Ikea heaven

Now I've been going to Ikea for several decades to equip myself with kitchens for refurbished buy-to-lets. Several landlords have mentioned recently that Howdens do a reasonable budget range but I like Ikea, their prices and their plain simple white fronted units.

My visits normally entail a sharp in take of breath and an exhausting trawl as I first order and then have to pick up the entire kitchen on a series of trolleys which end up resembling one of those Australian wagon trains that inhabit the 'Out back'. Trying to do it all on your own stretched you to your mental and physical limit.

By the time you had made it through the check out and delivered it to the delivery desk on the other side. You were not so much in need of a discounted hot dog but an Oxygen tent!

This was all fine and dandy in your 20's and even in your 30's. Now I'm in my mid 40's I was dreading a trip to my local Ikea north of Nottingham to purchase the largest kitchen yet. One for my new venture of a cookery school in Bakewell. Can you understand my trepidation of having an order involving 15 appliances and enough cupboards to fill a small house?

Smooth operation

Well the good news was this time and just over 5 years from my last visit to the Swedish institution; things have moved on. Any order over I think £1500 can come direct from Ikea's own distribution centre. In this case the one north of Sheffield. Fantastic. I took my little order chit to the check out and even managed to avoid the cues by using when of the express self service counters. Seven grands worth of kitchen without even breaking into a glow let alone a full on sweaty melt down. Now that's what I call heaven!

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