Ikea or Leroy Merlin kitchen: assembly is what decides the price

Ikea or Leroy Merlin kitchen: the trap is in the assembly

Renovating a kitchen in Spain remains a risky sport for your wallet. The classic dilemma —Ikea, Leroy Merlin or the local shop— comes back every season, and in recent years the debate has been soured by a nuance almost nobody mentions when walking into the store: according to several participants, the final price depends less on the brand than on who assembles your units. An Ikea unit installed by an independent professional can end up cheaper than the same unit contracted through the store's own service. And the reverse is also true: a mid-range unit fitted by a careless installer ends up costing twice as much in headaches.

The conversation, which starts with a question as simple as "how good are Ikea and Leroy Merlin kitchens?", quickly drifts into the territory of materials. The carcasses —the inside of the units— are almost identical across all the chains, mass-produced by suppliers that work for several brands at once. The real difference lies in the doors, the worktops and, above all, the hardware. That is where Ikea has the edge according to several accounts: 18 millimetres thick versus Leroy Merlin's 16, and a 25-year warranty that few competitors match.

The Silestone myth: it withstands everything except heat

Silestone has become the symbol of the modern kitchen. Salespeople sing its praises, claiming it resists cuts, stains and extreme temperatures. The accumulated experience of some users says otherwise. A pot straight off the hob leaves a ring. A bleach container left sitting on it discolours the surface. And the price, compared with good old granite, is noticeably higher. It withstands everything, they repeat in the stores. False, according to those accounts.

Granite, on the other hand, fares better in durability according to several forum users. It is more porous than Silestone when it comes to acids —a lemon, a splash of vinegar, spilled coffee— but it takes heat without flinching and lasts for decades. Some recall marble worktops over 50 years old that look as good as new, although marble stains easily. The cheapest option, chipboard, runs around 25 euros per metre at Leroy Merlin, but any deep cut lets moisture in and the worktop swells beyond repair.

How much does it cost to assemble an Ikea kitchen?

Here lies the crux of the matter. An independent professional charges around 20 euros per unit assembled, according to a user who does this for a living. A standard kitchen of 10 to 15 units comes to 200-300 euros in labour alone. If you book assembly through Ikea, the price goes up and the quality of the installer is a lottery: some are competent, others rush the job because they are paid peanuts, according to some accounts. The advice that keeps coming up is to hire transport and assembly separately, or simply find a trustworthy carpenter.

The problem of sizes is another classic. Ikea changed the dimensions of its kitchen units a few years ago, after more than two decades with the same standard. That means anyone who installed a kitchen before the change will not find replacement doors or accessories for the old model. If a door breaks, you have to replace more than expected. Leroy Merlin does not have that problem because it keeps more stable catalogues, but its range is more limited in finishes, according to some participants.

Bricomart and Brico Depot: the prices Ikea doesn't want you to see

The alternative gaining real traction in the conversation is the aggressive-pricing DIY chains. Bricomart and Brico Depot offer kitchen units at prices consistently lower than Ikea and Leroy Merlin, backed by domestic manufacturers. Alvic, a Spanish board manufacturer, supplies Brico Depot according to several accounts. The quality is no worse, and in some cases the assembly system is sturdier than Ikea's, whose thin back panels and dowels raise doubts about long-term robustness, according to one forum user.

The drawback is installation. These chains do not always offer an installation service, or they subcontract it to third parties with no quality control. If you are handy and have the tools —drill, screwdriver, mitre saw— you can fit the kitchen over a weekend with one other person's help. If not, you will have to find an installer on your own and hope you don't get a careless one.

The local shop: pricier, more personal, riskier

The traditional option has its defenders and detractors. In favour: personalised service, made-to-measure solutions for awkward spaces, and the chance to find spare parts for years. Against: the price. A local shop may charge 200 euros for a cutlery drawer that costs a tenth of that at Ikea, according to one account. And the risk of closure: if the shop goes under the trinc year, the spare part becomes a mirage.

Some go further and recommend seeking out manufacturers directly in industrial estates in Valencia, Guadalajara or Toledo, where quality units are made at competitive prices. The problem is information: without references or technical knowledge, telling the good manufacturers from the mediocre ones is a lottery. Google helps, but it takes hours of research and a critical eye to weed out those who crown themselves the chosen ones.

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The conclusion that emerges from all this is uncomfortable: there is no single answer. Ikea wins on hardware and warranty, Leroy Merlin on variety and proximity, Bricomart and Brico Depot on sheer price, the local shop on personal service. But the decisive factor —who installs it— is left out of the equation in almost every comparison. And that is where, in the labour, the true cost of the renovation is decided.