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It’s difficult for us not to be biased on this question. But let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of buying your kitchens and bedrooms from either of the two. Let’s begin with the national chains.

Several major names will probably spring to mind. They often have large showrooms in major cities, with easy access, and a multitude of displays across huge showrooms and usually they offer attractive financing deals. Also, national chains usually have mass advertising coverage on TV, national radio press so most people would have heard or know of them. Bearing all this in mind it is made easy for the potential buyer to make a trip to the national retailer in the first step to buying their dream kitchen. So, why think twice about buying from one of the `big boys`? Well, In the first instance you might be put off by the lack of experienced staff on the showroom floor, most chains will employ people from outside the industry and train them on the job. More often than not the designer you deal with will be incentivised by commission and he will have only one thing on his mind when dealing with you – how much is in it for me? –  and the most common issue with national chains is the question  of who will fit your kitchen, the most important criteria when buying a fitted kitchen. The product you buy maybe good value for money but all that value may be lost if the fitter makes a bad job of it. Why would the fitter do a bad job you ask. Again, the answer is to do with incentive, it is in the fitters best interest to finish your job as soon as possible because most likely he will be on a tight schedule and a fixed price meaning corners may be cut. But what if the fitter does make a bad job of it you would think that the store would bend over backwards to rectify the situation? Alas, the answer is usually no, the blame will be passed on and the customer service department will probably help to make things worse! Your kitchen should get finished eventually but is it worth the risk. Take a look at the various reviews of the big stores and make your own mind up, there are often as many good reviews as bad ones making your odds fifty fifty of getting a good job done!

Why the independent then,  Do they have a good product range? Are they big enough to cope with my kitchen project? Will the designer be able to impress me with his skill? Are the fitters they use experienced? Will I get good after sales experience? Will I get value for money?

I have to say yes is the most likely answer to all the above. Independents will more often than not deal with various national manufacturers who specialise in producing good quality kitchens and bedrooms with large product ranges, covering most styles and designs available. An independent should be able to handle any size job because the showroom staff and fitters invariably know each other well and how each other works so they should be able to coordinate and liaise on any job large or small. The designer that works for an independent may or not be on commission but his brief will be different. He will want to do the best design he can for you and make sure it works because he will be looking for the recommendation from you on having done a great job. Although the great job would not have been possible without the fitting team. This team have usually worked for the company for years and know the pitfalls of fitting kitchens and want to get paid so any problems that arise are usually sorted out before the end of a job and of course they want you to tell your friends about what a great job they have done! Value for money depends on the end result and not on the initial cost but an independent supplier is more likely to cost a job realistically from the start.

Recommendation is the lifeblood of independents and there is no greater incentive to make sure they do a good job. Good after sales is equally important and handling an unhappy customer for whatever reason is an opportunity to make it more likely that the customer will trust and recommend you in future.

In conclusion, we need to pass the buck over to you and ask the  question – What do you want from a fitted kitchen/bedroom supplier? Short or long term gain and who is more likely to give either?

LiveWell BuyWell

Times are a changing and never more so as the days we live in at present and so are our working habits. More and more people are now working from home and this might become more the new norm in the future.

With the current enforced working from home people might be having to make do with a desk at the kitchen table or in a spare bedroom, not ideal for the long term. So, this might be the time to think about investing in fitted home office furniture.

You may never have thought it existed until now but the advantages are great. The smallest corner of a room could be changed to accommodate fitted office furniture. Maybe you need file drawers, wall cupboards or book case shelving. It can all be designed to suit your unique space. Our fitted office furniture runs along side our well established fitted bedroom furniture and is all made to measure. We have a vast array of colours and wood effect designs that can be suited to blend in with your existing furniture and decor.

It makes sense to maximise the space you have available for an office in the home and as a consequence it might even make working from home feel more natural. If you are interested in getting a quote or a free design for your space why not get in touch with us or call in to our Leeds showroom at the Thorp Arch Estate, Wetherby.

Live Well, Buywell

You may ask what is the difference between  free standing wardrobes and  fitted ones? The main thing that sets fitted robes apart from free standing ones is being able to have them made to fit the space you have available in your bedroom, usually wall to wall space.

Utilising this space is extremely important because in most bedrooms storage is at a premium for hanging clothes and tidying things away. Good fitted robes should be made to measure and be constructed with a full carcase – backs, sides, floors and ceilings – and maximise the height to suit the rooms ceiling. Every available space can potentially be used including storage over the bed, fitted dressing tables, tall boys and ottomans at the foot of the bed. No more packing boxes on top of free standing robes or sliding items down the side gaps of them.

Our range of fitted wardrobes come in a wide variety of styles and colours and –  with the exception of gloss finishes –  they are all the same price so choosing your preferred style is easy.

Why not book an appointment with us for a free design and let us show you the full potential of fitted wardrobes. Remember we cover all of Leeds, Harrogate and all the surrounding areas.

We are often asked if it is worth buying cheap kitchen units. The answer is not as simple as you might think. It could be, but only if you have an excellent fitter to get it right.

Cheap kitchen units cost so little because they have been made with the most basic materials i.e. 5mm hardboard backs, low density melamine chipboard and melamine edging (ironed on). They are usually constructed with a glued dowel and in some cases the hardboard back is stapled on. Once you have your new installation in place the quality of the build may not be immediately apparent, but as time goes by – with all the opening, closing, vegetable cutting etc. – cheaper carcases can start to work loose and even come apart. However, a square, solid built, rigid 18mm carcase (including backs) with a PVC edging will stand the test of time. A cheaper product is likely to need further modification at the installation stage or remedial action later on, and this is obviously not cost effective.

You should also consider that a company set up to produce cheap kitchen units is unlikely to stop cutting costs just at the carcase stage. Other components will be of the same lower quality – the hinges will be basic, meaning the doors will not hang level for very long, a cheap drawer box will not glide smoothly, and non adjustable wall unit brackets will need modification by a fitter.

The old saying about “only getting what you pay for” definitely applies to kitchen units as well as most things in life – but you don’t have to overpay. Like for instance our own Nexus range, we have the units manufactured in the UK to our specification. We offer a rigid built, fully assembled, cam & doweled carcase and the cabinets are constructed with 18mm MFC colour co-ordinated board. Our units are made with solid tops & solid backs. Each unit is complimented with Blum integrated soft close hinges, drawer packs are complimented with Blum soft close tandem drawer boxes, and 0.8mm edging tape is used around the carcase – with a 2mm ABS edging to the front as standard. With this quality the fitter will be finished in half the time and your new kitchen will last a lot longer. All this and a lot cheaper than you would expect! So, if you live in Leeds or the surrounding areas come and visit us in Wetherby at our new showroom and see for yourself.

Live Well. Buy Well.

Apologies to anyone who recently looked at our Contact page and saw our location according to Google Maps. It was actually showing the location of our old showroom, and we’ve been pushing to get it updated with Google – which is now done.

The address information was always correct, and it was just the map which needed to be updated. All sorted.

Buywell Interiors looks forward to seeing you soon.

As a retailer of fitted kitchens for over 20 years we have always kept our options open regarding the  manufacturing of the products we supply and from time to time we have considered the German produced option, even to the point of visiting some factories in Germany. The factories are impressive and all seem to operate like clockwork and offer a wide range of contemporary kitchens, but we are always left with the nagging question of ‘’What is the real advantage of selling German kitchens?’’

Frankly, twenty years ago there would be more answers than questions – wider consumer choice of colours, styles and matching worktops – the list went on! Fast forward to now and things have changed. British manufactures have  caught up and in some cases you could say have even surpassed the German model, 16mm white cabinets are very much standard for a German built kitchen whereas most quality British cabinet makers will offer an 18mm colour coordinated cabinet. Rigid kitchens with solid backs are standard to both now and usually with a PVC edging.

The big advantage we believe in buying British is flexibility – lead times are much shorter and remedial work if required is done much sooner as it can take up to six weeks to get materials from Germany – not the sort of news a customer wants to hear when waiting for the kitchen to be finished!

We have dealt with Symphony kitchens for over twenty years and in that time they have gone from being a local Leeds based business to become the number one independent kitchen manufacturer in the country and the main thing about them is how over the years they have continually refined their ranges to keep up with the latest trends.

We are also venturing into having our own range of kitchen cabinets made by a British manufacturer giving us even more of an advantage over our competitors.

So, in conclusion we have to say that buying British is still best for us overall and we think better value for you as a consumer.

Live Well, Buy Well

Shaker kitchens feature a square framed design which is very versatile. There are numerous types of shaker kitchens from truly traditional for older style properties to the more contemporary simplistic design.

Made with high quality materials and fittings, your shaker kitchen will have beautiful symmetry which will compliment any surroundings. Our extensive range of crafted kitchen cabinet and door sizes enable your kitchen to be made for any space however large or small, to ensure the ergonomics work perfectly and everything runs smoothly. Our range of shaker kitchen doors and cabinets are available in numerous colours and finishes allowing plenty of freedom to create your dream kitchen. Paired with your choice of worktop – and if you are bold enough – you can even add an island in contrasting colours to add storage and flexibility to your new kitchen.

Here at Buywell Interiors our highly skilled designers have extensive knowledge and over 25 years of experience in creating stunning classic and contemporary shaker kitchens. We will work closely with you to determine your needs and ensure your ideas are incorporated into the design. This allows us to design and build a kitchen tailored to your lifestyle while adding style and value to your property. Live Well, Buy Well.

Some might say what is the point of  fitted kitchen units without handles? And, How would you open the doors without handles? In our experience the main reason is that our prospective client is looking for the ultra sleek, minimalistic look and handles can sometimes make a kitchen look too busy. There are several ways to achieve this look, here some of the options to help you decide if the handleless look is for you.

The integrated rail – a very German style kitchen where a continuous metal rail is fitted along the top edge of  the carcase allowing room for the fingers to open the door. This option tends to work out the most costly.

The `J` Door – A  groove is made in the top of a solid 22mm MDF (medium-density fibreboard) door that resembles a J shape and is then  painted in various matt and gloss finishes. This is probably the most popular way of getting the sleek look, but watch out for cheaper options, some companies will use an 18mm door that is harder to get the average finger size in and the J is weaker and can break.

The integrated handle – This option has the finger grip grooved into the door. This option is probably the most versatile option as the door can be made to measure and is vinyl wrapped which offers hundreds of colours, matt or textured to choose from.

Push to open – A mechanism is attached to the carcase that allows the door to spring open when it is pushed. This option tends to be the less practical as some units will not allow it to work i.e. Dishwashers, fridge freezers etc.

These are the most common options, why not come to our showroom at Thorp Arch, Wetherby and decide for yourself.

Live Well, Buy Well.

We’ve moved into our new showroom and warehouse on the Thorp Arch Estate!

It’s been a hard slog to get it ready during and after the lockdown, but we got there in the end – and we are now open for business, with all the appropriate social distancing and sanitizing measures in place.

There’s lots to see inside, along with the opportunity to see various walkthroughs and presentations on a large-screen TV.

Why not come and see what you could do to your own kitchen or bedroom space to turn your dream into a reality?