ᐅ Are bathroom showrooms generally very expensive?

What kind of contract? I’m looking for a craftsman. If the work is done well, we’ll never see each other again.

But if anyone has money to spend on romance, feel free to do so.

Thank you @ruppsn, I agree with every word.

Not me. I’m definitely not someone who spends money recklessly. However, I value loyalty and long-term, steady business relationships. I buy everything from the local electrician—whatever he offers—paying up to $100 more for a washing machine than at the big-box electronics store, always buy my car from the same dealer, and so on. You’re probably thinking I’m crazy, that I’m completely inflexible and just throwing my money away... but that’s not the case at all. How often do I get service without being charged? How often do I get a better price than a one-time customer? After we moved, my electrician installed all the lights free of charge—old ones, ones purchased through him, and even the ones I received as gifts at the housewarming party. Extending a washing machine hose, Karsten, no problem, here, take it and hook it up yourself... The plumber and heating specialist said, “Oh, a second outdoor faucet, no problem, we’ll take care of it right away.” “Do ut des” (I give so that you give), that’s how the world works. The modern, adaptive pragmatists (Sinus milieu, new development area) have forgotten this or never learned it. Karsten

These things are not mutually exclusive. You are talking about the local tradesperson around the corner. It’s logical that they can’t compete with the lowest bargain prices found online. Paying for the service is fair and may even pay off financially in the long run. And if it doesn’t, that’s also fine.

However, this is different from the contractor brought in by the general contractor, who often doubles or more the material costs. Unlike in your example, I have no commitment there. Convenience wins out, the potential refund when removing a trade is minimal, and few people dispose of newly installed standard materials after a few weeks to replace them with something better for economic and ecological reasons. So, a large portion of customers end up paying whatever is presented.

For me, one of the biggest reasons we decided against a general contractor was not to save money, but to get solid local companies with service, decent materials, and commitment for the same price.

I only handled the renovation myself, so I can’t really comment on the prices from the general contractor. However, I did review everything for the plumbing I chose personally, and overall, he was fair. His standard offer for materials was only slightly more expensive than what I found online. Since he was fair here, I bought everything from him. I might have saved around 3,000€ (about $3,300) in total (the contract included heating, radiators, water, sewage, and a complete bathroom without tiling), but it wasn’t worth it to me. He was fair and, even as the manager, often stopped by despite a 30km (20 miles) one-way trip. I wouldn’t have paid exorbitant prices. In that case, I’d go with a standard option or prepare everything myself and be done. I can also screw on a toilet bowl myself.

There is definitely a difference between a general contractor (GC) who is a small local builder and a large one like Hans von Heyden. With the big companies, you’re just a customer number, and often the subcontractors they bring in come from places like Eggesin near Szczecin, because they are cheap without any concern for quality. My GC, on the other hand, subcontracted work he couldn’t do himself only after consulting with my wife and me, and only to local companies we named—companies whose owners we have known for years, who celebrate with us socially, and where there is a personal, informal relationship. I know this is hardly to be expected in Frankfurt. We had only four subcontractors on site in any case: plumbing, electrical, landscaping, plastering, and screeding.