Fitted Kitchens: Is Transparent Pricing A Reasonable Expectation?

Davesnave

We're having a new kitchen installed by a company with a good local reputation.

The problem is, after several quotations for the basic kitchen coming in at around the £10k mark, we've added appliances, expensive Amtico type flooring and a few other extras to bring the cost to close on £18k....but we don't know how we got here.

It isn't an unreasonable sum, just impossible to figure out what is being charged for what.

We've paid a deposit, but now kitchen co is pressing us to sign an agreement, yet they're doing their damndest not to disclose what we're paying for each part of the installation.

I feel that it's reasonable to expect a breakdown, not for each unit, but for the units and worktops as a whole, the appliances as a whole, the flooring and the fitting charge.

What's normal and why the secrecy? We all know there is some 'flexibility' built in, but it just feels wrong to have that 10k starting point and then another much larger bill with no transparency about how we arrived here.

Others' thoughts welcome, but don't say, "Should have gone to Howdens!" I probably would've done that, but her indoors......:o

madeinireland_2

I agree - I've got a quote for basic units from benchmarx and its £11k - no appliances no fitting etc just the basic units - no work tops even.

I sent the design off to day-kitchens and they say they can supply what appears to be better quality units for £7.5k - just need to find a decent fitter willing to fit now.

Furts

Hi Davesnave
Deep down you are savvy enough to know the answer to your post. To be blunt, retail kitchen showrooms do not want people to have information. The reason being information is power. This is not to single out kitchens, for replacement windows, replacement fascias, soffits and guttering, and the whole "home improvement" industry works on this basis.

People accept this situation and only a miniscule amount question matters. Even fewer then take proactive moves to improve their knowledge, improve their negotiating position and improve their control. The enlightened consumer then finds that they may not be in as good a position as they hoped - installation companies are not keen to supply savvy consumers.

To an extent countless posters on this Forum would be far better to deal with replacement kitchens as a trade transaction, and leave emotional judgements out of the equation. This has been my stance this becoming a mse Forum member, but I am a lone voice on this.

There are good posters on this Forum who will say go to your local independent kitchen company and trust them, just as you appear to have done. I will counter this by saying that two of my local independents are dire and I would not touch them with a bargepole. Yet year on year consumers give them business.

I have a kitchen purchased as a trade transaction. In terms of quality and value it ticks the requisite boxes. It was a fraction of the price of items from the DIY sheds.

CKdesigner

Hi Davesnave

As a business owner of a local Independent Kitchen specialist company I have to say we are transparent with our pricing. Like you I find just giving a total sum for everything a bit odd and frankly unprofessional.

When we present a kitchen design to a customer we always have prepared a quotation for that kitchen which has a figure for the cabinetry, then individual prices for cabinetry optional extras, like integrated LED lighting and Le Mans corners etc. Then a figure for the worktop, there might also be separated out costs for optional extras. Then a complete fitting cost and finally all the appliances are listed out with model codes, descriptions and individual prices. Often we leave the total figure blank so we can tick off exactly what the customer wants and then total it in front of the customer.

Breaking everything down like this can be quite time consuming but at the end of the day we know that when we take an order from a customer they are purchasing one of life's major purchases and we want them to be as comfortable as possible, and you only get this from knowledge.

In your shoes Davesnave I think I would insist on a breakdown of costs, including individual models and costs for appliances.

CK

Davesnave

Thanks, both.

'Unprofessional' is exactly the word my wife is using this morning.

She seems prepared to cancel the whole deal if we don't get the info we want, so we'll see where this goes.....

As we've been in the throes of a major re-build/refurb for more than a year now, the prospect of another month or two without a kitchen hardly fills us with dread. We've used 3 rooms as 'kitchens' so far!

I'll report back when there's movement, either way.

Davesnave

After issuing an ultimatum this morning, I received all the price info requested earlier, but not supplied.

There's nothing in it that shocks me. The fitting charges are higher than a rival company, but the deal we did on appliances cancels that out.

While not elated, I'm happy enough.

Thanks again.

ryder72

Pleased to hear you got the info you were after.

As an independent, we do break down our prices into furniture, appliances, worktops, installations and any misc items as I think its the right way to do it.

Lots of companies give a lump sum price and I cant see how anyone buys anything with just a single bottomline figure. I know some of these companies and their argument often is, 'thats what I need to charge to do the job, how I got there is immaterial. The breakdown might add up to the same thing.' I dont agree with that approach.

However, on the other hand, we get questioned on some aspects of our pricing, for instance I can buy an oven for £750 online, why do you want £800 for it without realising that for £750 someone leaves a box on the doorstep and the box doesnt unpack itself and the oven inside doesnt fit itself and the risk (whatever that might be) doesnt take care of itself, so the potential downside of breakdown pricing is questioning without rationale.

Davesnave

ryder72 wrote: »

However, on the other hand, we get questioned on some aspects of our pricing, for instance I can buy an oven for £750 online, why do you want £800 for it without realising that for £750 someone leaves a box on the doorstep and the box doesnt unpack itself and the oven inside doesnt fit itself and the risk (whatever that might be) doesnt take care of itself, so the potential downside of breakdown pricing is questioning without rationale.

Ironically, I'm happy with the prices they quoted for the appliances. They were very helpful and open about that.

But I see where you're coming from.

SuzieSue

Davesnave wrote: »

Ironically, I'm happy with the prices they quoted for the appliances. They were very helpful and open about that.

But I see where you're coming from.

Yes, I think people need to realise that if they ask their installers to buy the appliances then the installers need to put on a mark up as they are taking all the risk.

I now always ask the supplier to both supply and fit as when I have bought appliances/fixtures myself in the past and there has been a problem each party blamed the other.

HappyGo

Glad to hear you got it sorted. I'm just in the process of getting quotes now and transparency has been an issue with some we've received!

I think this is where kitchen firms / builders can set themselves apart.

Hope it all goes well. It's so exciting getting a new kitchen.