How best to pay for kitchen that gives us piece of mind

bigbean

Hi,

We are buying a kitchen and the company is asking for the full payment upfront before they even start work. They don't offer a pay 50% now and then 50% on completion option, so we have two options:

Pay the total on a credit card
Take their 0% Buy now pay later 12 month

We have the cash available for the kitchen, but after a bad experience of paying upfront for services in the past and the fitting and finish was not as promised, we are unsure of what comeback or insurance we would have if this happened again.

So which is the better option to pay for the kitchen with regards to these options and which gives us the best security if any issues occur:

Pay using credit card and pay balance off in full straight away
Take their 0% buy now pay later option and pay this off in full after kitchen is fitted

Thanks!

YorkshireBoy

It doesn't matter whether you pay a penny or the full amount on a credit card...you'll still enjoy full section 75 protection* on the full amount** of the kitchen - and also for any consequential losses should the worst happen.

But fundamentally, I'd want to hold a reasonable sum back (for the almost certain snags!).


* Assuming there's a D-C-S relationship.
** Provided it's less than £30K

Take their 0% buy now pay later option and pay this off in full after kitchen is fitted

Why would you want to withdraw from savings, losing the interest, when you don't have to?

John1993_2

If you genuinely want money-saving advice, walk away from the kitchen company, buy what you need at B&Q, and have a local fitter fit it.

somethingcorporate

John1993 wrote: »

If you genuinely want money-saving advice, walk away from the kitchen company, buy what you need at B&Q, and have a local fitter fit it.

Have you talked to many fitters about the quality of B&Q kitchens? both our joiners say they are terrible so whilst it may be money saving you often get what you pay for.

pinkdalek

Subject to getting the credit limit, can you not apply for a 0% credit card?

seven-day-weekend

We've just bought an IKEA kitchen for £2k and my husband and a friend who is a part-time kitchen fitter, have fitted it for a fraction of the price that IKEA would charge. We've had a year's interest-free credit from IKEA and £200 of IKEA vouchers.

Don't pay upfront is my opinion.

John1993_2

somethingcorporate wrote: »

Have you talked to many fitters about the quality of B&Q kitchens? both our joiners say they are terrible so whilst it may be money saving you often get what you pay for.

Yes, andhe people next door to us have one in their £1.2m flat.

I accept that although they love it, and it seems great, that they may simply have been lucky.

Dimey

Having built a few houses and employed lots of tradespeople including kitchen and bathroom installations - I'd never pay the full amount upfront. Never. Never.

There will always be delays, parts missing, specialists who don't turn up, bits that go unexpectedly wrong and downright incompetence.

If you don't hold any money back, you have no leverage.
And if they go bust or disappear then you are stuffed. By all means pay some or all on credit card for some protection but still I personally wouldn't pay all upfront.

No decently funded company should need your money upfront either.

If you want this company and you've seen the quality of their work at other customer's houses then I suggest you arrange a programme of stage payments* with them. If they don't agree I'd be wary. If the lead time isn't too far away maybe compromise of 50% 1 week prior and 50% on completion.

* Eg something like: -.

Deposit:- Place the order, agree time scale in signed agreement and order parts - 20%
Week of installation: -
day 1. Delivery of all components - 20%
day 2. Plumbing, wiring, Base units installed
day 3. Sink & water softener installed & plumbed. Overhead cupboards installed -30%
day 4. White & brown goods installed and w/machine & dishwasher plumbed
day 5. Worktops installed, snagging and completion - 30%

Edit: obviously if any stage is not completed satisfactorily then you hold the next stage payment till its completed to your satisfaction.

Calfuray

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

We've just bought an IKEA kitchen for £2k and my husband and a friend who is a part-time kitchen fitter, have fitted it for a fraction of the price that IKEA would charge. We've had a year's interest-free credit from IKEA and £200 of IKEA vouchers.

Don't pay upfront is my opinion.

Woah, you kidding? 2k? Can I ask if that was just units or appliances, sink/tap etc?

Archi_Bald

John1993 wrote: »

If you genuinely want money-saving advice, walk away from the kitchen company, buy what you need at B&Q, and have a local fitter fit it.

A B&Q kitchen? :eek:
Only if you intend to get a replacement in the next 3-5 years, anyway. Or if it's just a cheap and cheerful doer-upper and you need something for a quick sale that looks half decent.

John1993 wrote: »

Yes, andhe people next door to us have one in their £1.2m flat.

They must have run out of money. Even Homebase have kitchens that are miles better than B&Q (construction, finish, durability etc).

But none of the DIY joints really offer value for money for anyone who wants to enjoy their kitchen units for more than a few months. Find a local joiner, they'll do ace quality and it won't really cost you any more than the chains.

Never pay 100% upfront to anyone for a new kitchen, under any circumstances.

John1993_2

Archi_Bald wrote: »

They must have run out of money. Even Homebase have kitchens that are miles better than B&Q (construction, finish, durability etc).

No, they haven't, they just believe, as do I, that if it's installed by a good fitter, then it can well serve very for a god long time. No-one removes an existing kitchen and installs a new one if they have "run out of money"

Why do you believe otherwise? Obviously having a bad experience is no grounds for assuming that everyone will ( whisper was a single good example proves that they can do the job well sometimes), so where are you getting your information from?

I know a fair few people who've had very good experiences with them, when installed well.