DIY Kitchens - HONEST REVIEW! 

Kitchen designer here - based in a showroom on the other side of the river from you Andy! With corner larder units, if adjacent to another larder unit, I always provide an end panel (or an edged filler/blanking panel) to go in between them. Whilst it only provides an extra 1-2mm clearance depending on the range, it's enough for the diagonal angle not to impinge on door swing. In this kitchen's case, it would also provide symmetry and a 'frame' to the corner larder. Hope this helps - found your video insightful too, thank you.

I fitted my own DIY kitchen in 2017 and it still looks as good today as when I finished it.

On the DIY kitchens website their "accessories" section has moisture barriers for plinths sold in 2.5m lengths. Thanks for your video, I shall be adding this to my order!

I fitted my kitchen from them over 10 years ago now. It looks as good as new. They also had a huge showroom next to the factory, which you can also tour. It's highly automated with some amazing robotic machines. Great value as well.

We had a DIY kitchen 2 years ago and i would go straight back if we needed another. Despite getting a couple pieces of our order wrong they rectified it very quickly. The team on the backend managing issues were very good.

Woohoo an extra video. About to order a DIY kitchens one for my parents. Really appreciate all the hard work you put into all these videos. 😊

We've done ours in the summer 2022. I can't say anything wrong about the quality of the unit material however we've struggled a lot with our order. As you mention, there is an issue with quality control so a few of the issues and tips: - the FIRST thing you need to do is to check everything when it arrives. DIY kitches gives you only week to confirm if all units arrived and if you are happy with the quality. If you're not able to confirm it within a week, call them up and ask for this period to be extended. - Many of our units came damaged during transport. Yes, they will replace it but it may take up to two weeks - They've shipped the wrong direction corner post. Unless you are a professional kitchen fitter (or a very smart chap) you are not going to notice it before you actually start installation. In our case it caused a week's delay. - Please double-check if all the colours are right. We've ordered our kitchen in a 2 different colours (The island is Graphite and the rest is grey) and they have managed to mix those colours. Even the label stuck to the unit saying "Graphite" and the unit was grey. The driver was very confused when he saw that. - of course, another 2 weeks of delay. - Some of the fronts of the doors were damaged (chipped). Your experience with the customer service was really bad. They have lied to use multiple times saying that missing/replacement units will be delivered on a particular day and they were not. The CS' response was - We don't know Why and WHEN. We are sorry and here is your £20 compensation. In that particular case, we waited over 2 weeks for the missing parts to be delivered. That is not what you would expect when you are in the middle of your installation. Overall, our kitchen was delayed by 6 weeks.

I have fitted DIY kitchens for my own kitchen and was so impressed fitted one for my daughter, then two of my sisters also purchased DIY kitchens. I fitted mine in 2011 and it still looks and performs like new. I visited the factory and showroom in Pontefract and the customer service was excellent. No hesitation in recommending DIY kitchens

Used DIY Kitchens several times, for ourselves and friends. The last one I fitted 18 months ago. Just about to start our last ever renovation and we will use DIY Kitchens again. The fact that we will be using them again gives you a clue to how I rate them.

An absolutely genuine and honest review. Thanks for this.

Hi currently fitting a diy kitchen for a customer (3rd diy kitchen in the past year ) the units are in just finishing touches to do. Great quality kitchen, supplied very well packaged (minimum chance of transit damage ) which i have had from other suppliers over the years. Have fitted kitchens from most of the big names over the past 30 plus years and i have to say i would rate diy kitchens as one of the best. A great range of unit sizes to chose from unlike some of the off the shelf suppliers. I few niggles similar to those mentioned in the video, door clearances can be tight between units with end panels on both ends. The gap between the two doors on tall units is bigger than i would normally leave. Would be nice if they supplied the plastic strip for the bottom of the plinth, as without it the mdf will definitely take up moisture when the floor is mopped. I’ve also had issues with dry joints on units too. Overall would highly recommend diy kitchens, also had a trip to their showroom at the factory earlier this year, without a doubt one of the best show rooms I’ve ever visited. Ohh and the Yorkshire tea and flapjack in with the delivery is a nice touch.

just a bit of constructive criticism from a full time kitchen fitter, when scribing your fillers and end panels you should add an additional 2 -2.5 mm to allow for the buffers on your doors, otherwise your doors and drawers are going to be further forward than the front edge of your end panels or fillers.

The not-glued top cupboard could either have been a genuine factory oversight (e.g. shift change over), where it was assumed to be glued and wasn't, or it's to allow for easy disassembly to cut the cabinet width down. Overhead bridging units can frequently need cutting to get the base cabinet spacing to match as there are more end panels to fit in if you change from wall unit to bridging unit. And if you ever need spare blum hinges, then the cheapest source I have found is Ikea. Their standard kitchen cabinet hinges (utrusta) are all blum hinges - with the soft close version selling at £8/2pack, so £4 per hinge.

I’ve fitted my own kitchen in my last 3 houses, as well as lots of kitchen units at work for a work areas. The first kitchen I fitted was a Wickes off the shelf kitchen which was a bit rubbish, and since then have gone with IKEA kitchen units (especially at work as we have about 40 800mm units so ikea worked out much cheaper). Then a friend of mine bought a diy kitchens kitchen and I was blown away with the quality, so much so, that when our purchase of our project house completes, we will be ordering a diy kitchens kitchen :)

We have a DIY Kitchen that we designed and installed back in 2015, it still looks as it did when we fitted it. Our experience matched yours regards customer service and quality. I am a designer by profession, so sorting my own design was OK, and we self installed the units to receive a mix of solid wood and granite worktops, with no surprises or problems. Our only difficulty was getting the 3 corner base units through the door.

I've fitted quite a few of them over the years. I always recommend them to the customer. So much easier than dealing with Howdens and Magnets etc. regards the design and I feel the quality is better

For me, as a home owner not a fitter, the best thing about DIYkitchens is their configuration tool. It is great for creating a design and hopping and changing bits yourself and seeing how things will look. Unfortunately the delivery time when I was looking was too long so I ended up taking my design to Howdens but I was impressed by the online tool.

Love the series Andy but really spooky when these kitchen videos started - we had a DIY Kitchen already in the shopping basket ready to buy, not only that it's Clayton Sage! Great taste, obviously. Glad your conclusion matches what we'd already heard elsewhere. It's arriving end of November so wish us luck - doesn't look like we'll need it though 😉 Cheers!

I fitted the same kitchen about 12 months ago. Been very happy with mine. I saved some cash by making all the fillers and plinths myself from MRMDF and getting a couple of litres of colour matched paint made up. I wanted more fancy end panels than standard so made my own.

Looks good Andy and seems reasonable price wise for sure. For your plinths you can get a clear plastic extrusion which the plinth sits in. Comes in a role. Keeps the water away. When I helped my sister install her kitchen it was cheaper to buy 20mm solid rustic oak from a local wood yard than the plinths mdf oak faced. Madness

I have a diy kitchen, designed and fitted by me, having no kitchen experience but reasonable diy experience. We have the big corner unit and when we assembled and tried to move it the sides dropped down destroying the base, as the only thing holding them to the base was natty IKEA style cam connectors leaving about 5mm of chip to support all the weight. We ended up putting a load of brackets on and it getting it back together and it has been fine ever since (3 years). I hope they have sorted that design flaw though! We have panels on both sides of the corner unit and this prevents any door binding, but as you say the plinth won't fit after. I ended up cutting it in half and then gluing and painting over in situ. Would definitely use them again. Cheers for the review, love the channel.

Our DIY Kitchens kitchen is now 7 years old (nearly!) And has been brilliant. Similarly, we have a custom painted solid door setup. Delivery and customer service was brilliant. We also had a QC issue on a panel but they sent it along in addition to another one as an extra for offcuts as it was a custom colour which was a nice touch. We visited the showroom and that was really good to get a proper look at things. Quality wise it has been great and is standing up well against 2 young boys and 2 dogs. The only slight issue is the one you pointed out about the points not being bound so we have some water ingress under the sink but nothing major. Was suggested later by someone to run a bead of silicone along the high risk areas like sink and dishwasher. Will definitely use them again, they were brilliant 😁

I've just finished fitting a DIY kitchen and overall I am impressed with the quality and the customer service. I had the same issue as you with all the wall units. They were only partially glued. The top right and bottom left were not glued so they were not actually square. DIY kitchens offered to replace them but I took the easier route and sorted them out myself. The tall larder unit was a real pain to get square as it had very little internal bracing and moved around quite a lot. But once I fastened to the wall everything was ok. When we received the kitchen two of the units had the incorrect doors fitted but a phone call to customer service and new doors were dispatched reasonably quickly. ( They had to be manufactured as they were not off the shelf items.) Like I said at the beginning though, overall I am very impressed with the quality and the customer service and all our friends have commented on how good it looks. I have fitted an IKEA kitchen and a Wickes kitchen in the past and without doubt the DIY kitchen is streets ahead in terms of quality.

Floor still looking good! With regards to the hinges, I really dislike the piston soft close Blum hinge, always buy my Blum hinges from trade hinges with a built in soft closer which you can turn off if the weight of door doesn't need it. Like others I get a plastic foot for the plinths from Howdens which gives you the confidence that no moisture should be soaked up. Saw a grohe tap in one of the drawers, did you not fancy a boiling water tap? Makes tea much quicker.

Hi Andy, regarding your issue with the doors. I have the exact same DIY kitchens corner larder and I can confirm you do actually need an end panel on both sides of the corner larder unit. To solve the issue with the plinth you simply install the plinth before you attach one of the end panels. Granted, you'll never get it out again... So don't put anything behind there that you need access to OR if you can't help it, you can cut a section of the end panel away, behind the plinth, so you do have some access. Hope this helps!

Hii I used to fit kitchens professionally and you should have fitted a filler piece on the hing side of the diagonal cabinet, set back to be line with the cabinets. That would have given you the room you needed to adjust the hinges. I personally would have fitted a filler at the corner fillets to prevent gaps rather than using plastic blocks, but over all you have made a decent job of the kitchen.

All the doors in that corner area should be given a relief angle on the edge where they close, i.e. instead of the edge being cut 90degrees to the face they should have been cut at 85 or 80deg. That will give them a few mm of clearance on the back edge so they don't hit while closing, but the reveal around the face remains unchanged when they are closed. Looks like the doors on the corner unit are also a couple mm too wide overall.

I have just taken delivery of the exact same type - Clayton Sage set of units from DIY kitchens for my Utility Room replacement. They are fantastic. Having paid through the nose for a large Howdens kitchen and paid to have it fitted without much change from 30k, I refused to be ripped off again. On time delivery, no damage and nothing missing for a 1/4 of the price. If only I had found them earlier... Howdens units are 18mm, DIY K's are 22mm. The quality is second to none. But never mind that, I found your post very informative and helpful. I'm no expert, no handyman either. So thank you for the insight. 👍🇬🇧

From where I'm at you've done a fine job. Now for the corner unit, we offset it from the adjacent ones by 3/8", but we build them differently. We use a 135 degree hinge which allows better access. The plinths aren't banded on all edges to make for easy scribing. You could apply a urethane finish for water resistance. Now for the last thing, The hinges. Blum offers a hinge with soft close built-in. For me as a company I'd rather save money on a different brand then offer a lesser value alternative like the bulky attachment. For example: Salice, Blum and, Gräss all make amazing hinges but Salice is more affordable. I don't know if I may be more picky than the consumer. 🤔🤣

For anyone considering adding the plinth sealing strip, just make sure it will fit your plinth as some plinths are 19mm thick. The sealing strip only fits the 18mm ones I think.

I always recommend DIY kitchens to people I've been very impressed by the quality. The carcasses are made from Egger MFC which I would use for any bespoke stuff I make . Only thing I spotted which is odd is that they seem to be still using those horrible clip on softclose where most companies have been using the built in softclose Blum's for years 🤔

I fitted one of these five years ago. There was a major cockup and that was they had got the colour wrong, After turning down a large discount they provided and delivered a new set of door and draw fronts within two weeks. Top marks to DIY Kitchens. Five years on it's still looking good. With regard to plinths I fitted aluminium ones so moisture is not a problem. I really don't know why these are not offered on the website.

You can buy small plastic (see-through) strips for the plinths; you fit them at the bottom. they stop moisture getting to your plinths. But, I'm with you on the fact that this could have been done by the company selling the kitchen...cos those are really the weak spots of a kitchen cos they'll ALWAYS get wet.

I've never fitted a DIY kitchen, but on Howdens Belfast sink units, sometimes you've got to put a packer between the carcass and the end panel, due to variability in the sink casting. I'd probably do something like that on the tall unit to make the gap a bit bigger and get the door over a bit!

My bugbear with most kitchens is the depth of the bridging units. In my opinion they should be the same depth as the other cupboards. I understand that the added weight may be a problem when fitting.

I've just about finished fitting our DIY kitchen and have been equally impressed with the quality. I had a bit of an issue with my 3 corner units, after adding them from my design to my basket and even after the plan was checked by them, all 3 units came as right hand blanks instead of left hand blanks. Fortunately I was able to flip 2 units but the third needed to be replaced. I had a little bit of back and forth with their CS, because I couldn't understand how such an issue could happen especially as they signed off my plan. Anyway the service was great and we agreed to split the cost of a new unit which was sent out a week later. All in all very impressed.

You can adjust the ‘weighting’ on that top box so the door closes a bit quicker. Dry assembly would have just been an error in the factory, everything is glued unless you specifically ask for dry assembly, I sometimes do on units such as boiler cupboards etc. that corner cupboard, I’d put a couple of packers in between the panel and the carcass (only a few mm) and the caulk the small gap with colour matching silicone.

Hi great video and appreciate the honest review . I am looking to install a diy kitchen and would like to ask your advice. I intend to fit a laminate floor after the kitchen is installed and this includes a stone worktop . To allow for the expansion in the floor how when the feet come level with the plinth do you allow for an expansion gap without it being seen , think just the thickness of the plinth wouldn’t work . Keep up the informative video Chris

Not a kitchen fitter, just diy. I've now fitted 3 DIY Kitchens and they have been superb. Quality is 1st class. Also had quartz and standard worktops fitted and they have had no issues on deliveries. Bit of a pain if you live on an island as they won't deliver and you have to arrange to have it dropped at a 3rd party premises, but that is just a quirk. Agree entirely with the plinth sealing, I got around that by buying a plastic trim that fits under it.. Good review and very fair.

We would recommend DIY kitchens to anyone & have. Cannot fault them. Our joiner was so impressed, said the best he's ever fitted. We had no snags & nothing missing. Our units r dark blue & are perfect. We've had so many fantastic comments on our beautiful kitchen.

A year or so later and I've just finished fitting DIY Kitchens units in my youngest son's utility room. Must say, I was impressed with the quality. There was one cock up with one of the doors (it was a non-standard fitment) but this was sorted without fuss. Will be using them for my utility room re-fit.

I've had a couple of missed bits, and damaged bits. But, the essence of a company is how they deal with the issues, and DIY always responded quickly, and resolved all my issues... I'd happily buy from them again should the opportunity arise.

We installed a Wren kitchen around 1 year ago. Was cheaper than all quotes, including DIY kitchens and after watching this video, was actually higher quality too! Better quality hinges, proper softclose instead of ikea push on jobbies. Better wall spacers and fixings etc. The plinths even came with rubber sealant strips to make them all totally waterproof from the bottom!

I noticed on the ordering page a dry assembly box and I wondered if you might have selected it accidentally hence one of your units not coming complete and falling apart when you tried to fit it. Great video btw!

Fitted 4 DIY kitchens so far . Surprisingly the only four kitchens I didn’t have to do a return visit because of parts not being delivered , yet I’ve been doing it for 15 years. It’s so straight forward to install , I wonder why some people hire a kitchen fitter Only thing I could pick on would be the gap between doors on tall units

Thanks for the detailed video. I see a lot of builders preferring Symphony Kitchens, also from Yorkshire, now. Not sure how they compare with DIY kitchens but they certainly seem expensive.

Speaking as only a labourer for many tradesmen….. I worked on similar kitchens with a similar situation, with a corner cabinet (separate base cabinet under worktop, and wall cabinet)! On one occasion, we trimmed an extra 1.5mm off the back of the end panel, which looked OK! On another, we put a slight chamfer on the edge of the door(s)! This was OK, but was done & edged on site! Would’ve benefitted from being prepped either at manufacture, or in the workshop! It was unnoticeable, when the doors were closed, but I do wonder, 15 years later, did it stand the test of time & use? 🤷🏼‍♂️

i fitted a diy kitchens kitchen and i seem to remember something about needing and end panel as a spacer on each side of the tall corner unit ( in our case the even bigger walk in larder) so that the opening door swings clear of the one next to it. I can send you pics if you wish. And I couldnt fault the quality of the carcasses and doors either.

I've just fitted my own small kitchen from DIY kitchens, the fact they are preassembled, packaged so well for delivery gave a good sense before it was even unwrapped. The last kitchen I installed was from MFI so that's a throw back, circa 2001 but I remember the tediousness of having to build from flat pack. Also all doors come in a protective film so you can keep it on until you've finished installation and not risk scratching it. You do have rhe option for a moisture barrier for the plinths, I added it to my order as it seemed a no brained fir the little extra cost but would help the longevity of the plinth. I didn't get touch up paint though, didn't notice that as an option. I chose a Petrol blue contemporary design, I did buy handles but decided against the ones I ordered and will source my own. Was amazed at the price you stated for all your units, was expecting you to say just over £5k to be honest. I'm pleased I saw this video and all the positive comments, I was happy with the service from DIY kitchens and the quality, would use them again, or recommend them, but well, I hope not to have to fit another kitchen in my lifetime 😀

Beauiful kitchens, fitted a few DIY kitchens over the years,no complaints,wide choice of units,great quailty,very impressed.Have recommend DIY kitchens to many people.

We designed and fitted our own kitchen from them, we chose a farrow and ball colour traditional style, it saved us thousands and was and still is an amazing high quality kitchen, could have cost twice the price, always recommend them and would absolutely buy again 👍🏻

The pots on the touch up paint are not terribly air tight, at least not for the highly volatile solvents in there. Keep an eye on your paint as over a course of a few months it will thicken quite considerably. I keep my pot in a cool place and give a shake every now and then, when it starts to sound a bit thick I add a little cellulose thinners to thin it back out and stop it drying. So far it has survived perfectly well for about 5 years doing this and still does it's job of touching up perfectly when needed.

2mm packers on the unit front and back, top middle and bottom then fix your end panels on . When the door is on you can't see the gap and that would give you enough for door clearance. Also you can cut your tall end panels off at the height of the bottom of the base unit and back around 4" so your plinth will run through and not up to an end panel.

Ours came from Wickes, self assembly so easier for us to store, quality good. Their stock control must be poor as they sent us 2 of some things like drawers, doors and panels. We had a corner unit with double doors, one side can hit the corner of the worktop when opened, they are massive and we struggled to get it upright after assembly but they store so much and its accessible so include one if you can. 4 years on no problems. Think you need to be a competent diyer to fit a kitchen well, I had all the right tools but purchased a track saw for cutting down some panels. When I started DIY we only had electric drills, if you owned a jig saw you were a pro, mitres were cut by hand, circular saw was an attachment on the drill. The cheap cost of proper tools now makes life much easier. Great video enjoyed it.

I wonder if the screws for the plinth bracket intentionally prevent the clip from sliding on/off. The idea being that you screw the one side of the bracket in place, slide the clip on then screw the other side. The clip is then held in plade with a small amount of play. I say this because I have some similarly shaped Ikea clips that are not restrained and they always slide off the bracket whenever you attempt to move/remove the plinth.

Our kitchen which I fitted myself (DIY skills only) has a similar large corner larder. The kitchen was bought from Magnet and they did the plan with end panels either side and the doors don't catch. You're correct that you can't fit the plinth once the cupboard is up, so you've got to put this in place during the cupboard build and it can't be removed thereafter. Looks like you're stuck with catching doors unless you want a lot of extra work now.

Fitted two DIY kitchens in my kitchen and utility in my extension completed in 2020. Company is quite local to me and did get to the showroom. Brilliant company to deal with - had a few issues / mishaps (mainly my fault) but they really helped out! Kitchens look great - had solid surfaces fitted the company that they used were first class! I’ve now been commandeered to fit the in laws a new kitchen and sister in laws too - both being currently bought from DIY Kitchens. Cant recommend them highly enough!

Brilliant, I’ve been considering buying a B&Q or Wickes kitchen but this has really changed my mind and perception. My kitchen is a single wall and a larder on the opposite side, I may also box in my stand alone fridge freezer like to one here, but I’m trying to keep the cost down. Thank you so much for this. Mike

I'd pack out the larder end panel with 3mm packers won't be seen only by the keen eye, only if ur cooker space allows it.

mainly fit kitchens, mostly howdens but been more than impressed on a few diy kitchen installs just like your corner larder I've had an issue with a rounded base cab and plinth but not something I couldn't get around. re-corner larder even with other kitchens like local manufacturers there's always issues with the doors and clashes, seen myself squeezing in packers on the decor ends or the connection to other units to give that little bit of extra room as I'm sure the client or yourself wouldn't mind a 2-3mm gap from carcass to end panel rather than a door clashing with that panels or doors and that should just give you that extra nudge needed.

I'm going to give a massive shout out to DIY kitchens. I think the quality for the price is outstanding. I also occasionally fit kitchens, not as a full time job, like Andy, i can do it, i'm just to slow to make it pay. I've fitted Howdens, B&Q, Ikea (arghh) Wren and others and out of those 3, DIY kitchens leaves them in it's wake. Had a few issues, you do with kitchens, but DIY kitchens were super fast in resolving the issue. Online planning tool is excellent, and when you upload it with your design choice, DIY kitchens go over your plan and advise if they see anything wrong. For our own kitchen we paid the extra for 2 man delivery and the guys were excellent carrying everything carefully into our house. And i would also add to anyone in the market for a kitchen, the 'flat packs' will seem cheaper but do not under estimate the time it takes to assemble flat pack furniture, especially the drawer packs! In summary, DIY kitchens, outstanding for the quality/price.

My partner has just bought the same Clayton in a creamy colour. For the corner cupboard / end panel,: 1) Could you scribe the end panel and set it back a couple of mm?Just so the corner of the door is a half hair proud of the end panel? 2) space off the end panel from the carcass by a washer width? You have aprrox 50mm of filler panel to the adjacent drawer that might need the equivalent planed off. Either are compromises and you may have to make an equivalent compensation in the cornice to wrap around the corner. Only you would know and nobody else would notice

To fix your corner issue with the doors, I would place a shim/spacer between the cabinet and end panel. Use tape, and layer if needed. This will give you more adjustment on the doors.

I've just gone a DIY kitchens at home. The kitchen itself is great! However the quality control has been terrible. I've probably had more than 20 replacement doors/cabinets/fillers etc. It's a real shame given the quality of the kitchen itself. I'm still having issues with drawer front being drilled too low so they don't line up

I fitted a DIY kitchen to my previous house. The 22mm handleless j pull doors work well. Much nicer for fat fingers than 18mm j pull doors. My criticism would be that my units were not very moisture resistant. Within 6 months the doors and plynths started to split. My plynth wasn't moisture resistant mdf. Overall, the kitchen looks great but I wouldn't use them again purely because the longevity.

Fitted lots of diy kitchen kitchens and I always point customers to them quality is top notch especially like the feet more substantial than the thin cheapo one supplied by others. I do fit magnet howden and band q ( if I have to). But diy is fav

Im just measuring up for one of these right now.. Visited their showroom a couple of weeks ago and was very impressed. NO HASSLE BY SALESMEN!! (Take note Wren...) I'll be buying when I get completion on my next property. One question - do you fit the new flooring before the units so the kick panels sit on the new floor? 😊👍

I am in the middle of designing my Kitchen using Kitchen DIY. Mine so fate is coming up at over 6k, that does included handles and worktops. I may upgrade the hinges to soft close that don't have those horrible piggy back pistons. I used Blum Hinges on a Bar that I built during lockdown that has small switches that turn the soft close on or off. We are going for the Stanbury Range. I have had hours of enjoyment using the online software. I'll be looking at your install video once again as I remember there was some very hand tips and gizmos that will make fitting the kitchen easier, than ones I have fitted in the past.

We got our kitchen from them coming up to 5 years ago, got to say it has stood the test of time really well. All the doors and draws work as well as when we got it and we've not had any issues with moisture ingress on the plinths so I think you'll be fine there When I got it they didn't have any software but that wasn't a problem as I've fitted lots of kitchens so I knew what I wanted, but it must of been in the pipeline as they asked me if I wanted to be a beta tester for it With regards to the carcass I had the option of choosing any of their colours so we went for the same colour as what the doors where so that it all matched We needed to touch up a small chip earlier this year and the paint they supplied had dried up, when we got in touch with them they sent out another pot.

I'm currently in the process of fitting one of these kitchens too (linwood in cornflower blue). Overall impressed so far (only half way through). Still a few frustrations though. I would echo some of the things you have said aroung QC, the only damages we had I would say happened at the factory not during delivery. We also had the exact same issue with being missing 1 end panel, on original order but not on the delivery note. Plus also had a wall cabinet which was just completely missing it's door - not sure how they managed that. So far they have been excellent with customer service though and do get things sent out quickly if there are issues

blum do a soft close hinge without the clip on damper which works better. They also have an on/off switch that lets you lock out the damper if the door is smaller.

I'm about to purchase my second kitchen ( moved house ) I was so impressed with the quick delivery, the fact the kitchen came completely assembled the only thing I had to do was fit the handles which was so easy and excellent customer serive. We ran into one problem, I could see a flaw in one of the base doors so called ditkitchens and had a very good customer service operative who made sure I had a new replacement as soon as possible.... 3 days and I had a new door, absolutely fantastic. I couldn't recommend enough. I'm not 100% sure but I've heard that diykitchens supply wickes store with 75% of there kitchens that wickes charge an astronomical amount of money for. This video is brilliant and a very good likeness of the real product.

Put some 1mm/2mm shims between the tall unit and the tall end panel job done if you don't mind a shadow gap

Installed my DIY kitchen in 2014, still going strong, apart from the misses damaging the corner of a door against a pot - user error.. I was impressed so spec’ed a custom painted kitchen with corner larder in same config for my sister in law. We used end panels either side, but it didn’t fit perfectly. I think I would have used perhaps a thin sheet material just to ease the end panel slightly in hindsight.. Interiors were available in white when I ordered, and I also had the corner 1m shelf issue which from experience can confirm needs the extra support! I have to say customer support at DIY is exceptional - they even sent me new hinges for vertical bi-folds 8 years down the line…. In comparison my mum had a magnet kitchen and has bowed doors in the same timeframe, and all I can say is magnet after sales is approx 1% of DIY….

Love the video ending, made me chuckle and great bit of editing on the music :D

Could you have the pantry door opening the other way, so that the hinges are on the right? The knobs would also meet together on the left which would look nice.

Use transparent plinth strips that should give you peace of mind for the plinth. It's common to use on hardwood floor at any value of kitchen for the same reason

Great review… I’m guessing the plinth clip screws are correct head size, as when the clip is slid on to the bracket and screwed on, there is no chance of the clip sliding off, which they very often do.. equally, still looks to be enough side to side movement to allow for slight inaccuracy of positioning?!

Really helpful video which bears out the internet reputation for these kitchens. Personally it would turn on price as they seem on a par with Howdens

Cabinet designer here. With a corner unit, due to the angle of the door in relation to the returns you will always need to add an end panel on both the left and the right of the unit to allow for unobstructed swing of the door. This is where speaking to a proper design professional pays dividends!

Hi. I see ur video I decided to go for diy kitchen. I think on tall unit issue u mention. U should make the depth of whole end wall panel few mm shorter. I am confident it will resolve catching door on the panel.

Not a kitchen fitter, but just had a new kitchen installed, and we have one of those corner units. Not sure if it's the right way to do it or not, but the way ours has been done is an end panel on both sides of it, then the plinth is screwed to the bottom of the door so it opens with it.

The only thing which makes me nervous about DIY kitchens is the what if I mess up and need another unit. If I could buy from Howdens they have a store a mile away where I could pickup a new unit, B&Q\Wickes maybe 10 miles away, with DIY kitchens it'd be weeks and a hefty delivery fee. If I was paying for an installer I can see there being extra charges if there are any issues, as they'd need to return

for the end panels i just pack them of an eigth and silicone to hide the gap seen when opening the door I also cut the end panels so i have a continiuos plinth you can get covers to hide the ends if they are seen

Fitted a similar DIY kitchens myself 2 years ago. Generally happy. One door missing and took 4 attempts to deliver one correct and undamaged, but couldn't fault the customer service people. Can't get adjacent doors to fully align with the doors of a tall pull out larder which are factory fitted and not adjustable. Plinths have been fine. Some top drawer edges chipped but that's our fault. Don't like that the integrated double oven unit has a filler panel above it, which has to be cut down to size and therefore has an exposed edge which can only be hidden by bringing it down close to the top of the oven (they recommend 5mm gap!) Agree on the 1000mm shelves support - we have a 1000mm wide larder unit and the Mrs has massively overloaded the shelves to the point that I'm probably going to have to replace them all. Would use them again, but would check everything thoroughly before and during install.

Cannot speak highly enough about DIY Kitchens. Units are brilliant, service lovely. Ordering some more for our utility room, would not go anywhere else for future units. Peace be unto you.

Found DIY Kitchens a year ago and used their online planner tool to design my new kitchen over the course of several months, ready for when my extension was completed. It arrived 10 days ago, and its being installed bit by bit by my mate who is a kitchen fitter, whenever he has a free evening. He is a very experienced kitchen fitter, and is very impressed with DIY Kitchens, likening it to Wren units, but without the cost. I am really impressed with the base units, and tall units. Unfortunately the wall units don't quite match the rest of the units in terms of quality - The carcasses are not really any better than basic budget units, but once installed with pelmets and end panels I expect they'll be fine. The other big negative is that the 1000mm wall units are too wide for the design. They are dipping in the middle before there is even anything put in them. I'm very sad to say that DIY Kitchens after sale care has been a bit lacking, and their staff have contradicted each other - the first person I spoke to said its a known issue and the pelmet will help 'hide' any sagging. Subsequent people said no its not a known issue. They've refused to swap each 1000mm wall unit for two 500mm units, unless I pay the difference - which I am begrudgingly doing. Its hardly going to break the bank, but I'm just a little surprised that they wouldn't be keen to keep a customer happy, rather than leave them a little disappointed. All this being said, I am still very happy I chose DIY Kitchens, as the overall result is brilliant, and very cost effective.

MDF for kickboards seems unwise, as generally you'd mop a kitchen floor so there would be moisture on the edge. Sure you don't get floor sopping wet, but its not staying bone dry. Thats before your washer/dishwasher spring a leak, or freezer failure wets the floor. Maybe not an issue with white units, as would be easy to replace, but getting the right shade of green 5 years later might be tricky

I did a DIY Kitchen admittedly my first kitchen and although I consider myself fairly handy with the patience of a nat it was all very easy and seemed good quality

We bought a DIY kitchen last year, Clayton Carbon Black. The great thing was the computer design, we spend something like 2 weeks preparing different kitchen layouts, that is something other kitchen companies do not give you. The price was of course much lower. One broken door which was replaced a few weeks later.

The mix of handles would drive my OCD nuts. I’ve bought two lots of units from DIY kitchens and it’s been great. They always get lots of praise from visitors.

I have fitted their kitchen just two months ago. Designing, ordering and delivery went smoothly, except they forgot an end panel (delivery guys noticed it and then I went online to claim it - no phone calls required). The carcasses are of a OK quality but front doors are great. However for the glazed door, fit of the internal frame is far from good. Overall I am happy with our choice. And it will save you >50% if you fit it yourself.

With regards your issue for the tall larder unit end panel catching on the door, would a solution be to plane off just 2mm or so from the back edge of the end panel and refit? Just means the end panel sits back very slightly. You're taking off so little you probably wouldn't notice the difference, and would hopefully clear the door a little better? Just an idea

On the larder door catching on the end panel: if it was me I would take off the end panel - realise thats a pain as its big and heavy, and then use the tracksaw to trim off a few mm next to the wall to pull it back a little bit. Clamp back in place and re-use the screw holes on the inside of the larder cupboard for securing. Fitted a Wren kitchen a few years ago - all of the gloss white end panels were oversize and had to be trimmed down.

Hi Great video thanks! We were so close to ordering from B&Q but have had a look at DIY kitchens and they seem very good, we'd never heard of them! How are you finding the kitchen after a year of living with it?

Have you decided on the big question. Which one is the junk draw?

Hi, I make handmade kitchens up in aberdeen and we’ve sussed over the years that we need to make our corner larder units 1010x1010 for a 600mm door. The reason for this is we make our unit carcase gables 570mm deep. This extra 10mm in depth allows on the gables allow the doors on the units either side to sit perfectly either side and keep that 5mm gap between the doors. Bit of a head scratcher but it you take the time to draw it out to full size you’ll find it works perfectly. Keep the videos coming as your meticulous and caring approach to every project is fantastic to watch

Hi Andy, a great honest review. Surely you should go back to DIY Kitchens about the clearance issues with the corner units.

I always Shim the end panel on those diagnol carcasses, get some 1 mm spacers mitre fix onto back of end panel and fit as normal ,it will push it over just enough to clear ,

I'd personally clear silicone the bottom edges but use 90 degrees profile tool on all bottom edges, this would stop any water going under, plus easy to clean. Water will go under those panels when mopping the floor. I know your like me, better to be safe. But overall great job. Looks good, not easy thing with l cutting out etc. I've had some ball ache kitchens before. I wouldn't worry about gaps etc. Gap is better than scrapping. Well done mate.