Browse Forums Kitchen Corner 1 Sep 13, 2010 11:31 pm Hi All I've been involved recently with a renovation where we used one of the big kitchen companies (that advertises nationally). Great result, caesarstone, waterfall edges all the goodies etc - lovely. However I'm about to embark on a Build project and for this task and it seems there there must be a better way! In essence my theory is aside from plumbing and elec (which needs to be done at the time of build for the rest of the house) there isn't that much to building a kitchen: 1) Carcases - made by a cabinet maker to spec 2) Doors, closers/runs and draw units. - again supplied by a cabinet maker to spec 3) benches - supplied by a specialist company (like Wilson Brothers - caesarstone, measured and installed after the cabinets are in place). 4) Splashbacks - supplied by a specialist company (measured and installed after the benches are in place). The installation is then performed by a specialist installation company. I just spent the best part of $30k on a kitchen and I reckon in retrospect for my next project I could do it a whole lot cheaper if I just bypass the "kitchen company" and engage a the workers directly) - to be honest the kitchen co didn't do a very good job project managing and I ended up doing most of the follow up myself. Any thoughts? Cheers Mark Re: Bypass the Kitchen companies - Self Manage - A better wa 2Sep 14, 2010 9:11 am Hmmm cabinet making is the most complex part of the whole lot as you said the rest falls into place quite easily. So may be next time use flat packs. for assembly or learn cabinet making if you have a spare time. Re: Bypass the Kitchen companies - Self Manage - A better wa 3Sep 14, 2010 11:03 am I think you should be fine, Mark. I've done it using IKEA kitchens before. There are also factories around who will make the units for you and quite a lot of benchtop places. If you are not able to do the instal yourself I would be looking for a local carpenter or even handyman. You'll find a handyman in your local paper who should be able to manage this no sweat. Re: Bypass the Kitchen companies - Self Manage - A better wa 4Sep 14, 2010 3:05 pm Hi xquisite Yes I think grinder above may have misunderstood. My experience of late with kitchen companies is that in essence if you find a company that can make the cabinets/carcases and supply the handles, doors, draw units and runners then, you can directly engage an installation company (at the end of the day for example a larger kitchen co they just outsource the install to a third party - whom you pay directly for the install anyhow!). then once the carcases and doors are in, scribed to the floor and installed you engage a stone company for the stone and a glass company for the splash backs. If you're building yhou can use your plumber and elec from the build and presto kitchen done. This came about because I just couldn't add 2 and 2 and get 4 when I reviewed what it costs to have a kitchen done by the big kitchen companies. Have many people gone this way? Does anyone have specific (good) experience with cabinet makers in the Brisbane areas? Cheers MArk Re: Bypass the Kitchen companies - Self Manage - A better wa 5Sep 27, 2010 9:40 am Hi Mark We have just built our own kitchen this way as we didn't want to spend $25k on a kitchen. My brother is a builder so we drew a plan, he worked out all the cutting measurements and we got a place to cut it all out, drill all the holes and then we put it all together (like flatpak but cheaper). We then got another company to make the cupboard doors and drawer fronts, are in the process of organising a benchtop to be manufactured and installed and then just hired the plumber and electrician for their bits. It takes a bit of work to sort it all out but we will now have the kitchen we want for $13k (4.5m x 3m L-shaped kitchen with 2.4m island bench, laminex cupboards with brushed aluminium & PVC edging, Quantum Quartz benchtops, two pantries, full length crockery "pantry", feature panels on island bench, metallic splashback, loads of overhead cupboards and 2 sets of drawers). I think people use kitchen companies because its a lot easier to get someone else to sort it all out but if you are happy to do it, its nice to save the money and have it to spend on other parts of the house. Re: Bypass the Kitchen companies - Self Manage - A better wa 6Sep 27, 2010 10:57 am $30k?! Let me put it this way.... a large company quoted a previous customer of ours $18k for her kitchen (kitchen only - one of the larger companies who advertises on TV etc), my husband gave her the same for $9k. So a tip would be to try and search for a smaller company when getting quotes. He entire kitchen (stone, splashback, appliances) came in less than what the other company quoted JUST for the kitchen (so she ordered a matching vanity as well ) When hubby does kitchens, he only does the kitchen. Made to measure and installed. Stone benchtops go through the stone mason, electrical through the electrician and plumbing through the plumber... obviously We can recommend people, and often do, but have no association with them. We do our job, they do theirs. We dont get any benefits from recommending other trades (whereas companies have approached us offering us say 10% commision for any work we refer, but we dont care, we'd rather know the job of the people we recommend is good and leave it at that) We refuse to do "entire" kitchen fitouts including plumbing, electrical, stone, glass splashbacks, tiles, whatever. Hubby focuses on what he specialises in. We get a lot of calls from people wanting entire fitouts but he isnt interested in the slightest. It really isnt hard to coordinate your own tradies, so I would definately look in to it mgg Custom European Cabinets - Melbourne Kitchen Specialist PM for business details as website currently being updated! Our Crazy Owner Builder Journey! Re: Bypass the Kitchen companies - Self Manage - A better wa 7Sep 27, 2010 11:01 am mgg Hi xquisite Yes I think grinder above may have misunderstood. My experience of late with kitchen companies is that in essence if you find a company that can make the cabinets/carcases and supply the handles, doors, draw units and runners then, you can directly engage an installation company (at the end of the day for example a larger kitchen co they just outsource the install to a third party - whom you pay directly for the install anyhow!). then once the carcases and doors are in, scribed to the floor and installed you engage a stone company for the stone and a glass company for the splash backs. If you're building yhou can use your plumber and elec from the build and presto kitchen done. This came about because I just couldn't add 2 and 2 and get 4 when I reviewed what it costs to have a kitchen done by the big kitchen companies. Have many people gone this way? Does anyone have specific (good) experience with cabinet makers in the Brisbane areas? Cheers MArk I may have misunderstood a little but the essence is to have accurate measurements even to the company that cuts and prepare the cabinets flatpacks for you need to have good layout plans. Re: Bypass the Kitchen companies - Self Manage - A better wa 8Sep 29, 2010 12:04 am With our build the builder gave me an allowance for cabinet work and sent me to the cabinet maker to select the kitchen, so this is how it worked for us 1. Meet with the cabinet maker with plans and went over design, 2. Cabinet maker sent drawing back and forth until we got the design we wanted, 3. Colour & material selections done at cabinet maker. 4. Meet cabinet maker on site for check measure. 5. Meet stone mason on site for check measure and confirmation on colour & finish. 6. Meet electrican on site for location of points & lights 7. Meet tiler on site to go over layout of tiles. Was a very easy process to do. All up 4 vanity units, 1 bar unit & kitchen with cesar stone came in at about $20,000. This was at builders cost price as our builder didn't put a margin into the cabinet works. Cheers Lou http://take2-customdesigndownslope.blogspot.com 07-10-09 omg they have cut the block 14-05-10 we finally have the keys Re: Bypass the Kitchen companies - Self Manage - A better wa 9Sep 29, 2010 1:38 pm I've done exactly that here in Brisbane and am stoked with the result. At the end of the day, kitchens all come down to the quality of workmanship when put it, so spending the money there is well worth it. And by getting recommendations you don't have to deal with who ever the company sends on the day. We were quoted 18-25k for just the basic kitchen. Not plumbing or electric. So I hunted around and did it ourselves. Steps we took. 1. Bought flatpack kitchen. 2 Pack cabinets. 2. Cabinetmaker installed. 3. Bought 2 slabs of granite 4. Stonemason cut/installed granite 5. Plumber did his bit 6. Sparkey did his. We ended up with: Drawers: 900, 450, 450, 600 wide Cabinets: 900(sink) 600, 600, 600, 300 wide Oven, Fridge and Microwave cabinets. Pantry 900 wide. Half with pull out basket Nearly 9 square meters of granite Blum soft closed on all. Oliveri Sink and Mixer. All of the above we finished for less than 14k. If you want our good contacts let me know as I have done all the hard work. EDIT: I also have a contact for Fisher and Paykel seconds, along with other brands. There's nothing like saving 40% because there's a dint in the back of the dishwasher. Re: Bypass the Kitchen companies - Self Manage - A better wa 10Sep 30, 2010 2:18 pm We had a "Kitchen" Company quote our job (kitchen and 2 bathrooms). They came in at $98,000 and with our appliances and flooring the whole job would have nudged just on $130,000. I got a local freelance project manager, who came with all his own contacts, and he did the job for just on $86,000 which came to just on $110,000 with all the appliances etc. So I saved about $20,000. What I lost was the kitchen companies guarantee finish time. The job went about 2 weeks over so that was no bother. As well as the savings, what I liked about using a local tradie was that no change was a problem, it was really easy to make decisions to change things as we went along and I got the sense that would not be the case with a kitchen company. Re: Bypass the Kitchen companies - Self Manage - A better wa 11Sep 30, 2010 3:38 pm Just done my kitchen. $9950 for 13 cabinets 2pac white. $950 for cabinets install + canopy fitting $250 for removal existing kitchen. $715 Electrician to add couple of cabinet lights 5 new switches and install appliances $600 Plumber to do sink, vent/funnel, dishwasher and cooktop $2050 for cs benchtop waterfall + installation 40mm. $745 for glass splashback $2345 for removal of floor tile and installing new floorboard I semi managed the thing but all the contacts came pre pricelisted and recommended by the cabinet providers. Very do-able but you need alot of time staying home and liasing all the job, who would do what first etc. Re: Bypass the Kitchen companies - Self Manage - A better wa 12Oct 01, 2010 1:28 am we used a cabinet maker just for cabinets and installation and organised the rest ourselves, it was easy. we found that even the kitchen companies in perth (that we approached, anway) wouldn't do electric or plumbers, and just got quotes for the benchtop that is easy to do yourself anyway. Our cabinet maker provided drawings and templates for the bench. we went with a cabinet maker because it was highly customisable, the kitchen companies had set drawer layouts, for example, that could not be modified, or had a limited range of internal fixings. like everything, the more quotes you get and the more questions you ask the better the deal you end up with. Recently moved to a 60's home in need of some improvement! http://s797.photobucket.com/user/leenii ... ch%20House Old house: http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy25 ... loo/House/ Re: Bypass the Kitchen companies - Self Manage - A better wa 13Oct 01, 2010 10:17 am Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Love your splashback, that suttle pattern looks fantastic. Cheers Lou http://take2-customdesigndownslope.blogspot.com 07-10-09 omg they have cut the block 14-05-10 we finally have the keys Re: Bypass the Kitchen companies - Self Manage - A better wa 14Oct 02, 2010 10:04 pm thank Lou! we are really happy with it! It was also our 'bargain buy' as they are inexpensive ceramic tiles. They took a while to find but DH knew they were right as soon as he saw one at the tile shop. Recently moved to a 60's home in need of some improvement! http://s797.photobucket.com/user/leenii ... ch%20House Old house: http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy25 ... loo/House/ Re: Bypass the Kitchen companies - Self Manage - A better wa 15Oct 05, 2010 9:18 pm Hi Poidda, I am planning to renovate my kitchen and don't know where to start... your idea seems to be reasonable. Can you please send me the links/contacts as you have already done the hard work. The whole process is too overwhelming!! The house is in suburbs of brisbane so I can use ur contacts. Please google this video regarding the Regulations for a Laundry trough: i-dont-want-laundry-tub-can-i-use-sink-instead 13 12182 because its not being managed properly. 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