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Kitchen plan and quote,by Wren

HU-768402840
2 years ago

Hi Everyone,


I had a long, online meeting with Wren kitchens. The lady( designer) on the phone was sooo helpful and kind.

She had done all her homework and seemed on the ball. I was really

impressed by her

Overall she quoted 13K to strip the old kitchen and install a new one.

This would included gadgets and a quartz working top. Seems like a great deal, considering a builder offered to strip the kitchen for 8k


So my plan was to break down the wall,between the diner and kitchen and create an open diner. The wall

will be taken down by a builder, who will also install a RSJ beam

Jonathan gave me this layout,which Wren have worked on

So in the real world, the cost of the kitchen+ takiny down the wall+ RSJ beam would be max 16k and not 20k as the builder implied


Also wren confirmed that tradesmen in B’ham are now hard to find. They could only confirm a fitter in Jan 2022!!

B’ham seems to be in some

building boom!!

She did also mention that due to Brexit, dishwashers are hard to import!!


Wrens layout , followed by floorplan and Jonathans plan and pics of the current kitchen and diner






Featured Answer
  • Jonathan
    2 years ago

    Is there a question?

    Just a couple of things- the January date is currently the norm. Don’t forget that kitchens can vary massively in cost depending on the choices you make not just the supplier. Independent kitchen showrooms are worth chatting to also.

    I think you should satisfy yourself that you feel there is enough room for a table and chairs and room to move around it- I think you might need a bench against the wall.

    If the peninsula is going to have the hob on it then you will probably want it to be deeper so it’s safe.

    If you don’t add a kitchen door and instead keep the opening between the dining area and lounge consider where furniture is going to go in the lounge. If you keep an opening between the lounge and dining room consider if your cooking style is going to stink out the house or if you are going to have to add a door.

    Comments (15)

    • HU-768402840
      Original Author
      2 years ago

      Thanks Jonathan,


      Will look at some independent kitchen providers too

      Regarding space, on a whim I boughy an extremely heavy quartz top table 1.8 m in lenght by 1 meter in breath. One option, if the space seems tight, is to put it up against the wall. Except that I would lose seats on that side. As its real heavy, I won’t have n option to move it around v easily

      Will try and get a builder out to confirm the new door in the wall

      If it doesn’t to to plan, I totally agree, that leaving the open door between the lounge and diner would stink out the house

      The problem is that the ? door is not a normal

      sized one. It’s fairly broad and tall

      So may think of a glass partition, with a small side door in it . Or a sliding door?

      Not sure of this

      Regards


      Mel

    • Jonathan
      2 years ago

      Having a bespoke sized door is a pricey option. It’s more cost effective to get the builder to construct a timber frame and then plasterboard it, leaving an aperture for a standard sized door. You should also have a cost efficiency as you will be having plastering done elsewhere.

    • HU-768402840
      Original Author
      2 years ago

      Thanks Jonathan

      Will note this down

      Kr


      Mel

    • Daisy England
      2 years ago
      last modified: 2 years ago

      Have you looked at the FB site Wren Kitchen Disasters? Before you deal with them you need to do your homework.

      There’s wasted void space in both corners. Many people who use Wren don’t have them to fit quartz as it’s much chesper elsewhere.

      Wren products are imported. Faulty goods are the norm. I have only this afternoon read a post whereby the customer needed 40 doors and 15 were faulty and they’re now struggling to get replacements.

      Of course the person you dealt with was helpful. She was trying to make a sale based on commission. Another thing many Wren customers have mentioned is not to use their fitters. They are graded A, B and C. Of course A is always busy.

      If you are adamant about using them take up their finance free with Barclays. You can then claim under S75 as thousands have for a refund.

      I work in kitchens. I don’t post on here under my Professional name so it doesn’t matter to me who you use but I do worry about customers who are sucked in with sales patter.

      Be careful. They even delete Trust Pilot reviews and block the poster if they leave negative reviews. Good luck.

      Edit: Jonathan’s plan is fine for positioning. It’s how the designer has worked out each unit in that space. The plan is a bit blurry to see in great detail.

      Everyone in the construction industry is busy. It’s not just Birmingham, it’s the whole of the UK due to lack of supplies.

      HU-768402840 thanked Daisy England
    • HU-768402840
      Original Author
      2 years ago

      Thanks Daisy

      heard a lot of bad things about Wren

      will deffo look at several

      options, including independents

    • HU-768402840
      Original Author
      2 years ago

      Hi Daisy


      Was keen about this statment

      -finance free with Barclays. You can then claim insurance-

      Not about Wren but in general anyone who has this option

      If I could take finance, without any interest charges, solely to be covered by insurance, if things go badly. So I could sleep well, even if it means to sleep well under a leaking tap!


      - Bathrooms is another area I could think of


    • HU-768402840
      Original Author
      2 years ago

      Wren kitchens have just got back to me. I know they have quite a few bad reviews but this offer seems too good

      --3 years completely interest free finance, you would be looking around £240 a month and if you wanted to pay it off earlier there are no fees!

      You also have a 20-year guarantee with the units so if anything became damaged/ missing you'd be able to replace it straight away. You have a 25-year guarantee with the quartz also.

      -----

      So what do I stand to lose? Also, from my searches, it seems that the kitchen also depends on the fitter?

      A great fitter could even make Wren look good?


      Please do advise

      Regards


      Mel

    • PRO
      Lifestyle Kitchens
      2 years ago

      could have a look at the bikbbi website for a kitchen fitter, they are all vetted and approved and guarentee their workmanship for 2 years (i think)

      HU-768402840 thanked Lifestyle Kitchens
    • Ruth House
      2 years ago

      Just wanted to add.....we had our previous kitchen from wren, loved the product and their service was fantastic although we did use an independent fitter which I think is the best way to go. Indeed there was a problem with the product after 4 years and they simply replaced at no cost so can't really fault them on service. It remains the nicest kitchen we've seen!

      Of course you will read bad reviews, especially on a Facebook group designed to gather them! I know someone who had a 35k kitchen from John Lewis but because the fitting was outsourced (JL no longer employ their own fitters) they had no end of problems.....which of course JL sorted and it didn't end up on Fb, doesn't mean it didn't happen.

      Anyway what I'm trying to say is it is a massive decision and unfortunately never guaranteed to go 100% smoothly. But my own experience of Wren has been very good.

      Also, we paid whole kitchen on credit card (so ability to dispute payment if not up to standard). We then just moved the balance to new 0% cards over a number of years....cheaper than taking out finance with the kitchen company.

      HU-768402840 thanked Ruth House
    • HU-768402840
      Original Author
      2 years ago

      Thanks Ruth

      That was very helpful

      Just a note,Wren claim that their finance is 0% through Barclays, with no additional fees

      Seems like a good deal

      Can then concentrate resources on the best fitter in B’ham


    • HU-768402840
      Original Author
      2 years ago

      Just saw a post about kitchens/ Wren on another site

      Cut and pasted it below

      Wren have quoted me

      13000 £for a standard sized kitchen

      Out of which the quartz ( artic starbust) worktop is 3000£

      Please see the advise below

      Would I lose Ween’s warranty, if I pick and chose a work top

      fromffrk

      —My experience would be not to go for Howdens, we had a kitchen supplied by them and price matched against a Wren, after a lot of haggling. The quality is visibly not the same and their own brand appliances are not great.

      I would go for Wren, they are competitive, very good quality , come with units assembled, service is excellent. The only thing - don't get a quartz worktop through them, their 3rd party supplier is overpriced and unreliable.

      For quartz, find a local wholesaler, choose your worktop and then get a local installer to do it for you - if you are in SW London i can recommend someone.

    • HU-768402840
      Original Author
      2 years ago

      Hi Everyone,


      As a follow-up to the above post, I noticed that my current kitchen, at the flat which I'm living in, is in a pretty dire condition. It had an electric hob, the oven is separate and far away.


      Over the years I've noticed, that the wall adjacent to the hob has a thick layer of oil and it's paint has peeled off. Please see the pics enclosed within. Even the wooden floor close to this hob is black, compared to normal looking floor 2 meters away. There are cabinets just above this hob, whose bottoms are are coated in a thick layer of grease.

      Despite getting in professional cleaners and scrubbing this area, the grime and grease just returns after a few weeks!


      How can I possibly avoid this in the new kitchen? As a non-expert I thought of the following


      1) Tiles across the wall that would house the hob/gas over

      2) Wooden or tile flooring? which one would be better?

      3) Avoid storage cabinets in the close vicinity of the hob?

      4) Use a powerful extraction fan? Again I've noticed, that over time, most of such fans get coated in a layer of cooking oil and grease






      Could use the utility room, to make up for the loss in storage space

      Please do advise

      Kind Regards


      Mel


      Pic 1 & 4 - Dirty wall opposite kitchen hob

      Pic 2 -Dirty wooden floor, just adjacent to the hob

      Pic 3- Normal looking floor, 2 meters away

    • HU-768402840
      Original Author
      2 years ago

      PS

      Sorry to add on

      I'm currently looking into getting a quartz kitchen top. It's labelled as Artic starburst

      Would this match with my current dining table?

      I've enclosed the dining pic within

      Please do advise

      Kind Regards


      Mel


    • Jonathan
      2 years ago

      The flat has been done on the cheap- there is nothing on the wall to protect it so obviously the paint has washed off after years of wiping down. That being said a wipeable paint will probably last three years before it needs repainting.

      In the case of the floor wood does get a dirty worn look in high traffic areas and I bet that area in front of your hob has the most wear. It’s likely there have been splashes too.

      In your new house the solutions are:
      Induction hob (better air quality and less moisture than a gas hob)
      Tiled or glass splashback that can be easily wiped after cooking.
      Good extractor to get rid of greasy air.
      Cooking less meat and using less fat.
      Using lids to protect from spatters.
      A hardwearing floor such as Lino, LVT or ceramic/porcelain tile.

      HU-768402840 thanked Jonathan
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