Hello everyone,
As we are currently looking into buying a kitchen, we are interested in the fairness of the asking prices. Our experience so far has been that price reductions of 25-50% off the initial prices have sometimes been offered.
To get a better idea of what constitutes a reasonable price for a kitchen, rather than focusing on "how much of a discount can I negotiate," I would like to see a list of your kitchen purchases:
Manufacturer:
Kitchen studio:
Initial price:
Final price:
I hope this discussion will help readers by sharing real experiences, leading to a fair interaction at the kitchen showroom, without either party feeling like they have been taken advantage of.
Best regards,
Sascha aus H
As we are currently looking into buying a kitchen, we are interested in the fairness of the asking prices. Our experience so far has been that price reductions of 25-50% off the initial prices have sometimes been offered.
To get a better idea of what constitutes a reasonable price for a kitchen, rather than focusing on "how much of a discount can I negotiate," I would like to see a list of your kitchen purchases:
Manufacturer:
Kitchen studio:
Initial price:
Final price:
I hope this discussion will help readers by sharing real experiences, leading to a fair interaction at the kitchen showroom, without either party feeling like they have been taken advantage of.
Best regards,
Sascha aus H
R
R.Hotzenplotz2 Nov 2017 20:17[A quote from "77.willo, post: 230251, member: 28865"] A reliable supplier prints everything out and gives it to you to take home. In my case, the prices for appliances and countertops were listed separately. I found that quite transparent. [/quote]
You are probably most likely to find this kind of practice in smaller furniture stores rather than in large furniture retailers or big kitchen studio chains, right?
You are probably most likely to find this kind of practice in smaller furniture stores rather than in large furniture retailers or big kitchen studio chains, right?
We visited both the furniture store and the kitchen studio, which supposedly offer similarly fair prices. We ended up planning the kitchen exactly the same way, and the furniture store was about 3,000 EUR cheaper. We had already asked the kitchen studio for a discount, but there was no chance. We then canceled the order at the kitchen studio, but after a few days, they sent an improved offer by email, reducing the price by 2,000 EUR. It was still about 1,000 EUR more expensive, so the idea that kitchen studios always have fair prices didn’t hold true.
I would simply recommend recreating the kitchen exactly as it is at IKEA, but of course, replacing the IKEA appliances with proper ones (including a reputable supplier plus delivery and installation costs). Then you should add the assembly costs and extras like kitchen backsplash (a few square meters of tempered safety glass don’t come for free, including cutouts, etc.) and possibly the countertop.
Once you’ve calculated all of this, you can make a fair price comparison with IKEA, and in our case, the price difference was minimal. Not that we chose IKEA, but the fully lacquered kitchen at the furniture store ended up only marginally more expensive than the IKEA kitchen with foil finish. I believe the difference was under 10% in the end.
So, never buy an IKEA kitchen outright, but always include it as a price benchmark during planning.
I would simply recommend recreating the kitchen exactly as it is at IKEA, but of course, replacing the IKEA appliances with proper ones (including a reputable supplier plus delivery and installation costs). Then you should add the assembly costs and extras like kitchen backsplash (a few square meters of tempered safety glass don’t come for free, including cutouts, etc.) and possibly the countertop.
Once you’ve calculated all of this, you can make a fair price comparison with IKEA, and in our case, the price difference was minimal. Not that we chose IKEA, but the fully lacquered kitchen at the furniture store ended up only marginally more expensive than the IKEA kitchen with foil finish. I believe the difference was under 10% in the end.
So, never buy an IKEA kitchen outright, but always include it as a price benchmark during planning.
R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
You’re more likely to come across something like this in smaller furniture stores rather than in large furniture chains or big kitchen studios, right?In my case, it was Böhm Küchen in Potsdam. They are quite large but I don’t think they’re part of a chain. There wasn’t much of a discount either. When we were almost certain, they even added some types with LED lighting.
I also planned a similar kitchen with smart devices at IKEA to get an initial reference point.
Just a brief note on our experience with large houses, mid-range furniture stores, and a small kitchen studio:
About five years ago, we needed a new kitchen for a temporary apartment, including all appliances (sink, dishwasher, stove, fridge-freezer combo, extractor hood). It was very small and simple, with an absolute minimal budget. We already knew at that time that we were planning to build or buy later and probably wouldn’t take anything with us. We went through the usual odyssey, checking out everything from IKEA to premium furniture stores. The offers ranged from a showroom kitchen “as assembled in the store” for just over 1000€ (approx. $1100) in pure white, up to a premium model “usually 15,000€ (approx. $16,300), but because it’s you and the moon phase is right today” for just 9999€ (approx. $10,850).
In the end: a small local kitchen studio quoted 2500€ (approx. $2700) including installation. Appliances were budget line from Oranier, fridge from Electrolux, visually acceptable, and we bought it! The senior owner is a trained carpenter, his three sons have taken over—one is a carpenter, one an electrician, and one a businessman. Perfect fit...
For our house, we didn’t look anywhere else. Without mentioning our 15k€ (approx. $16,300) budget, we just made some rough calculations: lacquered fronts over 8 meters (26 feet) with a peninsula, mid-range appliances from AEG, drawers everywhere, a 90cm (35 inch) cooktop, ceramic sink, ducted hood. Price without negotiation was within budget (12,000€ / approx. $13,000), and they also integrated our old fridge. We had 2–3 minor defects, all of which were corrected, and yes, it’s not an absolute premium kitchen. But practical, functional, and visually a well-rounded solution. Therefore, a definite recommendation for such small family-run businesses.
About five years ago, we needed a new kitchen for a temporary apartment, including all appliances (sink, dishwasher, stove, fridge-freezer combo, extractor hood). It was very small and simple, with an absolute minimal budget. We already knew at that time that we were planning to build or buy later and probably wouldn’t take anything with us. We went through the usual odyssey, checking out everything from IKEA to premium furniture stores. The offers ranged from a showroom kitchen “as assembled in the store” for just over 1000€ (approx. $1100) in pure white, up to a premium model “usually 15,000€ (approx. $16,300), but because it’s you and the moon phase is right today” for just 9999€ (approx. $10,850).
In the end: a small local kitchen studio quoted 2500€ (approx. $2700) including installation. Appliances were budget line from Oranier, fridge from Electrolux, visually acceptable, and we bought it! The senior owner is a trained carpenter, his three sons have taken over—one is a carpenter, one an electrician, and one a businessman. Perfect fit...
For our house, we didn’t look anywhere else. Without mentioning our 15k€ (approx. $16,300) budget, we just made some rough calculations: lacquered fronts over 8 meters (26 feet) with a peninsula, mid-range appliances from AEG, drawers everywhere, a 90cm (35 inch) cooktop, ceramic sink, ducted hood. Price without negotiation was within budget (12,000€ / approx. $13,000), and they also integrated our old fridge. We had 2–3 minor defects, all of which were corrected, and yes, it’s not an absolute premium kitchen. But practical, functional, and visually a well-rounded solution. Therefore, a definite recommendation for such small family-run businesses.
Basically, comparing kitchens isn’t that difficult once you get the hang of it. The appliances are usually the same, and most manufacturers typically offer only one or two models that are really worth considering—for example, a fully integrated fridge-freezer combination with ice cube maker; Liebherr has exactly one model like that. You can easily find appliance prices online. Add about 50-100€ (about 55-110 USD) to the lowest online price, and you’ll get the price from your local kitchen specialist. Appliances are also the items where you’ll see the biggest discounts, since the difference between the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) and the actual selling price can be 60-70%, depending on the brand. The particleboard and cabinet fronts are discounted much less. Once you have the appliance prices, you can figure out how much money you’ll need to spend on the cabinet finishes, because the cabinet boxes themselves are almost always the same...
Support. Bosch Series 4 washing machine and dryer. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) 1700. Local electronics store 1000. MediaMarkt 900.
The additional cost for fronts is very transparent with IKEA Metod. You can even have fun comparing gloss versus matte finishes online on the same cabinet. The handles too.
A friend, an independent electrical master craftsman, often gets contracts for holiday apartments. Therefore, he also sells Nobilia kitchens to offer customers a complete renovation. According to him, the industry is at the level of carpet dealers. In studios and furniture stores, everything is done to prevent transparency and comparability and to charge exorbitant prices, which are then lowered with discount promises—but they still aren’t cheap. The tactic of presenting a very unsuitable kitchen, which almost no one would choose anyway, at 4000 complete and then marking it up to 10,000 with minor changes is unstoppable. His conclusion: the industry shouldn’t be surprised if more and more middle-class people, even those in their late sixties, turn to IKEA because they are tired of being treated the way most studios do. IKEA kitchen furniture isn’t even very cheap, just fairly priced. His Nobilia prices in the equity list are such that he can compete well with IKEA. His device purchase prices are also such that he’s not intimidated by retailers like Roller and others. The only problem is he doesn’t have staff for assembly and installation to expand further. The electrical trade is also fully booked.
The additional cost for fronts is very transparent with IKEA Metod. You can even have fun comparing gloss versus matte finishes online on the same cabinet. The handles too.
A friend, an independent electrical master craftsman, often gets contracts for holiday apartments. Therefore, he also sells Nobilia kitchens to offer customers a complete renovation. According to him, the industry is at the level of carpet dealers. In studios and furniture stores, everything is done to prevent transparency and comparability and to charge exorbitant prices, which are then lowered with discount promises—but they still aren’t cheap. The tactic of presenting a very unsuitable kitchen, which almost no one would choose anyway, at 4000 complete and then marking it up to 10,000 with minor changes is unstoppable. His conclusion: the industry shouldn’t be surprised if more and more middle-class people, even those in their late sixties, turn to IKEA because they are tired of being treated the way most studios do. IKEA kitchen furniture isn’t even very cheap, just fairly priced. His Nobilia prices in the equity list are such that he can compete well with IKEA. His device purchase prices are also such that he’s not intimidated by retailers like Roller and others. The only problem is he doesn’t have staff for assembly and installation to expand further. The electrical trade is also fully booked.
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