Where is the best place to buy your sliding wardrobe doors?

A quick search online for ‘sliding wardrobe doors’ will bring up a myriad of results for different suppliers: the familiar retail park names such as B&Q, Wickes and Homebase; companies that manufacture the products but don’t sell direct to the public; suppliers that act as a ‘virtual’ showroom and sales facility but who are allied with a manufacturer of the doors themselves to fulfil the order; and a few household name companies that advertise heavily on television and in the press and which offer the full design, build and install package.

So how do you make an informed decision amongst all this potential choice? Factors such as product quality, range of choice, ease of fitting and overall cost are obviously all important considerations when coming to a final decision. In this article we identify four possible supply sources and discuss the particular merits (and drawbacks) associated with each. So, when considering where is the best place to buy your sliding wardrobe doors, this article should help you to make the best decision for your particular requirements.

DIY chain stores (e.g. B&Q, Wickes, Homebase)

Although choice will be limited and only standard sizes will be available (ie. the doors are not made-to-measure), these outlets are certainly convenient places to buy from and probably offer the best choice for those on a limited budget.

Online-only specialist (eg. Wardrobe Doors Direct)

‘Online only specialist’ means just that. Companies such as this will have no ‘real world’ showroom that you can visit to look at the products and their service will usually not extend to the physical installation of your sliding wardrobe doors. However, a mid-price specialist supplier is able to offer a wider choice of products at an overall lower price than those with showroom or DIY-shed overheads. Custom, made-to-measure doors are offered for either DIY installation or for organising your own joiner to fit, and can be selected, online-only specialists, Wardrobe Doors Direct included, offer a free-of-charge consideration if you are intending to install the doors yourself or enlist the services of a professional tradesperson.

Independent tradespersons / joinery companies

In your particular area there will no doubt be a number of companies (ranging from self-employed traders to small independent companies) that offer all types of interior woodworking and fit-out services, from kitchen-fitting and cabinetmaking to complete room alterations. Whilst these companies will have the ability to construct or install sliding wardrobe doors for you, they will not necessarily offer up a wide choice of options voluntarily, preferring instead for you to have done all the preliminary research and reached your decision on configurations, framing types, panel materials and wardrobe interiors options before enlisting their services.

Specialist with showroom (e.g Sliderobes)

A limited number of supply sources offer a full design, manufacture, install and after sales service but these are generally to be found at the premium end of the market as their overheads (eg. offering showroom choice, employing full room planning services) necessitate charging higher prices.