Note: unless you really love kitchens, or are in the middle of a re-model yourself, this will probably be a pretty boring post. I will rank the quotes in order of price at the end of this post, and if anyone wishes for specifics (Jameso, perhaps??) just Facebook me for deets.
About the kitchen we have designed.
There are 12 cabinets;
1 x Soft close Cutlery/Pot Drawer
2 x Corner units
1 x Under sink cupboard
1 x Under bench oven cabinet
1 x Chopping board cupboard
2 x Push to open overhead cabinets
1 x Small overhead cabinet to match length underneath
1 x Over Fridge, push to open cabinet
1 x Pantry
1 x Bookshelf
The bookshelf was a revelation that Squirrel had on her second inspection of the house. It will face out of the kitchen, and will be one of the first things you see upon entering the house due to its open plan nature. I can't wait to see it filled with colorful cookbooks and decorative shiz. As mentioned on this post here we are after white gloss cabinetry, with Laminex Diamondgloss in Pure Mineralstone, and ABS edging. This will be complimented by a teal splashback and squared stainless steel handles. With this in mind, and with plans in hand (for which we owe more thanks than we will ever be able to repay to the beautiful Stace) we set out on quotes.
First stop was Masters.
Given it was our first stop, we didn't really know what we were doing, and I'm ashamed to say we kind of pushed them to provide a quote there and then, not realising that their usual scheme is to send someone out to measure and quote. Nonetheless, they provided some 3D renders of our planned kitchen and promised to get back to us in a week. Unfortunately, it was there that they hit a snag. When I called a week later, I struck a stroppy girl who scolded me for calling when 'there are 3 people in front of you'. I hastily aplogised, stating I had been told to call on this day. Another week passed and still no word, so I called again. It was then that I think I got to the root of the problem: staffing issues. I spoke with a new manager who explained there had been a staffing overhaul and that he would get onto my quote straight away. To his word, he did this as promised and provided excellent customer service. Unfortunately, they were a little higher on the cost scale, and were not able to provide the bookshelf we so desired.
The next visit was paid to Kitset.
We had a look through the showroom and then showed out plans to the kitchen consultant, who was, at best, disinterested. I was really disappointed by this, and was even more disappointed by their quote, which was the most expensive of the seven quotes we obtained.
This was followed up by a trip to Ikea.
Now, we didn't go to Ikea empty handed, no sir! Squirrel had spent hours and hours fiddling with the Ikea kitchen design planner online, before taking these plans in-store to speak with a consultant. We spoke to an amazing girl, whose name, I think, was Apryl (At the Richmond store). She was so helpful, and in no way pushy, offered helpful advice and so on. This was one of the more competitive quotes we found, however, we again were not able to get the bookshelf. We were also limited by the options available for benchtops; either Ceasarstone (which we would have loved, but could not have afforded) or Formica. The Formica selection was somewhat limited; and the only colour we liked would have meant a total overhaul of the entire house colour scheme. As an alternative, we looked into getting benchtops separately but this was too much of an issue. Cabinet makers weren't willing to do a benchtop alone, and stonemasons required substrate to be built by a cabinet maker, who again, was not willing to complete this small task on its own. Unfortunately, it was this that led us away from Ikea.
While these quotes were being processed, we also sought quotes from a cabinet maker some 40 kms away, and a quote through Gary for a place called Premium Kitchens. Premium kitchens were way above our price range, and the other cabinet maker, while insanely competitive, and including installation at a price that wasn't to be sneezed at, were again, too much. We figured that between the two of us, and our many helpful friends and family, we could save on installation costs and DIY.
Our second to last quote was from Bunnings.
I entered into this with some trepidation, having stuck a series of incompetent staff members while trying to organise an in home consultation. This was a pity because the consultant, a girl named Carly, was AMAZING. I cannot speak highly enough of this one. She came out and sat in our freezing cold house for nearly two hours, and put up with the many visitors that came through the doors during our consult interrupting her work. And the quote she gave was the best we had found yet! Unfortunately, we still couldn't have the bookshelf, and we weren't happy with their Laminex-type of tops. I was devestated to not be able to give this girl our business because she was really good, knew her stuff, and just made everything so easy. Highly recommended, A+!
What really did it in for Bunnings however, was a local cabinet maker who could provide us with the bookshelf, give us the diamond gloss benchtops, assemble the kitchen (and we just have to instal) and give us a lower quote for cash. This is really what sealed today and it is this business who I met with today. Tomorrow I am finalising the details of the job and I'm pretty excited.
In summary, this is how these quotes ranked, from cheapest to most expensive. These are quotes as similar as they could be, and I've put this on there as a bit of a guide for those living in the area we do. It's so hard, when one googles, to get relevant, local information. And like I said at the start, if you wish for further info just Facebook me.
1. Local cabinet maker
2. Bunnings
3. Ikea
4. Masters
5. Cabinet maker 40 ks away
6. Premium Kitchens
7. Kitset
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