sourcing kitchen cabinet carcases

[dickm]

Is it that I'm stoopid (quite likely, given the passing of the years) or do the various retailers not want to sell just the carcases, without doors etc.? Following a thread on here from a year or so ago, I'd identified Magnet, Howdens and the ubiquitous sheds as possible sources. Haven't got a Howdens account and not been able to find anyone local with one, so that's them eliminated. Went to B&Poo first to establish a baseline minimum price for what is probably a pretty rubbish carcase. "No, we don't keep them in store, you'll need to look online". OK, so go on to Homebase nearby, in hopes that since the Bunning takeover, they might have improved. "No, there's nobody in the showroom section today". Lad did try to understand their computer catalogue, but failed lamentably. Went to Magnet; although their catalogue suggests they do R2A for a variety of units, "Oak finish is only available readymade". Beginning to think it might be easier just to make up from board, so went to nearby "sheet material" supplier. Only got veneered MDF in sizes either too thin or too thick. So went back to Magnet to price up their ready made units. Guy was ever so helpful, but trying to decide which of the different appliance housings was suitable puzzled both of us. I THINK we identified the right ones, and the price was not that bad, so went home to check B&Poo online. Possibly found what was needed, but not clear whether the price was for all the bits of one unit, or whether sides were priced separately. At which point, will to live had worn thin.
Presumably all of them just want you to go in, consult their design service for a complete new kitchen and then pay whatever vast sum they require for the whole thing.
To be fair, Magnet were really helpful, but their own literature didn't make it easy for either staff or me.
Has anyone else encountered this? And if so, how did you solve it?

 

[Jasper42]

Possibly ikea! Never used then but a few people I know recommend them.

 

[Woodmonkey]

So easy to make yourself, they are just boxes after all, which can just be screwed together, no fancy joinery needed. Use veneered ply rather than mdf (buy it online and have it delivered if your local supplier doesn't stock it, also a track saw will make life much easier for you.

 

[Setch]

Diykitchens.com

 

[LeeElms]

I don't know if they are any good, but as well as the kitchen showroom section, Wickes do a small range of units 'off the shelf', where you can buy the carcases without the doors.

 

[thegsey]

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[skipdiver]

Funnily enough i have been in Howdens today pricing up carcasses for a kitchen job i have. Making the doors and buying the cabinets ready made, as it makes life a lot easier. There's nothing to stop you opening an account at Howdens, doesn't take long.

 

[dickm]

(Wrote a reply earlier today, but the internet connection crashed before I could send it). Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions and for the opportunity to have a rant! B&Q in Aberdeen were helpful, but basically said to do it all on line. Tried their website and just couldn't make sense of it. So in the end, had long phone conversations with helpful guy in Magnet and ordered from them for much the same price as (I think!) the B&Q ones would have been, but with promise of delivery next Tuesday, not "up to 28 days". Time will tell whether it was the right decision.
Part of the problem is time and also my location up here beyond civilisation. Making my own would have been feasible, but probably not in the time available. diykitchens look interesting, but their prices again were on a par with Magnet and they don't have local depot to go and ask if anything goes wrong. Ikea likewise, as our nearest is in Edinburgh Wickes nearest are Inverness and Dundee.
In the end, the main problem encountered was that sellers are so orientated to "sell the whole kitchen, as often as possible" that they don't/can't see the point of providing easy ways for folk who want something that doesn't fit their business model. Even in the case of Magnet, the printed catalogue bears no relation to the codes and numbers on their quote, so it took us some time for their employee to establish that what was being quoted was what had been selected in the catalogue!

 

[thegsey]

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[Eric The Viking]

Diykitchens.com

I looked - they're quite pricey compared to Ikea: twice the price for the base units I looked at, one with drawers and one with drawer and cupboard under. Worktops were about the same as everywhere else. Unless they apply an overall discount at the end, or have some other value adding feature I don't think they're especially good value.

Don't get me started on Ikea, but I have need of only a couple of carcases to do a bench with cupboards under in a small workroom, not a whole kitchen. So the current plan is to buy the aforementioned carcases, fit to a homemade plinth (wot, no plinth Ikea???), and lip some MRMDF, possibly veneered or Melamine faced, for the work surface (which needs to be an unusual size & shape, thickness relatively unimportant). This seems to be the cheapest route, for something that is used but doesn't have to look like it came from a design show.

Getting best value for a whole kitchen, however seems to be a nightmare...

E.

 

[Stormer1940]

Possibly ikea! Never used then but a few people I know recommend them.

Do not buy IKEA cabinets. The service void is non existent. Most tradesmen stay away from Ikea kitchens because they are well known for being a pain in the neck to fit.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Good point (service void), but thankfully not an issue for my application (not an actual kitchen).

It doesn't explain the huge price difference though - a 4-drawer unit seems to be about 65 quid from them (incl.) whereas from an online shop a very similar unit was about 105 +VAT - almost double.

It can't be that simple, but even so that's superficially quite a big difference.

Only saying since I mentioned the "I--a" word in the first place.

E.