6k Wren kitchen on a budget or 24k lechit kitchen?

2 years ago

I have just brought my 2 bed room flat and it's quite old dated needs new kitchen bathroom paint work the lot.
I have around 50k savings. Should I get Wren kitchen on a budget (as I'm gnna rent out this place in 2years time as kids would need a house with a garden) and fix everything else in the house. Or get my dream kitchen and have very little budget for other things(or even none) . Ideally I would like to keep some money for a raining day. I guess my reall question is... Is WREN WORTH DOING?

Featured Answer

Cle Campbell

2 years ago

We are looking at a new kitchen and have done extensive research. We have narrowed down to diy-kitchens due to the sheer range of cabinets they offer (widths, depths, drawers etc) so agree with Lena. We’ve also looked at IKEA again but just for their carcasses as we might follow our architects suggestion of getting bespoke plywood doors made. It’s becoming quite easy to find companies which make doors to fit IKEA carcasses (the carcasses come with a 25 year guarantee).

In our old house we had a brilliant joiner who was able to fit our IKEA kitchen and save us lots of money by supplying and adapting boards and panels. He was a genius! After 7 years, not a single fault with the kitchen.

Also agree that if renting you need to consider damage and replacing parts. This is where using a larger company is useful. We were surprised and impressed by a couple of the WICKES kitchens which seemed quite robust.

By the way there’s been loads of negative reviews on our local neighbourhood app about major issues with WREN kitchens, particularly in relation to missing and damaged parts and their sales techniques which has put us off even exploring this as an option.

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Comments (37)

Ricky Watkins
2 years ago
Budget kitchen but good kitchen if you plan on rental route IMO
Fiza
Original Author
2 years ago
Thanks rickey 😊 is Wren a decent brand. They have all the selling points you can think off
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Ricky Watkins
2 years ago
Perhaps user Daisy on here is more knowledgeable she may read this & comment on them
mml235
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
I've used Wren a couple of times and haven't been disappointed - as long as you know what you want. One designer I got along with really well and when he moved to another branch I made the extra journey to make sure I used the same guy. I'm fussy and take a while to make up my mind, so it was important I could work with someone who was patient. You can make this kitchen look really lovely with some clever planning and other designer touches. Remember you can use Wren for the units and have another company for worktops, lighting, taps etc. Personally I liked the worktops from Wren too but just options for you to consider...don't leave your dream kitchen behind in a rented property! :)
Jonathan
2 years ago
Assuming you are going to hand this property over to tenants 18 months after the kitchen goes in then put the luxury kitchen in your next property. If you reign in the budget on this property perhaps you will get the house quicker?

The only extra to add is that very few people can realistically afford to keep their first property when they buy their second as they need to sell in order to use the equity in the flat. If that is in fact your situation then you are not making decisions for future tenants you are now deciding on which kitchen adds the most when you sell. Normally that would be the luxury kitchen but it also depends on the price point of the flat and if there are lots of other flats available to buy (in which case the luxury kitchen makes it stand out).
Fiza
Original Author
2 years ago
Thanks for that. That is such a good point.
mml235
2 years ago
Yes a great point to consider.

Just as reference - we bought a 4 bed semi junction 17/18 off M25 in Hertfordshire for 572k. Added a single storey side and rear extension and refurbished throughout. We sold 5years later (last year) for 870k. We used Wren units and AEG appliances in kitchen and utility. Hope this helps, as it's all relative to location/budget and who your buyers are etc...
Daisy England
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Don’t go with Wren. Look at Wren Kitchen Disasters on Facebook. Their quality control is now non existant and customers are receiving 75% of their doors faulty which then causes a problem when a fitter is booked. It may have been different a few years ago. Many are claiming their money back through S75 if they’ve paid on credit card or taken advantage of the interest free loan. They are also having problems sourcing appliances but we all are but to ’sell’ the appliances knowing you cannot guarantee it’s availability is poor.

They are always advertising a sale. There isn’t really a permanent sale.

I have quoted against all the big sheds including Wren and have saved customers £££s.

Look at an independent. Better service, there at the end of a phone call, more choice as they deal with several different suppliers and cheaper too.

In my experience Howdens are the worst designers.
Ricky Watkins
2 years ago
Daisy where are you based please
Daisy England
2 years ago
Staffordshire
Ricky Watkins
2 years ago
Daisy me too, I'm after a kitchen if you're able to provide your details
Fiza
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you, that could be a good point what cheap brands can i look at then benchmark? Wicks?
Daisy England
2 years ago
Fiza, out of all the big sheds Benchmarx have always come out the cheapest which I’ve quoted against.

You need to look for a Independent kitchen company not the big boys.
Jonathan
2 years ago
Daisy is quite right. Any retailer who says they have a 50% off sale has inflated their price at some time because this is likely more than their actual margins (and of course no retailer can keep its doors open if they are selling goods for less than cost). Personally I distrust this obvious deception from some of the major kitchen retailers which is why I like the independents.
Daisy England
2 years ago
Ricky, have messaged you
Ricky Watkins
2 years ago
Nothing coming through Daisy
Daisy England
2 years ago
Ricky, How strange. Had confirmation it was sent.

We are based in Tamworth and normally do kitchens within a 15 mile radius. Does that include your area? Primarily we are a joinery company but also have a kitchen showroom which is our second business.
Ricky Watkins
2 years ago
Hi Daisy it's showing I have a notification just nothing appearing. We're about 25 mile away (Wheaton Aston) so probably a little out your radius.
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Lifestyle Kitchens
2 years ago
If you're looking at renting in the near future then i'd go with a budget kitchen, but i wouldn't opt for Wren though as they're quite pricey also another consideration with your kitchen and future rental is to expect items to get damaged so in your design I'd factor in having a supplier that will offer replacements in years to come, the problem with the sheds is they change their ranges so often, also consider colour as some colours and sheens (gloss, matt etc) show damage more than others and also when you replace a door it stands out as new because the rest of the kitchen has faded so much. Out of interest are you after a true handleless kitchen and thats why you're looking at wren/leicht as i offer these and for less than wren and with bespoke options, more choice, anti fingerprint and anti scratch resistant, 2 tone edging, ply effect edging. I'm based in Northants and travelling a couple of hours is no problem and i have nationwide delivery options. If you'd like a chat you can message or give me a call.
Fiza thanked Lifestyle Kitchens
Lena
2 years ago
Check out Diy kitchens. Their quality is good, service and delivery reliable and prices fair.
Our kitchen was installed two months ago, a relatively big U-shaped one, at a cost of app £8k.
We are happy so far…
Lena
2 years ago
https://www.diy-kitchens.com/
Vicky Pow
2 years ago
Agree with pp that I can’t see the benefit of a fancy kitchen in a property you don’t intend to stay in long term. We bought a house in quite bad shape, thought we’d need to redo kitchen but it’s ikea and is practically bomb proof- we’ve replaced some panels and given it a massive clean (think chip pan grease + dog hair 🤢) and it’s come up really well- worth thinking about if you are having tenants in!
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Pennine Kitchen Designs
2 years ago
We would always say that the most important part is finding a good designer, as even if you go for an expensive kitchen, it can be ruined by poor design. Surely there is some middle-ground price wise you could find??? Give us a call if you want any advice or guidance re pricing. 01535 282021 :)
erniemcnamara
last year
Looks to me that some of these comments are from competing suppliers.Critical and complementary advise would suggest this.
Frank
last year
last modified: last year
I second @Lena on diykitchens.com - have put that into my flat five years ago and the units have stood the test of time alright. The carcasses as well as the fronts seem more solidly-made than IKEA's - my view, alright. They came preassembled as well. You'd still need a fitter and supplier for a worktop, though. This is in-use:

;:
HU-29309451
last year
There is no significant difference in manufacturing quality between a sensible DIY kitchen and a dream kitchen, and no estate agent or buyer would be able to tell the difference in the future. If your dream is to spend £24k on a kitchen, then fit a cheap one and give £20k to charity! No-one will ever know.
Jonathan
last year
@HU-29309451 Although well meaning about giving money to charity of course people can tell the difference between a £4k kitchen and one that costs 6 times more. The higher priced option will have far more features, will have quality appliances and worktops.
HU-29309451
last year
Apologies for the confusion, Johnathan. I do not include the appliances in the cost of a kitchen, and only a fool would buy them from a kitchen supplier. Always get your appliances from an electrical superstore; the saving will be enormous.

Similarly, one of the best tricks used by high-end building companies, is to use a £2k worktop on a £2k kitchen to get that "super-expensive" look that some people crave.

And, no, most people cannot tell the difference between cheap and expensive kitchens (cabinets etc.). Because there is no difference.
Daisy England
last year
HU-29309451. I’m going to disagree with you on several things.

Appliances: you don’t always get them cheaper at a superstore. We price match on 99% of appliances or are cheapest than the online sellers. We have several different companies we buy from. We obviously sell to a lot of fools. Thankfully they are very happy with their purchase.

How is there no difference between cheap cabinets and expensive ones? We have an option to buy cheap but we don’t. We always buy our carcases from the same company who also offer made to measure sizes which is a bonus and saves having lots of fillers in the kitchen. You can definitely tell the difference.
Eileen Nixon
last year
Daisy, why have you got such a negative opinion on Howdens? Have you seen physically all the kitchens you say people have left disappointing comments on, some may like you have their own business (that seems to be the picture you give) and have their own agenda in giving a bad review. Just remember the joiner who fitted the kitchen could have 6 months experience as opposed to another joiner with 30 years who if a problem should arise would have a far better knowledge of dealing with it, similarly the design team could have been overruled by the client in having the final say as to the layout, and no householder would admit ‘they’ were at fault!
Daisy England
last year
Eileen, I have quoted against Howdens and have been much cheaper with better quality carcases, doors and worktops. Howdens don‘t even have a backing on their worktops which is done to keep costs down. In time they will warp. Carcases are still supplied with flimsy backs. Door hinge holes are pre drilled so on handleless kitchens you will have a hole in one side. Who wants that when they’ve paid £££s?

I can only comment on the plans I have seen and the materials I have viewed.
Eileen Nixon
last year
Daisy, thank you very much for your informative reply, I too can only comment on my experience with Howdens and have been extremely happy with my kitchen. It was installed by a very experienced joiner and maybe that is the answer. The units all are substantial and the joint necessary joining the sink worktop to the return hob worktop shows no sign if warping. I suppose we will have to agree to differ.
Jonathan
last year
@HU-29309451 once more I must push back.

Independent kitchen studios often price match appliances so only a fool would wait in for numerous deliveries rather than let their kitchen supplier do it and then deliver everything in one go, only a fool would take the risk that they know enough about appliances to buy exactly what is needed and matches, only a fool would rather take on the headache of dealing with damages when a kitchen supplier could have done it for the same money.

And once more….. it’s completely untrue to state that a £4k kitchen is the same quality as a kitchen priced at £24k. The difference in the strength of materials, the quality of finishes, the interior options, the strength of hinges and drawer runners, the guarantee, arriving as rigid cabinets rather than self assembly and the quality of design is obvious to everyone……except fools.
HU-29309451
last year
When people use this website for advice, are they more likely to pay high regard to those who are trying to sell them something, or to those who have been in their shoes, made the same decisions, completed the same jobs, learned the same lessons?
Sonia
last year
Fiza, if you are going to rent out your home I wouldn’t fit an expensive kitchen unless your home is a large luxury home. After all tenants may not care for it the way you would. My kitchen is a 12 year old Wrens kitchen. It was fitted by my brother as Wrens didn’t do installations at that time. It’s okay, just that. Nothing special. It cost £5500 including appliances, worktop, sink etc. My sister recently had a new, fantastic quality German kitchen installed. Can’t remember the brand or the price (the quartz worktops cost £5000 alone). The difference is incredible and I think anyone will be able to see the difference immediately. Next time I will use an independent kitchen company as I have learnt they cater to all budgets, not just high end.
I would like to add that Daisy has been a member of Houzz for many years and her advice has been invaluable. She has never advertised her business or pushed people to use it on this forum. The only time she does so is if members ask for her details and then she messages them privately. We get lots of spammers on Houzz, but Daisy isn’t one of them.
Eileen Nixon
last year
Sonia, ‘The lady doth protest too much, me thinks’

6k Wren kitchen on a budget or 24k lechit kitchen?

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