ᐅ New Bathrooms: Bathroom Studios, Intermediaries, and Inflated Prices
Created on: 5 Aug 2024 19:26
P
Partylöwe
I am renovating a small historic townhouse and am trying to understand the construction industry. It somehow still seems to operate as if the internet doesn’t exist, with workflows, lack of transparency, and shady dealings.
At the moment, I am still waiting for a quote for furniture and ceramics, but I expect the price to be about 1.5 to 2 times higher than what I would pay ordering individually from common suppliers. What I find especially strange is that even if I do the installation myself, I won’t receive the quote directly from the showroom, but there will always be a plumber involved. This plumber will add their margin to the prices when issuing an invoice. At least that’s how I understand it.
I will definitely have a plumber install the pipes and water fixtures, as well as the heating system and possibly a ventilation system. But is there any good reason not to order the toilet, furniture, and other parts directly?
The showroom says, "but then you don’t have a warranty." I have the normal statutory warranty on these parts. If I assemble the furniture myself, screw it to the wall, and connect the water to the faucet, I will not have a warranty on the tightness. If I drop the toilet, I have to pay for it myself. That is clear to me. But beyond that, is "warranty" something I should really worry about?
At the moment, I am still waiting for a quote for furniture and ceramics, but I expect the price to be about 1.5 to 2 times higher than what I would pay ordering individually from common suppliers. What I find especially strange is that even if I do the installation myself, I won’t receive the quote directly from the showroom, but there will always be a plumber involved. This plumber will add their margin to the prices when issuing an invoice. At least that’s how I understand it.
I will definitely have a plumber install the pipes and water fixtures, as well as the heating system and possibly a ventilation system. But is there any good reason not to order the toilet, furniture, and other parts directly?
The showroom says, "but then you don’t have a warranty." I have the normal statutory warranty on these parts. If I assemble the furniture myself, screw it to the wall, and connect the water to the faucet, I will not have a warranty on the tightness. If I drop the toilet, I have to pay for it myself. That is clear to me. But beyond that, is "warranty" something I should really worry about?
Well, then just don’t get involved in that.
I also connected the washbasins and kitchen myself.
I didn’t install the toilets, as I didn’t feel confident doing it back then, but today I would do it myself after spending over 800 EUR on each toilet, which didn’t improve my bowel movements...
You can transfer a hundred to the studio if you want.
I also connected the washbasins and kitchen myself.
I didn’t install the toilets, as I didn’t feel confident doing it back then, but today I would do it myself after spending over 800 EUR on each toilet, which didn’t improve my bowel movements...
You can transfer a hundred to the studio if you want.
Partylöwe schrieb:
That misses the point. I can get exactly the same models from well-known manufacturers at Reuter and similar suppliers that were also available at the studio. If I order them like this, the current costs come to around 11,000 euros (about 12,000 USD), and the dealers still include their margin. That’s quite a bit less than the 20,000 euro (about 22,000 USD) figure quoted by the studio through an intermediary company, which doesn’t even include additional services beyond ceramics, fittings, and furniture.I don’t follow your reasoning. Why don’t you just order from Reuter, hardware stores, and so on now?B
Bertram1007 Aug 2024 18:58Partylöwe schrieb:
If you see your TV at MediaMarkt for 1000 euros and can get it online for 800 euros, you’d buy it online too. Not necessarily. That might seem obvious to you, but not to everyone. After all, dealers and installers also have expenses. From a societal perspective, it’s probably not helpful if everyone only goes for the cheapest option and disparages all the intermediaries involved.
There are certainly profiteers in the industry, but they are not the majority. I find it unfortunate that you approach this issue so negatively and also somewhat inaccurately or incompletely. Plumbing supplies need to be stored, transported, paid for in advance, installed, and come with a warranty. This is a bit more than just comparing online prices.
I’d say just build your house yourself. Then you can order everything you want online directly. Or visit a local plumbing retailer, who also serves private customers.
J
jokersmile7 Aug 2024 20:48Plumbers often purchase materials from their local wholesaler at prices higher than those available online. This is justified because a lot of service is included, which the wholesaler naturally charges for. (For example, up to two delivery rounds per day, orders placed by 10:00 am with delivery by 1:00 pm, uncomplicated returns for stocked items, direct contact person, etc.) If the plumber only sells the materials (without installation), they will, of course, want to make some profit to cover their effort, which results in material costs about 25-35% higher than the cheapest online options.
The situation is different when the materials are also installed. Although the hourly wages charged on construction sites are generally sufficient to live on, if the plumber also wants to make a profit, it has to come from somewhere. Therefore, the profit is generated through the sales of the materials. The alternative would be hourly rates in the triple digits, as is the case in the automotive trade, where this apparently no longer concerns anyone. In that case, materials could be sold at relatively transparent prices, but nobody really wants that either.
The situation is different when the materials are also installed. Although the hourly wages charged on construction sites are generally sufficient to live on, if the plumber also wants to make a profit, it has to come from somewhere. Therefore, the profit is generated through the sales of the materials. The alternative would be hourly rates in the triple digits, as is the case in the automotive trade, where this apparently no longer concerns anyone. In that case, materials could be sold at relatively transparent prices, but nobody really wants that either.