Flipper/Rehabber · Easton, PA · Member since 2013 · 224 posts · 36 votes
Hi, I have heard from a few people that IKEA cabinets are better then they used to be and actually quite nice. Has anyone known this to be true? I do like the look of them but just wondering about the quality.
Contractor · Easton, PA · Member since 2013 · 152 posts · 58 votes
12y
Jessica. I am using a granite company that is next to Unclaimed Freight off of 22 that charge $33/sf. They do a nice job. I put granite in all my homes at any price range if a new kitchen is going in. I am doing a 850 sf single that is getting granite.
Involved In Real Estate · Hyattsville , MD · Member since 2011 · 298 posts · 256 votes
12y
I'm not sure how much Ikea costs- I have to check them out however I have used solidwood cabinets out of PA and I loved the cabinets- I had them come assembled. Cherry wood was my favorite they were about a week out from order to delivery maybe faster since you are in PA. Compare prices and see what works best for you.
Rental Property Investor · San Diego, CA · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
12y
I've got the cabinets in my newest house and really like them.
The trick is to get them during the 20% off sale they have, you can still do better at a wholesaler if its for a flip. The classic espresso shaker model is so affordable at least in my market. But if you want something a little different the ikea can be really nice.
Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2013 · 292 posts · 81 votes
12y
I'm fortunate to live within easy driving distance of an IKEA, and went with their cabinets for the last rental. So far as durability goes, I haven't noticed any greater than usual damage to them.
Real Estate Broker · MA · Member since 2013 · 361 posts · 297 votes
12y
They've been very successful in my flips. If you style the kitchen well, you can get a nice European contemporary look for short cash. And they stand out to younger buyers especially when all the other houses they've been seeing look like grandma's house by comparison.
They've stood up well in my rental units and they have long warranty.
Washington, DC · Member since 2012 · 40 posts · 13 votes
12y
@Phil G. is exactly right when he says the appeal to urban (or urban aspiring) younger buyers.
They definitely have a more modern look than the Shaker family of face frame boxes that are in every tract/multi-family property that goes up.
I used them on several projects in DC and haven't had any callbacks on quality. Pairing them with good pulls is critical, a 4" wire pull doesn't cut it anymore as far as aesthetics go.
Investor · Port Colborne, Ontario · Member since 2013 · 137 posts · 31 votes
12y
I have only used Ikea once in our 20 plus flips, but they worked very well and looked amazing once installed. You can't beat the price if you do get them on sale.
Now in Canada we buy the home depot Eurostyle cabinets. I don't think HD in the states is the same quality, but I could be wrong. They are made by Fabritec and come in your standard sizes. We love them. You can see them at www.442barrick.com. The house sold in 8 days. We just dressed up the laminate counter top with what they call an ogee edge. Looks similar to the edge they commonly put on granite. The tap and sink is from our local Costco..Sam's Club in the states I believe.
Not a big fan of installing the kickplate on these euro style cabinets, but it could be worse. This is the Barcelona color with a mission style door. The drawers are soft close and come standard.
I think all in all for the money the Ikea cupboards are so easy to install and work very well. They have some really nice styles to choose from too. For us the drive is over an hour 1 way...HD is only 20 min. so if you miss a piece...well you get the point.
Flipper/Rehabber · Easton, PA · Member since 2013 · 224 posts · 36 votes
12y
I must agree with you I LOVE the look of Ikea, my only drawback is aren't most of the cabinets particleboard and melamine? Those are cheaper quality materials and I think the buyers would notice they aren't real wood, right? This is for 200k price range.
David, can you tell me about the countertops and flooring you used?l ooks great btw!
I must agree with you I LOVE the look of Ikea, my only drawback is aren't most of the cabinets particleboard and melamine? Those are cheaper quality materials and I think the buyers would notice they aren't real wood, right? This is for 200k price range.
David, can you tell me about the countertops and flooring you used?l ooks great btw!
I think Home Depot starter kitchens are also melamine.
In Toronto I have seen million dollar houses with IKEA cabinets that look better than 200K houses with brand new solid kitchens. I am not saying its the best way to do it, but sometimes you get more bang for your buck by investing in style/design than on building quality.
Contractor · Easton, PA · Member since 2013 · 152 posts · 58 votes
12y
Jessica. I am using a granite company that is next to Unclaimed Freight off of 22 that charge $33/sf. They do a nice job. I put granite in all my homes at any price range if a new kitchen is going in. I am doing a 850 sf single that is getting granite.
Don't tell me the HD ones you are talking about are the 99$ ones :) I just saw your pictures, I like it :)
I wonder if the Doors are made of MDF, they seem to be of good quality.
I thought about them, but still need go for IKEA -Adel white- since I need it in white and I did not like the white ones at HD.
Last year I got Rona cabinets on clearance , maple doors, dark brown for 99$ a piece, that was a good deal.
Filipe
No these are not the $99 cabinets at all. They are the in-stock Barcelona. They are a nicely finished wood door...I believe maple sprayed with dark stain and lacquered just like any high end cabinet door.
The crazy part is that many of the super expensive kitchen's I have seen in 500-600K homes are all melamine boxes with nice ends and doors.
I agree on the white door style at home depot. They suck. They look super cheap. Back several years ago when they used Mills Pride the door style was nicer, but the cabinets are POS. Now that they switched to the Fabritec brand the quality is better. Its still not extreme quality by any means, but once the cabinets are all screwed together and the counter top is on there is no problem with them.
For a $1000 upgrade on our kitchen we could have custom ordered the same kitchen with matching interiors pre-assembled. For some this may be worth the extra cost. For us the three week wait wasn't worth the extra time to get it done.
Hi Dave, I only used IKEA until now. How does euro style HD compares with IKEA in price? what about quality/looks?
It seems you have to do a custom order at HD, is that right? how long it takes to get the cabinets?
thank you
Filipe
The price is about the same maybe even a little cheaper at HD. These cabinets are on the shelf and available in store. The only thing you may run into is a custom situation where you would have to special order something.
Quality I would say along the same line as well
To a previous comment to counter top and floor.
We use a local countertop shop and get contractor pricing. Great to deal with and usually a two week turn around measure 5X if you have to...don't screw this one up. LOL.
The flooring is a loose lay higher quality vinyl flooring. I talked about this in a previous post in the do it yourself forum. It can be laid over plywood..no underlay required. Just need to fill the holes or knots and smooth out any rough areas with some wood filler or floor leveler and you are good as gold.
Rental Property Investor · Madison, WI · Member since 2013 · 629 posts · 339 votes
12y
For a similar price to IKEA, we get cabinets for our rentals at HOBO- HOBO has several store locations in the Chicago/Milwaukee area.
The cabinets have plywood sides, solid wood doors/drawers, and particle board shelves. They are much better made than the ones we looked at from IKEA. We chose a cherry veneer and each kitchen we did was under $1000 for all the cabinetry. (Countertops were corian from craigslist.)
Flipper/Rehabber · Easton, PA · Member since 2013 · 224 posts · 36 votes
12y
Thanks for all the replies!I really like Ikea Adel in white but can't get over the melamine, I think I can get the same shaker look from an online source with real wood. Plus I do plan on doing granite on counters so I wonder if it is not real wood how well it would stand up?
Thanks, Martin, I will have to check them out. Currently, I have a place that I can get granite from for about $30/sq foot but they have limited selection I wasn't crazy about.
Investor · West Bloomfield, MI · Member since 2009 · 358 posts · 306 votes
12y
I've used the IKEA kitchen cabs a couple times and I'd recommend them in appropriate situations. In terms of quality, I found the doors and drawer fronts to be good quality and the hardware to be excellent (Blum brand, which is known to woodworkers as an excellent hinge company). Their soft close hardware is attractively priced and gives the cabinets a higher quality impression.
The cabinet boxes are where they clearly save some money as they are particle board and melamine, but once assembled they seemed sturdy enough. The overall impression is pretty good.
Investor · West Bloomfield, MI · Member since 2009 · 358 posts · 306 votes
12y
@Jessica H., the brown cabinets are called Adel Medium Brown.
I noticed Tim used the Ikea farmhouse sink. They have good pricing on this sink compared to other suppliers, around $300.
You asked Tim about the subway tiles, and I'm sure he'll answer that for you but I'll chime in with my 2 cents as well. I did a bath surround with Home Depot white subway tile. Very inexpensive, under $2/sqft. I've seen other white subway tiles that sell for as much as $15 - $20/sqft. They're thicker and have a slightly different look, but for most purposes (non-high-end homes) the HD ones work fine.
Realtor, General Contractor, and Developer · Redding, CA · Member since 2009 · 7k+ posts · 4k+ votes
12y
I was looking on Houzz at some ideas for small kitchen layout when I ran across some high end houses in Canada that use IKEA. I thought some of those on BP doing flips might want to look at the many faces of IKEA cabinets, so here you go! Gallery of IKEA cabinets
Disclaimer: I do NOT have any relationship with IKEA! In fact, have never used them.
Condo Investor · Kingwood, TX · Member since 2014 · 12 posts · 4 votes
12y
I love Ikea cabinets for both low end rentals and higher end homes. They are very durable as far as I can tell and the best part of Ikea cabinets is the ease of replacing just one in a string with their hanging system.
As a side not a good investment is their door dampers, they keep the doors from being slammed and can add years of lifespan especially with kids!
Investor · Toronto, Ontario · Member since 2014 · 320 posts · 125 votes
12y
I've done four full Ikea kitchens now. The quality is pretty decent. They aren't solid wood, but the look is still rather nice. Also, you're able to easily customize for your space.
The BIG drawback is they don't come pre-assembled. The last kitchen I did has 20+ cabinets and it took over a day, just to get them all built. Even the drawers come in individual pieces, flat packed. Make sure you have time allotted for this.
Contractor · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2014 · 14 posts · 3 votes
12y
something to consider:
-melamine cabinetry around a stove area will start to come unglued from the heat of the oven over time. Especially when the oven cleaning function is used due to high heat.
- if your countertops are going to be granite or a solid material, know that they will be attached using a silicone and permanently attached to the base cabinets... think about using a base cabinet that is made entirely of plywood to protect your counter top investment.