Kitchen Renovatons: IKEA, Masters/ Bunnings or an independant?

mmd on 11/01/2016 - 03:46
Last edited 17/01/2016 - 21:54

Hey Ozbargainers
I would like to renovate my kitchen, however I was looking on Whirlpool and some folks spent 40k!!! Yikes!
But this is Ozbargain, so I would like to get the best possible price.
Since it's an investment property, I'm looking for something that is durable and no frills (no marble/granite bench tops)
The problem with IKEA and Masters/Bunnings kitchens is that it is virtually impossible to do a price comparison.

So has anyone renovated their kitchen? If so, tell us about your experiences, and any bargain saving tips.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

My budget is between 10 to 20k and I live in WA.
I was planning on buying a new oven, rangehood and gas cooktop (hoping for ebay 20% off code soon, or look on gumtree), and to reuse the old sink. I can also save money by buying my own handles?
I'm set on having white cabinets, with a creamy benchtop (neutral colours).
I know I can get a company to do it all for me, or I can buy the kitchen flatpack, and organise the tradies myself to save $$$.

cheers

Home & Garden

Comments

  • airzone on 11/01/2016 - 08:52
    +1

    I spent $20k on an apartment kitchen from Freedom furniture. It was high quality, but not luxury and included all appliances and installation. I priced out a similar Ikea kitchen and would have cost around $5k on cabnitry, $5k on appliances, and $5k on install. At the end of the day, I got a much higher quality kitchen, a project manager / single point of contact, and I didn't have to mill around Ikea for a few weeks collecting all the bits when they came into stock.

    • mmd on 11/01/2016 - 15:38

      Cheers, did not know they do kitchens. Will have a look

  • frazel on 11/01/2016 - 09:08
    +2

    Wow 40k, that's crazy!

    I'm currently renovating my own place, but I'm doing all the labour that I'm legally allowed to do and have a budget of $13k.

    I'm pretty much doing the following.. Painting everything, new skirting boards, new kitchen appliances, tiling 50m2, building a 36m2 deck, new bathroom (tiling, shower, toilet, vanity, no plumbing), and landscaping, new blinds, new 7k/8kw Samsung air-conditioning.

    The best way to get appliances that I've found is to get them from Masters. Get them to price match, then pay using a gift card. Or find something that is on clearance and then use a trade card 5% off and pay with gift card 7.5% off. I'm not sure how long the 7.5% discount gift card deal will last.

    That's how I picked up $2500 worth of stuff for $1100 (F & P oven, Western house stove top and stove fan).

    I'm 99% sure the 10% off next week at Masters works with kitchens as well. That with 7.5% gift card gives you a minimum of 17.5% off.

    • mmd on 11/01/2016 - 15:40

      Not sure about kitchens, but the lady said cooktops are considered appliances so they are not discounted.
      Will use the gift cards since idk when the next eBay sale is.
      Did u change your kitchen bench and cupboards?

      • frazel on 11/01/2016 - 18:47

        Appliances are not discounted with 10% voucher, but they are discounted with trade cards, which is 5%. Then 7.5% extra for gift card discount.

        Seriously, I'm at Masters so often I know more than most of the staff. Funny enough im going to Masters in about 15 minutes to spend a few grand on wood/decking.

        Nah I didn't do cupboards or bench top. Mine aren't that bad.

        Ikea did 30% off stone bench tops recently

        • mmd on 17/01/2016 - 22:39

          How do i get a trade card?

  • geek001 on 11/01/2016 - 09:19
    +1

    I spent $4k on my ikea kitchen including appliances but my kitchen is relatively small L shaped kitchen. Could have saved more by getting with the cheapest ikea appliances, but I didn't and got the mid range instead. Getting an ikea kitchen was more time consuming, because every time I needed to make adjustments to the design, I had to get in the queue and wait 45mins to 1.5 hours for an ikea consultant to help me.

    I am not sure why it is hard to do a price comparison. I did some price comparison before I went with ikea, going with a kitchen with another company, Masters/Bunnings/The Good Guys would have cost me at least $2-3K more.

    Quality wise, imho, the wood they used to make ikea kitchen cabinets themselves are quite flimsy. The decent quality bits are their cabinet doors and benchtop. Drawer rollers are a bit of hit and miss, some of my soft close rollers didn't roll very well, so I had to get them replaced, which wasn't a problem. They do have 25 year warranty on their kitchens, which is fine as I would probably want to replace my kitchen by then.

    • mmd on 11/01/2016 - 15:46

      I guess with kitchens, its hard to compare since not every company offer the same design, unless I have plans drawn up?
      Did u have plans then went around to compare?

      • geek001 on 11/01/2016 - 16:20

        Yep, I did. There wasn't very much I could do with my kitchen. I knew I needed a stove, oven, sink, a space for a microwave, some drawers for spoons,forks,etc and space for pots and dishes. I saved some money by keeping the appliance locations almost in the same spots. Save money on re-wiring and re-plumbing.

  • saxlady on 11/01/2016 - 11:24
    +1

    We checked out Ikea, Bunnings, quotes from smaller cabinet makers and The Good Guys.
    The Good Guys was twice the price of everywhere else we looked. Ended up going with an independent cabinet maker and very happy with the results. He was probably a fraction more than Ikea etc but he came and did the measure up and installation and took care of everything, was happy to come back and make adjustments and pleasant to deal with.

    A word of advice - unless it's a huge price savings, try and get the same person/company to measure and install, especially with a stone benchtop. We considered buying a discounted off cut and then getting a stone mason in - so glad we didn't as the measurements were out and one piece of stone was damaged in the installation. It was all fixed up as the responsibility was with one company - if we'd had a separate supplier, no doubt everyone would have pointed the finger at someone else and we would have ended up with a headache.

  • AMLagonda on 11/01/2016 - 11:47

    I was going to go with the little guy but in reality the saving wasn't that great compared to bunnings and what's worse is that did not have the same options as bunnings but I was going to still go with them (supporting local business) but not anymore as I gave them my email address and phone number so they could email the quote they gave me and they never got back to me even though I emailed them and to make sure they had my email address.
    Ikea is the same sort of price but for the sizes are not right and cant really get what I want on the online kitchen designer, suppose I'd have to sort that out in store…. but bunnings is 5 minutes away and I like the bunnings Kitchen I have designed online :)

  • ESEMCE on 11/01/2016 - 12:12

    I've been told by a cabinet maker at a party that Ikea Kitchens don't use moisture resistant particle board!

    I was advised by a (former cabinet maker) colleague that laminate is the best, most hard wearing, finish for the cabinets. Perfect for Rentals. It's also the cheapest.
    Vinyl wrap and 2 pack are both easily damaged.

    • geek001 on 11/01/2016 - 16:28

      The cabinet board themselves are not moisture resistant(I don't think) but the benchtop and the cabinet doors are. Howver, the cabinet board laminate seems to be sort of moisture resistant. I had a small incident where my water filter under my sink burst because of the mains pipe pressure. No warping yet. I guess try not to get water on the unlaminated sides?

      That being said, the cabinet board offcut that I left outside after I put in my kitchen seems to be holding up well. Not warped too badly.

  • JimB on 11/01/2016 - 12:18

    Go for an independent, especially if it's a rental, it will be tax deductible.

    I would be happy to spend $40k on a kitchen if my house (building) was $500,000. I'm spending closer to $30k myself.

    Nothing like a luxury house with a cheap kitchen.

    Kitchens and bathrooms sell a house.

  • Foxtail on 11/01/2016 - 13:57

    Doing ours next week, found Bunnings and Masters take too long to get cabinets and don't have all sizes, got 3 independent quotes for same and chose a ready cut owner. Have had granite, stone bench tops before but like laminate better, U shape kitchen $5K (plus appliances (not fridge), sink, insinkerator, taps, tiles etc.).

    • symo on 11/01/2016 - 14:24

      How big is your kitchen? Depending on the size it sounds pretty reasonable.
      What suburb/state you from?

  • Foxtail on 11/01/2016 - 15:24

    Medium size 2.4m long + big ice maker fridge space, keeping part of breakfast bar carcase.
    On Gold coast.

  • mmd on 11/01/2016 - 15:59

    OK guys, thanks for all the advice. Really appreciate it.
    I'm moving towards getting an independent cabinet maker, and project manage myself.
    Would I need to get someone to install the laminate benchtop or can the cabinet maker do that?
    I then need to organise a plumber/sparkie/ceiling person/tiler.
    I will paint myself.

    • ESEMCE on 11/01/2016 - 16:32

      Cabinet Maker should be able to arrange and install (make any joins & cutout and seal sink and stovetop) the benchtop.
      Mine did anyway.

  • PVA on 11/01/2016 - 16:24
    +1

    you can compare as you just get all of them to quote for the whole thing - you dont have to work out this cupboard, that handle, this kickboard costs separately yourself.

  • frazell008 on 11/01/2016 - 22:01
    +1

    This may be of assistance

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/229879

  • SlickMick on 11/01/2016 - 23:03
    +1

    My brother in law just self-installed a Bunnings kitchen. Everyone loves it, and when he recently refinanced home loan, the valuation was substantially more than he'd expected and can only put it down to the new kitchen.
    (I expected it would be a waste of money and why bother, but I was obviously wrong!)

    • mmd on 13/01/2016 - 00:31

      Kitchen renovations (and bathroom to a smaller extent) can definitely increase the value of your home.
      Just keep the colours neutral, which makes selling easier.

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