ᐅ Purchase Bathroom Fixtures Yourself and Include Them in Your Home Loan Financing
Created on: 10 Jan 2018 13:44
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DanielaSHello everyone,
we are about to start building our new house. One of the first steps was visiting a bathroom showroom, after which we received a quote for €11,000 over the original offer from the plumbing company. The fact is, the initial quote for both bathrooms was only €2,500, which is obviously completely unrealistic. On top of that, we chose very expensive sanitary fixtures and furniture. We confronted the plumbing company a bit because it’s really unfair to submit such low quotes and put the homeowners in a difficult position—especially since we didn’t have a detailed breakdown of the first offer and simply didn’t know better.
In the end, we agreed with the plumbing company that we will purchase all the faucets, bathroom furniture, etc., ourselves, and they will install everything for an hourly rate, or we might even do it ourselves in the end. This results in a total saving of about €3,000 to €4,000, which is quite significant.
My question now is: since I have to submit all invoices to our financing bank, can I include an invoice from, for example, Reuter.de? I think it should be possible, but I haven’t been able to find clear information online. This would be for faucets, sanitary fixtures, bathroom furniture, etc.
Thanks for your help.
Daniela
we are about to start building our new house. One of the first steps was visiting a bathroom showroom, after which we received a quote for €11,000 over the original offer from the plumbing company. The fact is, the initial quote for both bathrooms was only €2,500, which is obviously completely unrealistic. On top of that, we chose very expensive sanitary fixtures and furniture. We confronted the plumbing company a bit because it’s really unfair to submit such low quotes and put the homeowners in a difficult position—especially since we didn’t have a detailed breakdown of the first offer and simply didn’t know better.
In the end, we agreed with the plumbing company that we will purchase all the faucets, bathroom furniture, etc., ourselves, and they will install everything for an hourly rate, or we might even do it ourselves in the end. This results in a total saving of about €3,000 to €4,000, which is quite significant.
My question now is: since I have to submit all invoices to our financing bank, can I include an invoice from, for example, Reuter.de? I think it should be possible, but I haven’t been able to find clear information online. This would be for faucets, sanitary fixtures, bathroom furniture, etc.
Thanks for your help.
Daniela
For us, even though it was the purchase of an existing property with renovation, it wasn’t a problem. Why should it be? Whether you buy the materials through the plumber or from a retailer like Reuter probably doesn’t matter to the bank.
However, I wonder if you really come out cheaper in the end if the plumber installs everything for you at an hourly rate. Basically, €11,000 (around $12,000) for two bathrooms (depending on size and what is included) doesn’t seem excessive to me. On the other hand, the €2,500 (around $2,700) figure was clearly unrealistic from the start.
But basically, if you’re not unskilled, you can do this kind of work yourself in a DIY setting. You just need to be careful in a few areas; for example, there are toilets that are very easy to install and others that even professionals find frustrating.
However, I wonder if you really come out cheaper in the end if the plumber installs everything for you at an hourly rate. Basically, €11,000 (around $12,000) for two bathrooms (depending on size and what is included) doesn’t seem excessive to me. On the other hand, the €2,500 (around $2,700) figure was clearly unrealistic from the start.
But basically, if you’re not unskilled, you can do this kind of work yourself in a DIY setting. You just need to be careful in a few areas; for example, there are toilets that are very easy to install and others that even professionals find frustrating.
@cschiko thanks for your reply. Yes, we have calculated it, and it definitely makes a difference if we buy the materials ourselves and then have them installed. The hourly rate is €44, but not every task takes a full hour. We have now made a realistic estimate. Also, I have an uncle who is a heating and plumbing installer and can help us with the electrical work as well.
In principle, €11,000 for the two bathrooms is acceptable, but since we only borrowed €5,500 (with some buffer) from the bank, we have to see how it goes. It turned out quite badly, but we are still saving a lot this way. And the furniture and fixtures we have chosen are still very nice and of good quality.
In principle, €11,000 for the two bathrooms is acceptable, but since we only borrowed €5,500 (with some buffer) from the bank, we have to see how it goes. It turned out quite badly, but we are still saving a lot this way. And the furniture and fixtures we have chosen are still very nice and of good quality.
As mentioned, many things can definitely be well done by EL! As a tip regarding the mentioned toilets, I would choose one that is not fully enclosed on the sides, so the mounting brackets are accessible. This makes installation much easier! For bathroom furniture, you can find very good options at Ikea; in my opinion, the Godmorgon series is of very good quality.
What exactly does your budget of €5,500 (about $6,000) include in the end? Does it cover the entire bathroom renovation, meaning plumbing, heating, possibly pre-wall installation systems, tiles, and fixtures? Or what exactly needs to be covered with that amount?
What exactly does your budget of €5,500 (about $6,000) include in the end? Does it cover the entire bathroom renovation, meaning plumbing, heating, possibly pre-wall installation systems, tiles, and fixtures? Or what exactly needs to be covered with that amount?
Just an idea:
1) Local specialist retailer (one of the large wholesale chains): 16,000 euros, probably list prices
2) Large local specialist retailer (independent, not part of a chain) for mostly the same items, with some equivalent substitutes in places: 10,000 euros
3) Small local plumbing and HVAC specialist retailer (family business) for exactly the same items as 2, except for the shower enclosure and mirror cabinet: 8,500 euros
All prices are material only, delivered to the construction site. Installation by the plumbing contractor was extra. The downside of option 3 was that they were 90 km (56 miles) away, and I had to go there twice to exchange the large washbasin due to an incorrect order. The rest was shipped directly from the supplier who also delivers to local tradespeople. Therefore, logistics were fairly “standard,” despite the distance. Another positive aspect was that the basin exchange was due to our mistake, yet it was done free of charge. We had simply carried the wrong manufacturer’s item number through all the quotes from the beginning, and no one noticed.
Oh, and by the way... we had no special relationship with any of the suppliers. For option 3, we had previously bought drain pipes worth 300 euros and knew they existed.
1) Local specialist retailer (one of the large wholesale chains): 16,000 euros, probably list prices
2) Large local specialist retailer (independent, not part of a chain) for mostly the same items, with some equivalent substitutes in places: 10,000 euros
3) Small local plumbing and HVAC specialist retailer (family business) for exactly the same items as 2, except for the shower enclosure and mirror cabinet: 8,500 euros
All prices are material only, delivered to the construction site. Installation by the plumbing contractor was extra. The downside of option 3 was that they were 90 km (56 miles) away, and I had to go there twice to exchange the large washbasin due to an incorrect order. The rest was shipped directly from the supplier who also delivers to local tradespeople. Therefore, logistics were fairly “standard,” despite the distance. Another positive aspect was that the basin exchange was due to our mistake, yet it was done free of charge. We had simply carried the wrong manufacturer’s item number through all the quotes from the beginning, and no one noticed.
Oh, and by the way... we had no special relationship with any of the suppliers. For option 3, we had previously bought drain pipes worth 300 euros and knew they existed.
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