makes you wonder if the kitchens are a lot cheaper and they’re just adding commission on-top.
DIY Kitchens was always my brand of choice,always great quailty, very wide range of units/styles & well packed. Another thing with DIY Kitchens, the doors are pre hung left/righ depending on your choice, so no ugly hinge hole blanking plates like on other brands, which really p*ssed me off.
Another great thing with DIY Kitchens, they offer a range of Reduced Depth Base Units (Slimline) base units, which makes a nice change from having to use wall units as base units in narrow recesses.
Amazing video Nick. Seeing all the different brands in one place has to make your garage the best showroom in the country! It would be really interesting to see how IKEA would have compared, particularly to the DIY Kitchens as you can design both yourself and both good value.
I have a DIY kitchen and it's 4 year old it's still in top nick. The IKEA utility section is 5 and looks fine. Except the worktops are naff. And the back panels are bowing
Thank you, Nick. I'm a complete novice to kitchen installation so any advice on these companies is very welcome. The guide to quality was really helpful and the price comparison is a real eye opener. Thank you, again.
Great review! We also experienced the sales pitches and the extortionate starting prices of these companies. Got recommended to use howdens but we didn't like the way they don't give you a price directly and have to go via an installer who can also take a cut. Looked into DIY kitchens and they seemed fantastic with the online design tool but ended up using units-online as they've been used by friends and they use some of the more established kitchens like Second Nature and Burbidge which gave us more options. I really don't see why anyone would use these high street merchants after seeing your great video!
They are all rubbish. Get tailor made hand crafted cabinets from RPM CUSTOM CABINET'S LTD in West Yorkshire. 18mm backs. ABS EDGED all round. Soft close everything. Pre assembled. Made from egger cheaper than these rip off kitchens here 😎👍
Wow what a great video! First time in ages I've watched a video and left with no more questions that need answering..... One tip/request, leave tables or info you're talking about on screen or on screen for longer, helps to watch along as you inform rather than pausing. Great video pal, thanks for your time n effort making it.
That was by far the best review I've ever seen... fantastic breakdown! For people like me, looking through the sea of options when considering things like Kitchens, Bathrooms, etc it was great to see the comparisons. And you sacrificed your poor living room for the 5th one in it! Well done. Quick question... I'm struggling to justify whether to use Howdens Hockley or Greenwich range (both handleless)... do you have any advice? I cannot see the difference, but will I FEEL the difference with the thickness of the panels? It's a price difference of £1,500 for my Kitchen Design. Thanks!
Thank you! The hockley has 18mm doors and the Greenwich 16mm. Without knowing too much more about them as I haven’t installed them before, 16mm is really thin for a door. I would try DIY Kitchens as the quality of both of those isn’t great to be honest if you want longevity and as my video showed it’s probably cheaper too.
Brilliant. So happy I found you!!! We are just starting a complete renovation. I'll be spending a lot of time going thru all your videos! Thanks so very much for all your hard work.
Great video! Not sure if anyone has already mentioned it in the comments, but you can ask DIY Kitchens to increase the depth of the upper cabinets to up to 35cm. There is a slight increase, but I've just had one of their kitchens installed with the additional depth and it's great; especially for retaining a flush line of door fronts, whilst being able to hide away a combi-boiler!
This has been the most helpful video on you tube honestly fantastic thankyou !! I am only half way through - and I cannot pick my jaw up off of the floor - the WICKES audacity has shocked me to my core - okay back to the video
Thank you Nick. I appreciate the time and effort and thoroughness of your video, and even though I live in the US and only Wren is available here, I found this informative and useful.
Amazing video. I’ve had a DIY Kitchen in my basket for over a week, you’ve just put my mind at rest, that I’m making the right decision. Great work fella.
Thank u Nick for such a great video. Really informative. Would it be possible to have a video on how to use DIY kitchens software? How to measure? What things to keep in mind when ordering the items? For people like me who are not DIY and very rarely measure things, that would be really helpful. Maybe u can use a live example like to the one on this video how did u work out what units to buy and work out their dimensions?
This video is amazing my mate! I however will not be showing this to my dad, last year he spent £20,000 on a Wrens kitchen, he probably could have went to DIY Kitchens for £6000 😢 I really appreciate this video tho mate, very well done 👍🏻
Just on the negotiating and discount front I'd despise using the highstreet brands. If someone can offer you £5k off something that costs £3k, they're criminally ripping off people who arent confident or knowledgeable enough to ask for it. Which is just so scummy. Awful companies. Great video though! Will be replacing a kitchen in our new house in the next couple of years, and this will definitely inform the decisions. Thanks!
Love this but have to say i don't find flat pack a negative, I love building flat packs i find it chilling 🤪 but understand alot dont , very informative video thanks
Thank you so much - the time, effort, detail and quality of information you put into this video! This was exactly what I was looking for as I need to order a kitchen in the next couple of weeks. I had originally selected Wren, should have known their glossy TV ads needed to be funded somehow. I had heard of DIY kitchens, and started to put together a design but abandoned. I've now gone back used their plan feature and finished the kitchen ready of order :)
Thanks for going to the effort of doing this. Definitely an eye opener for the layman that doesn't fit them for a living and trying to renovate a house on a tight budget. Personally I found it hard work trying to "jump through hoops" at Howdens. Guy behind the counter at my local store asked if I had a trade (which I do, but not "in the trade" and was refused an account although I could purchase one through a guy he would allow me to use his account... Wickes planner lost interest when we asked for a plan but really didn't know what we wanted... there isn't a magnet near me at all although I called in and got a brochure whilst out and about with my work. Wren... the 2 days probably was worth wasting my weekends for the plan we got from it. Really helpful in getting to a point comfortable but the bombardment of phone calls after and pressure to purchase on the day was excruciating. At the moment we are looking at a visit to DIY kitchens and already have local kitchen suppliers mocking up plans. At the moment it's looking like it might well be a DIY kitchen with a few other manufacturers thrown in as my wife wants a "magic draw" she's seen.. 😂 Again thanks for highlighting the plus, negatives and indifference with all of them. Massive help!
Nick, we are having a breakdown over kitchens - who to buy from; why so expensive; what cost to fit; what needs to get done first, next, last. We've been in the market for one for over 4 years: frozen with fear of wrong choices. You Sir are to kitchens what Martin Lewis is to money. "Thank you"! p.s. wrestling with the DIY Kitchens planner now.
This was a great review. its a shame you didn't give a shout out to the smaller local independents who will all do similar if not better than DIY kitchens (maybe more expensive but still cheaper than the others) Also from experience edged doors aren't always worse quality, German kitchens for example have edged doors which are the better option
Absolutely fantastic Nic, consolidated what I was already thinking, want to update my kitchen but it needs to be flexible for future upgrades too. Well done.
Very good in-depth view of the various kitchens, this video is a must keep for reference in the future. Just two point I would add in my assessment of them. 1) split larder doors: much prefer the ‘all in one door’, easier to clean, (the split in the doors are real dust catchers,) and a full door gives a better finished look to the kitchen. 2) again the larder cupboard; the shelving system is not really that practical from a storage point of view. Can see the advantage of having the shelves slide out so that everything can be clearly seen, but the sliding unit takes up valuable storage space. Would prefer the system of fixed sliding shelves, still some storage space loss but not as much.
Thank you for this comparison as I am currently looking for a kitchen and have been to Magnet, Wren, Howdens and IKEA. Your video was just what I needed.
Great video packed with really helpful information. The price difference is staggering especially when the cheapest appears to be the best quality all round. I was considering Howdens but DIY Kitchens are definitely on my radar now. Thanks for presenting the information in a clear and concise way, top marks.
BRILLIANT Video Nick, very helpful indeed... You have put DIY kitchens on my radar , as I have had Howdens and Wren kitchens in the past. The only issue I would worry about is the design and measuring as I don't trust myself, but maybe still be worth paying someone to do that measure-up and order on the website than paying an additional £1k+ for the other companies.
Thank you. Yes they have a cad planner now which makes things much easier and are bringing in a design service however I always just ask my carpenter to design my kitchen on site as he knows best and what will work! Good luck.
Great video and hero effort you went to to give people a comparison review. I'm not sure if wrapped necessarily means a higher quality though. It may look cleaner and smarter but I have some wrapped doors (same kind of white gloss J-pull design but from the now defunct Tesco kitchens) and the wrap has come loose on a number of units. Heat has also caused it to peel off on some others. A real pain in that I can't replace the wrap myself. If they were painted for one this wouldn't have happened, secondly I could have touched it up and in the future could decide to repaint and choose a new colour whereas with a wrap you have to replace all the doors. Not exactly environmentally friendly and spending the kind of money you have to on a kitchen I want it to last. Another point not touched on is if there are extra shelves/spare parts available for the things like the pull out larder. Needs change and there are also things you figure out later on as you settle in to using your new kitchen. I wish we could get more shelves for ours but we can't. I also want to add an extra unit but I'm now going through a lot of effort to find one that will match and fit in because the company has gone down and the designs are no longer available. This is years later and so I would consider it important to know if the company changes their designs often and might leave you struggling to add or replace a unit in a few years time. Thanks for your work put in in creating such an informative review though.
Thanks for this informative video. We bought from diy Kitchens last year and couldn’t fault them from start to finish. We absolutely love our kitchen and would definitely recommend them.
Amazing ! You helped me decide straight away with such detailed insight ! Great for customers who don't have the technical knowledge. Thank you so much !
Just been to Wren and Magnet. As you say it Wren was £47k discounted to £22k which made no sense. Magnet similar. Can’t fault the design experience. Thought Wren was great. Going to check out DIY kitchens though with that price difference. Awesome video, really useful. Thanks
great video and very unusual but helpful in that it gives you a really good comparison view of the different makes of kitchen . I am in the process of actually ordering a DIY Kitchen and I can see DIY Kitchens taking a large chunk of the fitted kitchen market in the near future .
Very nice, I'll bare all of this information next time I purchase a kitchen. I actually picked Schmidt for my kitchen. Was as expensive as Wren, but they have about 20 interior colour styles not just white and can pick up to 5 bespoke units that match your requirements exactly. They come finished just like Wren too. I think they would have easily been 2nd place but wow DIY Kitchens sure has my eye for my next one.
Thank you for all your hard work making this video. I had not heard of DIY kitchens until watching this, I also did not think I would watch it to the end. It was very informative and timely as I plan to upgrade my kitchen next year👍🏾
I am considering a Wren kitchen (purely because they are local to me and i need to buy it on finance) but hearing so many negative reviews so really unsure now. I am a joiner to trade and fitted loads of Howdens kitchens who i'd prefer to go to, but don't have the money upfront to buy it from them.
This has been really really helpful. Have needed new kitchen and have never known where to start or what differences are! Thankyou you for thorough review and honest feedback!,
Amazing video Nick. Just a bit of info, it is only the handleless doors that come with hinge holes on both sides. Shaker doors etc come with bespoke hinge holes down one side only
Chapters -
(00:00:01) Introduction and FREE KITCHEN GIVEAWAY!
(00:01:21) Delivery
(00:05:33) Unpacking
(00:05:50) Unpacked
(00:08:39) Installation - DIY Kitchens
(00:09:34) Installation - Wren
(00:10:27) Installation - Magnet
(00:11:11) Installation - Howdens
(00:11:53) Installation - Wickes
(00:12:42) Post installation
(00:15:53) Are the kitchen doors wrapped/painted or edged?
(00:17:25) Is the gloss finish mirror like or orange peel effect?
(00:18:39) What is the thickness of the cabinets and doors?
(00:20:29) Is the front of the door the same as the back?
(00:21:30) Was there any damaged or missing items upon delivery?
(00:23:21) How many items made up the delivery?
(00:24:46) Were the cabinets supplied rigid assembled and were they glue and dowelled?
(00:25:21) Are the cabinets sturdy?
(00:25:42) How did the units arrive?
(00:27:25) PRICE - How much did they cost?
(00:29:21) What were the quotes?
(00:33:02) Do the suppliers provide sample doors?
(00:33:41) Are the drawers integrated soft close?
(00:33:56) How many external cabinet colours does each supplier have?
(00:34:25) What depth are the pan drawers?
(00:34:58) What colours are the cabinet exteriors? Do the cabinets match the doors?
(00:36:37) Do the doors have hinge holes on both sides?
(00:37:56) Who is the best kitchen supplier?
(00:39:55) 1st - DIY Kitchens positives and negatives
(00:45:35) 2nd - Wren positives and negatives
(00:50:14) 3rd - Magnet positives and negatives
(00:53:28) 4th - Howdens positives and negatives
(00:57:50) 5th - Wickes positives and negatives
(01:02:48) Conclusion
Excellent and in depth reviews. Being in the trade I really enjoyed watching and you have obviously put a huge amount of work into creating this,. Thank you, I am going to check out your other videos.
As a long time kitchen designer myself working at the very high end of the market ( starting price £80K + ) I think the DIY Kitchens range especially seems superb value and I was pleased to hear they do a straightforward honest pricing structure. I hate the fake "time critical" discounts from any company. It's so easy to add a "drop" into the pricing and folk still fall for it even when it is so clearly false.
My first pro tip for anyone contemplating a kitchen is always try to install deeper worktops than the old "standard" 60cm depth. It makes no difference to standard base cupboards so why not pull them out a bit more? Gives you more working space, a decent service void behind, keeps damp away in very old houses, the wall cupboards don't feel so "in your face" and the sink, tap and hobs don't feel cramped either.
With composite ( man made ) or stone worktops you are not limited to size like the old formica ones so I would suggest 70cm ( this is our company standard ). Plus if you come out to 80cm depth on the hob or range cooker worktop then you can put a higher up-stand behind with a 100 to 150mm worktop shelf on top. We call this a "Cook's Shelf". Very handy for spices, oils etc and "frames" any splashback nicely off the worktop.
Second pro tip might sound obvious but always leave a decent gap between your worktops and an island ( if planning one ). I work to 90cm to 100cm minimum. So many times I have seen existing kitchens with islands that are far too big and the walkways too cramped, barely allowing a dishwasher door to open for example.
Brilliant guide 👍 DIY kitchens will be getting a call soon. Thank you
Can I hire you to fit my kitchen
Excellent informative unbiased video
Who won the kitchen?
This is absolutely sensational Nick. This trumps any and every kitchen review I’ve ever seen. If Which? Reviews are not as good as this. Well done on amazing work.and the fact that your new house has such a spacious garage to be able to do this is excellent!
Wow, thanks! Please tell your friends 😂
Definitely agree on your comments, it's nice to get a totally unbiased review of the kitchen brands.
Brilliant review! I know where my kitchen will come from!
Really such a good video and every detail has been explained.
Wow the amount of work that must have gone into this video is phenomenal. Thanks so much!
We purchased a DIY Kitchen earlier this year (largely due to how highly you spoke of them in previous videos) and we absolutely love it. Our kitchen fitter said he would tell all of his customers to buy a DIY Kitchen as the quality is so high and they are so easy to fit, especially with the doors already being attached and the feet being such good quality.
All the best with your home renovation project
Ah that’s so good to hear! Glad you are happy with them I wouldn’t recommend anyone I wouldn’t use myself
Went into diy kitchens showroom because of your CZcams video of your own personal kitchen in cornflower blue. Was super impressed and this video only further solidifies my decision to go with DIY kitchens. I had never heard of them before you thank you so much for taking the time to make these videos and informing everyone of the differences. This video is particularly brillant as it compadres the real thing like for like - amazing! Keep up the great work as an interior designer it’s so wonderful to see the construction of them too. Thanks again nick
Thank you, Katherine! Glad you are pleased with your kitchen.
What an amazing video. Thorough, informative, fair and unbiased... not to mention surprising! I hadn't really come across DIY kitchens and if I had, I might well have overlooked them if not for this. Thanks for all the effort and financial investment you clearly put into making this content for all of us... will definitely be looking up your other videos :)
Wow what a nice comment, thank you!
I noted long ago your praise of DIY Kitchen's in West Yorkshire. I love the look of their no nonsense, good quality products... I did not realise they came 'assembled'...which for me would be a great bonus. This video will help loads of folk Nick. Very well done. 🌞
It is an amazing bonus, so much simpler! Thank you 😊
We bought a DIY kitchen 3 years ago and have never regretted it. Still looks as fresh as the day we installed it. Nothing broken. Well recommended!
Thanks for the information. Good to know! I have one at home too that we installed in 2016 and still perfect.
An incredible amount of time, work and money clearly went into this video. Thank you! So incredibly helpful! This video deserves 10x the amount of views. Subscribed and looking forward to watching your other videos
Haha wow what a kind review, thank you. Hopefully you have a million followers and it will 😂
This comparison is probably one of the most informative videos I’ve seen on CZcams. End of!
Hadn’t heard of DIY Kitchens before but thoroughly impressed with their units.
Excellent work mate, keep up the good work, I’ll be subscribing to your channel for sure.
Wow, what an awesome review. Thanks!
They are all rubbish. Get tailor made hand crafted cabinets from RPM CUSTOM CABINET'S LTD in West Yorkshire. 18mm backs. ABS EDGED all round. Soft close everything. Pre assembled. Made from egger cheaper than these rip off kitchens here 😎👍
I love this. Myself and my partner have just bought our first home & our kitchen is on of our projects for later on in the year. Thank you for this nick! 😊
Good luck with the project!
Thank you so much! I'm about to get a new kitchen, and the manufacturers I was going to go to, came up last on your review. So much good information on what to look for in assessing the quality was also much appreciated! Thanks again for all your hard work! 👍
Glad I could help! Thanks for your kind comments.
Just found you after seeing the CZcams 'short' video from 5 kitchen review and..... it's absolutely brilliant what you've done for us putting this type of thorough video together. I've subscribed off the back of this. Thank you so much
Excellent video Nick, worthy of your own consumer series on BBC! I’m not in the market for a new kitchen at the moment but I have two sons who have recently purchased their first homes so will definitely be pointing them in the direction of your content. Keep up the good work 👍
Fantastic! Thank you for passing the video on :)
Good video Nick. I’m a carpenter/cabinet maker, I don’t fit kitchens anymore but when I did the doors always went on last to avoid any chance of them getting damaged during the install. I’m about to start a bungalow renovation for my mother-in-law where I will be fitting a new kitchen, probably Howdens as I have an account with them but I may look at DIY Kitchens as well. It’s worth noting that Wickes kitchens and Benchmarx are the same, Benchmarx are the trade arm of Wickes and they’re a lot cheaper. Good review though mate, very helpful
WoW DIY kitchens have come a long way!!!! A few years ago this would not of been the case, no instructions, wobbly carcasses missing panels and parts. It’s great to see they’ve improved a lot. Thank you for this
Glad it was helpful!
Been using DIY kitchens for the last 8 years (14 kitchens in that time) and always got install instruction with original biscuits and tea (although they have gone fancy now with brownies). Instructions manual also available on line, although I have yet to see any kitchen fitter I’ve used refer to them. I read the instructions and use it resolve “issues” raised by fitters with their interpretation of tge design. Any damaged units or missing parts replaced without fuss so long as reported as per their process. Only had better service from a local company who have sadly gone out of business many years ago.
That is an outstanding video - the level of detail and thoroughness of your reviews makes it easy to see why you placed the manufacturers in the order you did. Perhaps most importantly, this review demonstrates that price is not the factor to go on - at the start I assumed the DIY would come at the worst quality because putting quality or value into a product costs money that gets passed onto the customer. The huge headline price on some followed with a big discount is actually a manipulation of the customer - it suggests the true value is higher than it actually is and that the customer is getting an unbelievable deal. I can't stand being manipulated. This review shows what is most important in a kitchen build and why. Thank you very much indeed.
Thank you, John. What nice feedback!
I'll probably opt for DIY kitchens when I eventually renovate my kitchen hopefully next year. Thank you for the extremely informative review! I would have liked to see an Ikea kitchen review as well. Heard a few people say they’re good quality for the price.
No problem! Reviewed IKEA a few years ago but will definitely add them to the next one. Thank you.
How do you not have more views?! Your research has been invaluable for someone like me - a single middle aged woman- for whom kitchens are a minefield. You've given me so much information which i otherwise would never have know! Cannot thank you enough Nick as I embark on my first kitchen update going solo.
Haha please spread the word to everyone you know! Good luck with your kitchen renovation.
Wow so impressive your reviews are I found it very helpful I am doing new kitchen at the moment you deserve millions reviews many thanks
This was so interesting, I moved into a new build house and having watched your video i am reassured that i have a quality kitchen. It is identical to the DIY Kitchens but manufactured by Symphony Kitchens. It also shows how much profit the likes of Wickes are making and the customer has to do all the work!
😀
My Kitchen is from DIY Kitchens and is fabulous. You have to ensure you know what you are ordering as it’s not so easy to just go and pick up something you have forgotten. I can’t fault them though. I went to a Wren showroom to get a quote and was shocked at the poor design they tried to sell me and the price of it! The salesman spoke to me as if l was about 12. I am a mature lady and an ex kitchen designer! I could see through his lack of experience immediately.
Thank you for your comments, I am glad you are happy with your kitchen!
Thankyou for this, I’ve been trying to convince my husband to use them and I think this video will actually help me loads with my argument on why we should use DIY Kitchens! 😊
Glad it was helpful!
Fitted a few DIY Kitchens over the years, you won't be disappointed with their quailty,attention to detail & range of units/styles/finishes.
As a consumer I never knew about the edge/wrap thing, thanks for highlighting it. The DIY Kitchen seems low budget but goes to show it's a decent quality compared to well known brands such a Magnet.
Ah that’s great to know it has helped! Thanks for your feedback
You hit the nail on the head with the pricing, we recently bought a kitch, not from any of brands you're comparing but we did enquire with some and I hated the way they do the pricing and sell to trade only so public diy like me can't buy.
Ended up going with ikea in the end as it worked out alot cheaper than even diy kitchens buy obviously sacrificed some quality with the backs on the cupboard ls not being as thick etc etc
👍
What an outstanding video. I am thoroughly impressed and I would have paid money to watch such a high-quality and information-packed set of reviews. This has helped me tremendously as part of my research which has primarily focused on comparing DIY Kitchens vs Howdens vs Wren.
I'm a new subscriber and I see you have an excellent library of videos for me to watch. Thank you again for such a brilliant video. People like you are why I love CZcams for how much it has taught me on countless topics.
Wow, thank you! And thank you for your kind donation, I had no idea people could even do that 😂
Good luck with your kitchen renovation!
You legend. This will help a lot of people. Going to be ordering my DIY kitchen this summer hopefully thanks to yours and other positive mentions of them from other channels. 👍👍
Glad I could help!
Just watched this and I have a wren kitchen and my doors don’t have hinge holes on both sides, only where they’re needed , I have the shaker ermine infinity plus and chose the taller wall cabinets which weren’t available with other companies and I really wanted the large 2 door corner larder, it would have been a good idea to mention the guarantee that came with the kitchen, we had 1 door where after 5 years we has a small amount of delamination and wren replaced everything in the kitchen that matched the doors so doors, end panels, plinths, cornice and kick boards and gave us £750 to have them fitted and I couldn’t fault their customer service
That’s excellent - thank you for sharing! Nice idea with the guarantee for the next video.
Bravo to DIY kitchens, biggest plus for me is the colour matched cabinets (big saving on end panels) and single hinge doors (as long as you got your opening choices right).👍
👍
Really interesting video Nick, from someone who has been fitting kitchens for the past 40 years, I’ve fitted all the brands you’ve reviewed and have to agree DIY kitchens have a great product at a great price. last year I visited their show room ( the only showroom they have ) which is at the factory, with out a doubt one of the best showrooms I’ve ever been to. Not having 200 showrooms round the country definitely keeps the price down.
Excellent video! Thank you for taking the time to show what is out there, this video is fantastic! Saved me a lot of time driving to every store to compare quality etc!! 🥰
just fitted a DIY Kitchen. superb quality. Only issue was with the wall units which were fitted between units both needing end panels ( tall cooker unit and cooker hood unit) clearance is too tight and needed joints packing by a few mil as doors rubbed no matter how you adjusted hinges. Just too tight. Easy fix but only found out after units fixed which meant a bit of faffing around and re-spacing. Also filler panels tighten the gaps between units compared to clean run with no fillers. Maybe a slight chamfer on filler panels to trick the eye. All in all massively impressed with quality and the people on the phone every time I've had a reason to call. 1000% recommend
Bet DIY kitchens are thrilled with your video coming out with them on top. Id definitely use them seeing this video. Had a quote from Wicks for my mother's tiny teeny kitchen, nearly £8000. Four base units, one sink, one oven, one hob , laminate worksurface. 😮
Wow! £8,000 is a lot for that. Good luck with your search.
Fantastic video Nick. You covered everything. For me DIY Kitchens wins hands down for quality,look and price. I didn't realise you could get units ready made.🤪 30+ years ago I bought from Magnet and Southern and they delivered units in 2's and 3's. The bathroom we ordered never did turn up. At the time their customer service was non existent, I swore I'd never buy/recommend. Thank you for doing this comparison. So many people are blinkered regarding so called discount.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you.
Absolutely fantastic video, and the first of yours I’ve seen (thanks algorithm for once!). I’m a carpenter by trade an£ have fitted many kitchens. My experience pretty much matches your own with DIY kitchens coming top, Wren second and Howdens third. I find the biggest downside of Wren is they always miss something off the delivery/deliver damaged units. My experience is getting replacements is a nightmare (unlike Howdens and diy kitchens). They also always claim ridiculous RRP prices (I fitted a large kitchen that was supposed to be £30k marked down to £15k, but in no way way this even a £15k kitchen!). Subscribed, keep up the top work!
Thank you, Darren. So nice to hear your comments align with what my carpenter and I found! Hopefully more people can discover this video and save a lot of money!
On Howdens kitchens the colour of the drawer depends on what level of cost you elected for so the Blum Motion drawers will be dark grey and the cheaper ones light grey. You might find the dark grey edge on the Howdens unit is a peel off edge protector.
Thanks for the tip!
Nick this was soo helpful, we're thinking of finally changing out kitchen in the next year or two, if you had done an Ikea kitchen you would have covered pretty much everyone we were looking at.
Glad it may be of use. Interesting to know IKEA has been mentioned by a few people to look into next time!
If it helps, the IKEA handleless range has the thin lines on the edges of the doors (at least for their matt finish, not sure about gloss) and the plastic hole fillers on the backs. On the plus side transparent prices, interest free credit and 25yr guarantee. The drawers seem extra deep compared to others too. The backs are thin board maybe 2 or 3mm.
I'm not opposed to it being flat pack as they're quick and easy to put together. At least you know it's been done right, if you are competent enough to put together yourself.
I'd be more concerned about trades, not following instructions, taking shortcuts, or missing important steps out to save time, leaving you with a poor quality finish. Better to have a cheap well fitted kitchen, than an expensive one done badly!
Try and visit one they have done recently to see for yourself 👍
Phenomenal video. Hats off for the considerable amount of time and effort you've put in. I had already went with DIY kitchens, so this was reassuring.
That is so kind, thanks! Good luck with your kitchen.
Excellent review! I have never heard of DIY kitchens, we were going to go for one of the others but have just changed our minds. We could buy a kitchen and pay a kitchen fitter and still come in under what we were quoted for the kitchen alone.
Thank you, Maria. Good luck with your project!
They are all rubbish. Get tailor made hand crafted cabinets from RPM CUSTOM CABINET'S LTD in West Yorkshire. 18mm backs. ABS EDGED all round. Soft close everything. Pre assembled. Made from egger cheaper than these rip off kitchens here 😎👍
This is such a thorough and detailed video! Can’t thank you enough and tell you how appreciated it is. One more thing you could’ve compared is any guarantees the companies offer which would give customers extra reassurance. Thanks again and would love to win one of the kitchens, hopefully the DIY one!
Thank you. Ah that’s a great idea - didn’t think of that. Will post about the free kitchen soon so please subscribe and tell your friends!!
Wow! How is this video not getting more attention?! Its amazing! You put so much time, energy, and information into it! Really appreciate you and can't wait to check out the rest if your content! 👍🙂
Loving the dedication Nick! Amazing video, thanks for putting in so much work for your subbies 😊
My pleasure!
The best review ever, an eye opener for us. Thanks a lot
Really helpful video. I'm literally in the middle of trying to find a good kitchen and this has helped so much.
One test I would liked to see would be the draw sturdiness test. Basically just pull them out then give them a good rattle. Some of them in the showrooms have way too much movement.
In the market for a shaker style kitchen and would love to know who you think does the best one. Top work!
Thanks for the suggestion - noted for next year!
Nick, a really fair and helpful video. We have just visited the DIY Kitchens showroom. It was fabulous and helpful staff.
Thank you for taking all the time and trouble to give an assessment on the different kitchens.
Thanks for the nice feedback! I love that showroom 😂
Hi Nick,
Firstly congratulations on the comparison review, i've been meaning to do such a video for countless years so to see someone finally do it is great. It's got a ton of helpful info for consumers.
However, just a few things... I know you said you might get terminology mixed up being a sparky, but calling a kitchen door 'wrapped' means something else in the kitchen industry and that is 'foil' or 'vinyl wrapped' which is one of the cheapest methods of finishing a door.
There are many ways to finish a gloss door - Vinyl wrapped, laminated, PET Coated doors (the same thing shampoo bottles are made from and how the example doors in your vid from Magnet and Howdens are made), Acrylic with laser finishing for seamless edges, Lacquered (i.e. painted) doors which is what DIY, Wren and Wickes do. So I know you used the word 'wrapped' to mean you couldn't see any visible edges on the doors, but like I say in the kitchen industry that normally means a cheaply manufactured door and not a high quality lacquered door.
And that is all before you get to what the door is made of MR MDF, MDF, Chipboard, Fibreboard. All of it has a big impact on the quality of the door and price point.
But regardless of the doors, i'd urge you to do a part 2 to this if you still have the kitchens. The technical side is what really sets one kitchen apart from another and has a big affect on value for money.
Firstly the board material can vary massively. From quality MFC from leading brands such as Egger board and Kronospan, to cheap paper faced melamine. The edging of the units from 0.4mm edging to 2mm abs edging. If you cut the units up you'd see a vast difference in quality, from the thickness of the covering to the density of the fibre board. The difference in board used can mean a kitchen falling apart within just a few years of general use, or lasting 20 years and even surviving water damage.
The drawers are all different in your examples. From entry level Blum Metabox (howdens), to Blum Tandom Box (DIY, Magnet & Wickes), up to Blum Antero (Wren) which is a step up again.
The hinges, again all are blum but not all are equal. DIY are Blum clip-on soft close, the cheapest of them all, some of the others are Blum integrated soft close, but it's not just the hinges, the mounting plates can differ and vary in form, function and adjustability. It's the difference of each hinge costing just over £1 to costing £3-£4 each.
The wall hanging brackets, from top quality 3 point concealed hangers which can support huge amounts of weight, down to cheap block hangers which haven't moved on or improved in 40 years.
The shelf pins... cheap pins, to locating pins, up to routered in locking pins
The feet, from basic skinny brittle plastic legs up to the big foot DIY use.
The quality of interior fittings also vary massively from the different brands on show. DIY's basket system is one of the cheapest type, even if it is made by Kessebohmer. That alone can mean a good few hundred pound difference in your price comparisons.
All in all, out of your examples, DIY would still come out top for quality verses value for money, they are great kitchens. But it should be pointed out that their prices are cheap because they are the only one in your example that doesn't offer ant design services where as all the others do and that cost has to be built in to the kitchen price. Also whilst they top the list for quality in many categories - Door quality, unit board type, wall hangers, feet... they do also penny pinch in some other areas such as hinges, interior fittings, arguably drawer type.... as do the others in some form or another.
If you ever found the time it would be great to see you do a part 2 on the technical side of kitchen manufacture and really take a close look at the components used between your 5 examples. I think you might rate the others in a different order and see some extra value in some of them, or even worse, you'll see some of them are way over charging based on technical quality ;)
Hi Colour Republic, thank you for taking so much time on this. The below will be really useful for my future videos and my renovations too, so I am very appreciative of both your kind words and effort! Take care.
Best kitchen video I've ever watched, you are amazing thank you so much. Currently looking now on DIY kitchens. I'd love to see you do the same videos for bathrooms and also looking at home base, b&q and IKEA kitchens.
Great suggestion! Would love to do a bathroom one but think there’s too many variations
From experience, no one to better DIY Kitchens, as to IKEA kitchen they will have you pulling your hair out, only help fit one,never again...
Great comparison, DIY kitchens now top of my list for when I do our utility room
Thank you. Good luck with the renovation!
This is the most helpful video on kitchens I've ever seen. One thing to ask - is there any difference in the weight that the drawers can withstand? Thank you so much for taking the time to create this video! Well done!
Thank you. That’s a really good question and I’ll try and add this information to the video if I can. Standard pan drawers usually have runners that can withstand 25kg on smaller base units and up to 50kg on larger units, which is obviously plenty. I will find out the breakdown for each if I can but thank you for asking the question!
What a great video this is and extremely useful for anyone looking for a new kitchen and the differences to look out for. Thanks for taking so much time to produce this, it must have been quite a task. Thanks again
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for subscribing.
Great. I would say that Howdens can come flat packed and at a cheaper price. They also had a free planner come round, you can look at the computer generated image onscreen, make any alterations and then have a detailed plan for measurements printed off.
Great to see all the kitchens together! We have a new kitchen from Magnet my husband fitted it last November, it’s absolutely gorgeous. You do get a choice of the interiors from silver edging with white interior, oak edging and same inside or grey interior. The thickness of the units differ too depending on the range you pick, ours is the Ludlow which is the top of their range. My husband has been a joiner/locksmith for over 35 years fitted thousands of kitchens, he rates Magnet the best out of all these kitchen samples from what he’s fitted. We have units from Howdens in our utility, they’re great but not as solid as Magnet. The fact that Magnet had the option of wooden doors instead of wrapped made us choose them as wrapped will come apart or blow in time, obviously budget is a factor in everything. Everything came with ours, no damage or missing parts. Friends have had Wren with damaged doors and missing parts, we also have friends who have had Howdens kitchens with missing parts but I think it’s down to the region not the company.
Thank you for this great comment! You have so much experience and it’s interesting to hear about people’s experiences with each supplier.
Ye no problem. Couple of other things I’d say are Wickes do have the option if you pay for a factory assemble, they don’t tell you this in every store we just over heard someone speaking. My Howdens doors don’t have hinge holes on both sides but they’re the basic white range. My magnet doors are wooden and don’t have holes on both sides either. From what I’ve seen on DIY you have to have a little bit of knowledge to sort a kitchen out, hence why they’re call DIY suppose but you have definitely helps a lot of people with this review!
My husband also looks at hinges and draw runners when he inspects kitchens were as I don’t think of that but he is really impressed with the Magnet, Howdens and Wickes ones. I agree with you on pricing, they try to make out that you’re getting a really good deal by knocking off 50% or 25% etc but makes you wonder if the kitchens are a lot cheaper and they’re just adding commission on-top.
DIY Kitchens was always my brand of choice,always great quailty, very wide range of units/styles & well packed.
Another thing with DIY Kitchens, the doors are pre hung left/righ depending on your choice, so no ugly hinge hole blanking plates like on other brands, which really p*ssed me off.
You stole my point with the hinge holes 😂
Thanks for watching
@@NicksHomeRenovations It's great to find a honest unbiased review of the kitchen brands.👏👏👏
Another great thing with DIY Kitchens, they offer a range of Reduced Depth Base Units (Slimline) base units, which makes a nice change from having to use wall units as base units in narrow recesses.
Slimline units are useful in a kitchen island too to give you leg room for stools
@@NicksHomeRenovations yes, forgot to add that.😁
Top work Nick, that’s got to be the best comparison/review I’ve ever seen, about any product 👍
Wow, thanks!
Amazing video Nick. Seeing all the different brands in one place has to make your garage the best showroom in the country! It would be really interesting to see how IKEA would have compared, particularly to the DIY Kitchens as you can design both yourself and both good value.
Thank you! IKEA on the list for 2024!
I have a DIY kitchen and it's 4 year old it's still in top nick. The IKEA utility section is 5 and looks fine. Except the worktops are naff. And the back panels are bowing
Thank you, Nick. I'm a complete novice to kitchen installation so any advice on these companies is very welcome. The guide to quality was really helpful and the price comparison is a real eye opener. Thank you, again.
Great to hear!
Great review! We also experienced the sales pitches and the extortionate starting prices of these companies. Got recommended to use howdens but we didn't like the way they don't give you a price directly and have to go via an installer who can also take a cut. Looked into DIY kitchens and they seemed fantastic with the online design tool but ended up using units-online as they've been used by friends and they use some of the more established kitchens like Second Nature and Burbidge which gave us more options.
I really don't see why anyone would use these high street merchants after seeing your great video!
Thank you and thanks for the tip too
This is such a good video and massively helpful for those of us who are first time kitchen buyers and knowing what to look.
So glad! Good luck with the work.
They are all rubbish. Get tailor made hand crafted cabinets from RPM CUSTOM CABINET'S LTD in West Yorkshire. 18mm backs. ABS EDGED all round. Soft close everything. Pre assembled. Made from egger cheaper than these rip off kitchens here 😎👍
Wow what a great video! First time in ages I've watched a video and left with no more questions that need answering..... One tip/request, leave tables or info you're talking about on screen or on screen for longer, helps to watch along as you inform rather than pausing. Great video pal, thanks for your time n effort making it.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for the tip 👍
That was by far the best review I've ever seen... fantastic breakdown! For people like me, looking through the sea of options when considering things like Kitchens, Bathrooms, etc it was great to see the comparisons. And you sacrificed your poor living room for the 5th one in it! Well done. Quick question... I'm struggling to justify whether to use Howdens Hockley or Greenwich range (both handleless)... do you have any advice? I cannot see the difference, but will I FEEL the difference with the thickness of the panels? It's a price difference of £1,500 for my Kitchen Design. Thanks!
Thank you! The hockley has 18mm doors and the Greenwich 16mm. Without knowing too much more about them as I haven’t installed them before, 16mm is really thin for a door. I would try DIY Kitchens as the quality of both of those isn’t great to be honest if you want longevity and as my video showed it’s probably cheaper too.
Blown away. Wouldn’t have a had clue where to start but this video has provided so much clarity. Thank you.
Cool! Thank you.
Brilliant. So happy I found you!!! We are just starting a complete renovation. I'll be spending a lot of time going thru all your videos! Thanks so very much for all your hard work.
Haha thank you! Please check out my bathroom comparison too as only just launched…czcams.com/video/MeUjryNXZms/video.htmlsi=Cw-NjYdcfbxoYkKq
Great video! Not sure if anyone has already mentioned it in the comments, but you can ask DIY Kitchens to increase the depth of the upper cabinets to up to 35cm. There is a slight increase, but I've just had one of their kitchens installed with the additional depth and it's great; especially for retaining a flush line of door fronts, whilst being able to hide away a combi-boiler!
Ah thanks for the tip!
This has been the most helpful video on you tube honestly fantastic thankyou !! I am only half way through - and I cannot pick my jaw up off of the floor - the WICKES audacity has shocked me to my core - okay back to the video
Haha - thank you! Let me know if you need any other advice moving forward 👍
@@NicksHomeRenovations oh thank you :) I know I will be choosing DIY Kitchens when the time comes ha ha this video was perfect
Thank you Nick. I appreciate the time and effort and thoroughness of your video, and even though I live in the US and only Wren is available here, I found this informative and useful.
Ah that’s great, thank you. Interesting to know the brands you have across the pond.
Amazing video. I’ve had a DIY Kitchen in my basket for over a week, you’ve just put my mind at rest, that I’m making the right decision. Great work fella.
Wonderful!
Thank u Nick for such a great video. Really informative. Would it be possible to have a video on how to use DIY kitchens software? How to measure? What things to keep in mind when ordering the items? For people like me who are not DIY and very rarely measure things, that would be really helpful. Maybe u can use a live example like to the one on this video how did u work out what units to buy and work out their dimensions?
Great suggestion! Thinking of doing something based upon a standard sized 3m or 4m extension, so perhaps could then do this...
Thanks
This video is amazing my mate! I however will not be showing this to my dad, last year he spent £20,000 on a Wrens kitchen, he probably could have went to DIY Kitchens for £6000 😢
I really appreciate this video tho mate, very well done 👍🏻
Oh wow! Thank you so much RR
Just on the negotiating and discount front I'd despise using the highstreet brands. If someone can offer you £5k off something that costs £3k, they're criminally ripping off people who arent confident or knowledgeable enough to ask for it. Which is just so scummy. Awful companies.
Great video though! Will be replacing a kitchen in our new house in the next couple of years, and this will definitely inform the decisions. Thanks!
Thank you for your kind feedback and good luck with your renovation
Love this but have to say i don't find flat pack a negative, I love building flat packs i find it chilling 🤪 but understand alot dont , very informative video thanks
Ha oh wow you’re more patient than me!
Thank you so much - the time, effort, detail and quality of information you put into this video! This was exactly what I was looking for as I need to order a kitchen in the next couple of weeks. I had originally selected Wren, should have known their glossy TV ads needed to be funded somehow. I had heard of DIY kitchens, and started to put together a design but abandoned. I've now gone back used their plan feature and finished the kitchen ready of order :)
Glad it was helpful! Thanks!
Fantastic video Nick! The more we watch about DIY kitchens the more it blows everyone else out the water.
Thanks for watching and subscribing 😃
Absolutely brilliant Nick. This is hugely appreciated. Many thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for going to the effort of doing this. Definitely an eye opener for the layman that doesn't fit them for a living and trying to renovate a house on a tight budget. Personally I found it hard work trying to "jump through hoops" at Howdens. Guy behind the counter at my local store asked if I had a trade (which I do, but not "in the trade" and was refused an account although I could purchase one through a guy he would allow me to use his account... Wickes planner lost interest when we asked for a plan but really didn't know what we wanted... there isn't a magnet near me at all although I called in and got a brochure whilst out and about with my work. Wren... the 2 days probably was worth wasting my weekends for the plan we got from it. Really helpful in getting to a point comfortable but the bombardment of phone calls after and pressure to purchase on the day was excruciating. At the moment we are looking at a visit to DIY kitchens and already have local kitchen suppliers mocking up plans.
At the moment it's looking like it might well be a DIY kitchen with a few other manufacturers thrown in as my wife wants a "magic draw" she's seen.. 😂
Again thanks for highlighting the plus, negatives and indifference with all of them. Massive help!
Wow thank you and thanks for such a helpful breakdown.
Nick, we are having a breakdown over kitchens - who to buy from; why so expensive; what cost to fit; what needs to get done first, next, last. We've been in the market for one for over 4 years: frozen with fear of wrong choices. You Sir are to kitchens what Martin Lewis is to money. "Thank you"! p.s. wrestling with the DIY Kitchens planner now.
Haha what a lovely thing to say…thank you! Spread the word 😉
Absolutely brilliant comparison. Made me look at DIY kitchens for the first time.
So glad! Thank you
This was a great review. its a shame you didn't give a shout out to the smaller local independents who will all do similar if not better than DIY kitchens (maybe more expensive but still cheaper than the others)
Also from experience edged doors aren't always worse quality, German kitchens for example have edged doors which are the better option
Great review. It would be nice to get the table with the pros & cons of each kitchen in the end...
That’s at the end already!
Absolutely fantastic Nic, consolidated what I was already thinking, want to update my kitchen but it needs to be flexible for future upgrades too. Well done.
Thank you, glad it helped!
Very good in-depth view of the various kitchens, this video is a must keep for reference in the future. Just two point I would add in my assessment of them. 1) split larder doors: much prefer the ‘all in one door’, easier to clean, (the split in the doors are real dust catchers,) and a full door gives a better finished look to the kitchen. 2) again the larder cupboard; the shelving system is not really that practical from a storage point of view. Can see the advantage of having the shelves slide out so that everything can be clearly seen, but the sliding unit takes up valuable storage space. Would prefer the system of fixed sliding shelves, still some storage space loss but not as much.
Thanks for the advice; always useful to hear what everyone prefers. Thank you.
With the handleless doors, you cannot do a 1 piece larder door due to the handle being on the join. Howdens do a 1 piece larder door in other ranges.
@@joetitmuss4478 none of the larder doors seen in the video have handles including the DIY kitchen one with is one piece.
Thank you for this comparison as I am currently looking for a kitchen and have been to Magnet, Wren, Howdens and IKEA. Your video was just what I needed.
Oh wow…good luck!
Thank u so much. Very informative. Much easier to decide who to go for.
Ssshhhhhh! You're going to overwhelm DiyKitchens with orders! You've given away the secret of how i got my kitchen ten years ago and it's still great.
Haha! Thanks so much for the kind review afshanqureshi
Great video packed with really helpful information. The price difference is staggering especially when the cheapest appears to be the best quality all round. I was considering Howdens but DIY Kitchens are definitely on my radar now. Thanks for presenting the information in a clear and concise way, top marks.
Thanks for watching! Good luck with your kitchen.
You're an absolute legend for doing this!
BRILLIANT Video Nick, very helpful indeed... You have put DIY kitchens on my radar , as I have had Howdens and Wren kitchens in the past. The only issue I would worry about is the design and measuring as I don't trust myself, but maybe still be worth paying someone to do that measure-up and order on the website than paying an additional £1k+ for the other companies.
Thank you. Yes they have a cad planner now which makes things much easier and are bringing in a design service however I always just ask my carpenter to design my kitchen on site as he knows best and what will work! Good luck.
This is everything I have been looking for.. in one place... Thank you!!!
You're welcome!
Great video and hero effort you went to to give people a comparison review. I'm not sure if wrapped necessarily means a higher quality though. It may look cleaner and smarter but I have some wrapped doors (same kind of white gloss J-pull design but from the now defunct Tesco kitchens) and the wrap has come loose on a number of units. Heat has also caused it to peel off on some others. A real pain in that I can't replace the wrap myself. If they were painted for one this wouldn't have happened, secondly I could have touched it up and in the future could decide to repaint and choose a new colour whereas with a wrap you have to replace all the doors. Not exactly environmentally friendly and spending the kind of money you have to on a kitchen I want it to last.
Another point not touched on is if there are extra shelves/spare parts available for the things like the pull out larder. Needs change and there are also things you figure out later on as you settle in to using your new kitchen. I wish we could get more shelves for ours but we can't. I also want to add an extra unit but I'm now going through a lot of effort to find one that will match and fit in because the company has gone down and the designs are no longer available. This is years later and so I would consider it important to know if the company changes their designs often and might leave you struggling to add or replace a unit in a few years time.
Thanks for your work put in in creating such an informative review though.
Thanks for this informative video. We bought from diy Kitchens last year and couldn’t fault them from start to finish. We absolutely love our kitchen and would definitely recommend them.
Glad it was helpful!
Amazing ! You helped me decide straight away with such detailed insight ! Great for customers who don't have the technical knowledge. Thank you so much !
Glad I could help! Good luck with it.
Just been to Wren and Magnet. As you say it Wren was £47k discounted to £22k which made no sense. Magnet similar. Can’t fault the design experience. Thought Wren was great. Going to check out DIY kitchens though with that price difference. Awesome video, really useful. Thanks
Wow that’s a discount 😂. I’ll never understand it and DIY Kitchens a better quality too so it’s win win in my and my carpenters eyes!
great video and very unusual but helpful in that it gives you a really good comparison view of the different makes of kitchen . I am in the process of actually ordering a DIY Kitchen and I can see DIY Kitchens taking a large chunk of the fitted kitchen market in the near future .
Thanks! Exciting - good luck with it!
Very nice, I'll bare all of this information next time I purchase a kitchen. I actually picked Schmidt for my kitchen. Was as expensive as Wren, but they have about 20 interior colour styles not just white and can pick up to 5 bespoke units that match your requirements exactly. They come finished just like Wren too. I think they would have easily been 2nd place but wow DIY Kitchens sure has my eye for my next one.
Thank you
Thank you for all your hard work making this video. I had not heard of DIY kitchens until watching this, I also did not think I would watch it to the end.
It was very informative and timely as I plan to upgrade my kitchen next year👍🏾
Cool - good luck next year!
@@NicksHomeRenovations thank you 😊
I am considering a Wren kitchen (purely because they are local to me and i need to buy it on finance) but hearing so many negative reviews so really unsure now. I am a joiner to trade and fitted loads of Howdens kitchens who i'd prefer to go to, but don't have the money upfront to buy it from them.
This has been really really helpful. Have needed new kitchen and have never known where to start or what differences are! Thankyou you for thorough review and honest feedback!,
I’m glad it is useful! Thank you.
Thank you very much for taking your time and effort in producing this video!
Glad it was useful!
Amazing video Nick. Just a bit of info, it is only the handleless doors that come with hinge holes on both sides. Shaker doors etc come with bespoke hinge holes down one side only
Ah cool, thank you for the info! Thanks for watching
Absolutely incredible work, thank you so much for being so systematic and thorough in your reviews.
Oh thanks for the kind feedback and for subscribing 👍
This was brilliant.
DIY kitchens will be my future kitchen in the next couple of months.
Thank you 😊 for this excellent review on all these kitchens.
Glad it was helpful! Good luck with your reno
Brilliant work I am so pleased we are fitting a DIY kitchen. Nice to now we have gone with the best option. ❤
Thank you! 😊 good luck with the reno