Kitchen firm recommendation please!!!

We have had two quotes so far, both from small local companies. The numbers coming back are ridiculous. We are having to start again with new companies.

Has anyone any particular recommendations as we are looking at the bigger firms now and have heard so many nightmare stories!

I am gutted as the last company we dealt with were so good to deal with and seemed to really know what they were doing. I saw the design last night and I was so excited....Now we are back to square one.

Sometimes you get what you pay for, however has anyone around you had work done...if so who did they use.

Sadly you are too far away from me, my next door neighbour fits bathrooms & kitchens & is brilliant & doesn't overcharge for anything. He did my friend's kitchen(she lives in our village)& she's thrilled with it, she's getting him to do her bathroom next.

We're the wrong side of the Pennines though

I know this company would do a good job but £9000 for basic rigid carcas vinyl cupbaords and laminate worktop seems OTT. I had a cheaper quote for bespoke cupboards but have no faith in the organisation of the company.

Has anyone used Howden's and had a kitchen fitted by their builder?

We had a kitchen designer from Howden's but it was rubbish. We didn't go ahead with it after the fitter gave us a quote. The quote was OTT and things weren't itemised - which is something I want if I am paying 1000s for

My son and hubby use them all the time, when they do a house up.

They rate them well, a good cheap to middle of the road company with good quality goods...

They dont use their fitters, as they have their own.

I am just about to order a kitchern from Howdens on the recommendation of my cousin who has already had one supplied by them. From that you will gather that she is pleased with hers and found it good value for money.

Cor blimey, we had MFI years ago and they made the kitchen a death trap. I think was about 6k for real wood units but laminated worktops, price was right but the service was very very not.

I think I will get my builder to get Howden's to come out and quote. I know they will only sell to trade.

I am beginning to get very stressed by all the building work. There is so much to deal with right now with three kids and the dog. OH comes back from London and works like a whirlwind packing stuff up and stripping walls etc ready for plasterers. He gets wound up but then I also need him to be helping me make decisions on kitchens etc...We have had two quotes and none were in his budget. He wants the earth on a shoestring......naffed off big time at the moment.

The way it worked with us was that we asked a kitchen fitter to give us a quote. He arranged for a designer from Howden's to come out then he gave us a quote. So we were dealing with him.

Now, we weren't impressed with the Howden's designer or what he came up with - he was in a hurry, suddenly told us our choice of kitchen was no longer available (the fitter had given us an old catalogue) and insisted we choose another kitchen, like now! Then the fitter supplied a quote that we were unhappy with.

But that is just our experience. My neighbour had a different fitter that she thought was brilliant and her kitchen came from Howden's - and she is very happy with it.

Sorry, not helpful, I know. No harm in getting a design and a quote, eh?

xxx