ᐅ Excessive Costs for the Kitchen?!

ypg schrieb:

does not concern the IKEA brand.

No, definitely not IKEA, and certainly not Roller either. I feel the same way.
My version refers exclusively to the absolutely high-quality/high-end brands, such as formerly Poggenpohl or Bax, Siematic, etc., or in the living area, designer furniture brands like Rolf Benz, Ruf, Cor, Brühl, Jori, and others.
In these categories, in my opinion, it is worth keeping an eye out but also looking very carefully. These are furniture classics that you usually keep for a lifetime.
Sometimes these are pieces that were hardly used, for example in a guest room or a rarely used office kitchen, etc.; it depends on the circumstances, and a lot of patience is needed.
I like IKEA a lot but wouldn’t want to buy a used kitchen from there unless I could be certain it is in excellent condition.

We bought an L-shaped kitchen for our rental apartment, measuring 3.5m by 2m (11.5 ft by 6.5 ft), including appliances (oven, ceramic cooktop, extractor hood, freestanding refrigerator from Miele, ceramic sink from Schock, and dishwasher) with installation for 5,500 euros.

We actually went to a furniture store (Wanninger) and not a kitchen showroom, but this is how it went:

We looked for a consultant and explained that we needed certain dimensions and had a maximum budget of 4,000 euros. He immediately said it would cost at least 6,000 to 7,000 euros. After one hour of planning, the total with installation was 4,500 euros.

We bought the refrigerator and sink separately.

It’s a really nice and spacious kitchen; we are very satisfied.

What I want to say is, if you know how much you want to spend and what you want, you can get it. No matter what the person in the kitchen studio says. They quote prices well over 20,000 euros because, frankly, buyers pay those prices and let themselves be persuaded without knowing much. The bank will pay anyway.

I’m not saying anything against anyone who is knowledgeable about kitchens and spends their free time cooking. Then it makes sense—like a passion project, basically.

But does everyone need that in their new house?

You don’t have to let yourself be talked into everything and then complain about how expensive it is.

Just take some time to educate yourself and then buy with clear expectations.

Bardamu schrieb:

I really have no problem if someone is interested in kitchens, knows their stuff, and spends their free time cooking. In that case, that’s fine. Almost like a passion project.
But does everyone need that in their new home?
You don’t have to let yourself be talked into everything. And then complain that it’s so expensive.
Just take the time to understand the topic yourself and then buy with clear expectations.

You put that well – that was missing. I also thought of the saying “you only build once,” which fits with the comment about choosing a kitchen for 11,500 and then going for the exhibition model at 19,000. I see that as a form of panic buying.

The furniture industry has mastered the art of pushing regular customers kitchen features packed with professional-grade specifications from the commercial sector. Stone countertops in a private home—what a nonsense, who really chops bones there? Steam ovens at the Heinzens’ for hosting guests three times a year. And so on.
But if someone wants to spend that way, they are free to do so. However, please don’t claim that this is the only way it has to be, and that anything cheaper would be saving money in the wrong places.

At first, I thought our steam oven was totally over the top, but now it runs at least 3-4 times a week.

I would have chosen a stone countertop, but only out of convenience to be able to put a hot pot down anywhere. However, that alone was not enough reason for such an extra cost...

Müllerin schrieb:

to be able to place a hot pot anywhere

...which you actually don’t have with induction anyway. So you did everything right.