ᐅ Process for Buying a Kitchen from IKEA

Hi everyone,

A rather basic question:

How do I actually buy Metod kitchen cabinets at IKEA? Do you have to find the parts yourself in the huge warehouse and then take them home directly?

For my utility room, I put together a Metod layout using the online planner and would like to buy the parts soon. However, the nearest IKEA is about 50km (30 miles) away, so I’d prefer not to make the trip without being sure, as I also need to rent a trailer and arrange for someone to help me carry everything.

I also have another question: The standard countertops are only up to 246cm (97 inches) long, so for my 2.60m (102 inches) long run, I would probably need a Personlig countertop. From what I understand, these need to be ordered and delivered to your home. Is that correct? Can I order them directly at IKEA? In the online planner, I couldn’t find an option to cover my washing machine and a small gap with the countertop, so I’m a bit unsure about the planning.

My layout looks like this (from left to right): base cabinets – 60cm (24 inches) sink cabinet with built-in sink, 40cm (16 inches) cabinet, 60cm (24 inches) built-in freezer cabinet, 60cm (24 inches) space for my own washing machine, and then a gap for the washing machine’s water tap, which will be used to store laundry detergent. The whole run should be fully covered by the countertop. I have also planned three 80cm (32 inches) wall cabinets above.

Please forgive my simple questions ops:
I’ve never bought a kitchen at IKEA before and don’t know anyone to ask.

Best regards,
Teyla

Hi Teyla,

You registered at IKEA with your email address and password. You plan your kitchen at home using the kitchen planner and save it on the IKEA server under your name. The next step is to go to IKEA, use a terminal to access your kitchen plan, find a sales assistant, and ask if your plan is feasible. They will likely help you figure out how to fit in your washing machine as well.

Once that is settled and you want to take your kitchen with you, it will be prepared for pickup after payment, except for a few small parts. You then gather the remaining items from the shelves and proceed to the checkout. There you will receive a number, which you will use to pick up your kitchen.

I usually go to IKEA 2–3 times before I take a kitchen home. It’s better to rent a van or ask someone you know for help, since you will also need space for the countertops and appliances. A station wagon with a trailer also works, of course.

Best regards, Herr rossi

Hello Teyla,

I’m not quite clear on the layout of your kitchen unit: the sink all the way on the left, dishwasher all the way on the right? Normally, all the connections are where the sink is. Why the “free space”? Does the unit need to fit between two walls?

It’s best to make a wish list that includes all the kitchen components you want to buy. The wish list will show you what’s in stock and the quantities available at your selected IKEA store. The Personlig panels are always delivered to your home, and you have to order them “personally” in the store since they are custom-made.

I believe you have to select the furniture parts yourself, but an IKEA consultant can help you with a list showing where to find everything. Some parts you will have to pay for upfront and then pick up at the collection point.

You can also have your order delivered. Delivery costs are shown, so you can decide whether it’s worth paying for delivery or if you prefer to transport it yourself. If you accept the delivery fee, you might as well order online and save yourself the hassle of picking everything in the store.

Self-transport isn’t exactly easy either. I’m currently planning to buy a kitchen at IKEA myself. It includes a tall cabinet that’s 220 cm (87 inches) high for a built-in oven. You can check the packaging dimensions and weights under the product details. For this tall cabinet, you end up with 10 (!) packages; the largest measures 239 x 60 x 7 cm (94 x 24 x 3 inches) and weighs 55 kg (121 lbs)! So you do need a car that can accommodate that—ours can.

I’m still undecided whether to have it delivered or pick it up myself. Our IKEA is about 5 km (3 miles) away, and I have time during the day, so multiple trips wouldn’t be a problem. Still, I’m considering just ordering online and having it delivered.

Regards,
Wolfgang

Thank you all for your replies.

Just to clarify for you:

@ Mr. Rossi:
I’m not looking to buy a complete kitchen, just a few cabinets and a freezer for the utility room.
That should easily fit into a trailer, especially since I’ll need to have the Personlig countertop delivered anyway, right?

@ Wolfgang:
Yes, the cabinet row has to fit between two walls, as it was planned from the start to integrate it there.
I don’t need a dishwasher in this room since I have one in my kitchen. I only want to place a washing machine under the countertop and would like an inset sink. The washing machine and sink don’t have to be next to each other because I have separate connections for both.
I arranged it this way to maximize the countertop space. The sink is positioned at the far end so the countertop surface isn’t interrupted. The washing machine is on the opposite end to avoid breaking up the cabinet fronts of the sink, the 40 cm (16 inch) cabinet, and the freezer front, which would otherwise look fragmented.

Having the countertop delivered sounds good, but I think we live too far away, so the delivery costs would probably be quite high. And since I would have to go there anyway to order the Personlig countertop, I might as well pick up the other items at the same time.
How does it work when ordering Metod furniture online? Isn’t there a flat delivery fee regardless of where you live? That would probably be cheaper for me. But then I would still have to go to the nearest IKEA to order the countertop, right? You can’t order that online together, can you?

@ IKEA expert:
Thanks, I’ll check whether my desired fronts are available in the self-service warehouse.
Since it’s just for the utility room, I chose the affordable Hängeby fronts.

Here are some views for you so you know exactly what I’m talking about:

Hello, we just bought a few Metod cabinets for my wife’s hobby room the day before yesterday. We are planning to buy a Metod kitchen next year and are now testing how the assembly works.
The fronts were not available in the self-service area, but you can order them there, and we then waited about 10 minutes at the checkout for them, so I wouldn’t base a decision on that.

Dear IKEA fans,

I would like to thank you again for your kind advice and now, after completing the project, share my experience buying an IKEA kitchen unit for the utility room.

The plan remained as I had already presented it, but I decided not to go with the cheapest HÄGGEBY fronts after all, choosing the Veddinge instead, as these have a smoother surface and seemed easier to maintain.

I transferred all items from the online planner into a shopping list and printed it out. At that time, all items were supposed to be available at my IKEA store. I also measured the wall niche where the PERSONLIG countertop was to be installed and noted down the dimensions.

My husband and I drove to IKEA in Bremerhaven on a Saturday morning (November 7) right at opening time, with two cars (I drive a Corsa D, my husband a new Mazda 3).

Fortunately, the kitchen department was still quite quiet, so we didn’t have to wait long for an available advisor. The advisor entered my shopping list into the system and printed two lists for me:
- One list for items we could pick up ourselves from the self-service warehouse (cabinets, handles, sink, shelves)
- A slip for the checkout, after paying which I could collect the VEDDINGE fronts and side panels from the pickup area
This all went smoothly and quickly, and all the items I wanted were in stock.

We then ordered the PERSONLIG countertop. We had looked at the samples beforehand and chose the fairly new “dark oak effect.” The advisor entered our measurements and color choice into the computer and placed the order. PERSONLIG countertops cannot be picked up separately—they must be delivered. We paid 30€ (about $33) for delivery and had to wait around 3.5 weeks for the countertop. It was delivered on December 1 by Hermes. So everything was easier than expected!

After settling everything, we went straight to the self-service warehouse and picked up all the items from our first list. It was good that we were two, as we needed two carts. Overall, we found all the parts in the warehouse without any problems and managed to load them onto the carts together. The heaviest item was the cabinet carcass for the tall cabinet, weighing around 40kg (88 pounds).

We then paid for the items from the second list at checkout (pickup area parts) and first loaded the self-service warehouse items into our cars. Though the tall cabinet was quite long, fortunately it fit in my husband’s Mazda 3 with the seats folded down.

Next, we went to collect the remaining parts at the pickup counter. Unfortunately, we had to wait quite a while but luckily received everything in the end. The parts also fit easily into the Mazda and my Corsa, so we got everything home in two cars.

Once home, we immediately started assembling the new furniture, which was very easy because IKEA provides foolproof instructions and the parts fit precisely and are easy to put together. We finished quite quickly, allowing my dad to hang the wall cabinets and align the carcasses over the next few days.

One week later, we visited IKEA again, this time on a Saturday evening, with only the Mazda 3, to buy the built-in freezer we hadn’t taken with us during the first visit. We grabbed another kitchen advisor because electrical appliances also need to be collected with staff assistance. Again, we received a slip to pay at the checkout and then had to wait at the pickup area, this time even longer than last time.

Eventually, we had our freezer. It fit easily into the Mazda 3 and was put into operation the next day, fitted with a matching VEDDINGE front.

The kitchen unit then stood unfinished in the utility room for several weeks, waiting for the countertop. When it was delivered, we installed it immediately and fitted the FYNDIG sink.

Now our small kitchen unit in the utility room is finally finished, and I find it perfect and very practical. I would definitely choose the IKEA solution again. Overall, it went quite well, although my husband did complain a bit about the waiting times.

Thanks again for your help. I hope my little report can help other IKEA kitchen beginners get a clearer idea.