ᐅ Strategy for Buying a Kitchen / How to Negotiate Effectively?
Created on: 6 Aug 2020 16:47
S
Shiny86
I’ve started planning my kitchen and feel completely overwhelmed. It feels like being at a bazaar. Exactly what you see on TV shows happened to me. So far, I’ve visited 4 kitchen showrooms. I’m still waiting on the design and price from 2 of them. These are smaller studios, so I’m curious to see what they come up with.
But with the other two, it went exactly as expected. Twice I asked the manager for a discount, and it turned into a kind of show. The comments were laughable: “We can do it for price X, but then we won’t make any profit on you. The manager will probably want to talk to me about this.” Even after the second discount, I still felt like I was paying too much. Both salespeople set deadlines for me. One even said I had to sign the contract that same day.
I also don’t know how to negotiate smartly or what the right tactics are. I don’t really know the actual value of my kitchen. When does negotiating become unreasonable? How do you know for sure when there’s no more room to negotiate? Are there actually people who don’t negotiate at all and just accept the first offered discount? I’ve wondered about that too. It’s a shame I don’t know any kitchen salesperson personally to get insider tips.
Since I have a lot of expensive requests, I feel almost ridiculous setting my budget too low. The problem is that I can’t compare apples to apples because my kitchen concept has changed with every planning appointment. In my small town, I’ve now visited all the studios except for Roller. There are still studios in neighboring towns, but I already feel like I won’t have a kitchen even after visiting 5 more showrooms.
Nearly all plans are for a Nobilia kitchen, coming to around 20,000 euros (about $22,000), or even more if I include my latest wishes. I’ve asked if I should buy the appliances myself to save money, but I was advised against it. They said they wouldn’t install them due to warranty reasons.
What price would you set if you were in my position? And please share how you got your kitchen and how you negotiated.
My requirements are:
- A tall cabinet row with 6 cabinets, each 60cm (24 inches) wide, boxed in drywall. Two of these should be pantry cabinets with pull-out shelves, and the other 4 will house appliances.
- A kitchen peninsula about 1.2m (4 feet) wide and approximately 3.10m (10 feet) long, with drawers on both sides only.
- I want quite high-end appliances, probably Bosch Series 8 black Carbon Accent line, likely including an oven with microwave, a combi-steam oven, and a built-in coffee machine.
- Cooktop with an integrated downdraft vent, recirculating air, flush-mounted (Bosch Series 8 has been planned so far, but I don’t know how good the cooktop is).
- Very quiet dishwasher, brand doesn’t matter (Bosch and Neff have been suggested so far).
- Refrigerator inside a tall cabinet with 2 bio-fresh drawers, brand doesn’t matter (Liebherr and Bosch have been suggested).
- Ceramic countertop
- Undermount ceramic sink
I don’t want to spend more than necessary. But I realize I probably won’t get everything for 15,000 euros (about $16,500).
How should I proceed?
But with the other two, it went exactly as expected. Twice I asked the manager for a discount, and it turned into a kind of show. The comments were laughable: “We can do it for price X, but then we won’t make any profit on you. The manager will probably want to talk to me about this.” Even after the second discount, I still felt like I was paying too much. Both salespeople set deadlines for me. One even said I had to sign the contract that same day.
I also don’t know how to negotiate smartly or what the right tactics are. I don’t really know the actual value of my kitchen. When does negotiating become unreasonable? How do you know for sure when there’s no more room to negotiate? Are there actually people who don’t negotiate at all and just accept the first offered discount? I’ve wondered about that too. It’s a shame I don’t know any kitchen salesperson personally to get insider tips.
Since I have a lot of expensive requests, I feel almost ridiculous setting my budget too low. The problem is that I can’t compare apples to apples because my kitchen concept has changed with every planning appointment. In my small town, I’ve now visited all the studios except for Roller. There are still studios in neighboring towns, but I already feel like I won’t have a kitchen even after visiting 5 more showrooms.
Nearly all plans are for a Nobilia kitchen, coming to around 20,000 euros (about $22,000), or even more if I include my latest wishes. I’ve asked if I should buy the appliances myself to save money, but I was advised against it. They said they wouldn’t install them due to warranty reasons.
What price would you set if you were in my position? And please share how you got your kitchen and how you negotiated.
My requirements are:
- A tall cabinet row with 6 cabinets, each 60cm (24 inches) wide, boxed in drywall. Two of these should be pantry cabinets with pull-out shelves, and the other 4 will house appliances.
- A kitchen peninsula about 1.2m (4 feet) wide and approximately 3.10m (10 feet) long, with drawers on both sides only.
- I want quite high-end appliances, probably Bosch Series 8 black Carbon Accent line, likely including an oven with microwave, a combi-steam oven, and a built-in coffee machine.
- Cooktop with an integrated downdraft vent, recirculating air, flush-mounted (Bosch Series 8 has been planned so far, but I don’t know how good the cooktop is).
- Very quiet dishwasher, brand doesn’t matter (Bosch and Neff have been suggested so far).
- Refrigerator inside a tall cabinet with 2 bio-fresh drawers, brand doesn’t matter (Liebherr and Bosch have been suggested).
- Ceramic countertop
- Undermount ceramic sink
I don’t want to spend more than necessary. But I realize I probably won’t get everything for 15,000 euros (about $16,500).
How should I proceed?
Y
Ypsi aus NI4 Sep 2020 14:04You don’t just visit kitchen showrooms to find out the best price. Every salesperson is different and offers new or different ideas for the kitchen!
Kitchens could also be much more affordable if kitchen showrooms provided proper advice instead of applying such annoying price negotiation tactics.
Kitchen salespeople nowadays are as „trustworthy“ as insurance brokers.
Kitchens could also be much more affordable if kitchen showrooms provided proper advice instead of applying such annoying price negotiation tactics.
Kitchen salespeople nowadays are as „trustworthy“ as insurance brokers.
Are you serious?
You can save your rude comments.
I haven’t even been planning the kitchen lately, definitely not for about a month.
I’m not planning just to compare prices, but because I haven’t been 100% satisfied with any of the plans so far. The Kuhlmann kitchen plan is simply not an option because I want to purchase appliances along with the kitchen.
I want to consider a new manufacturer because having black edges is important to me. So far, all of them have planned Nobilia kitchens with me, and no one pointed out that the edges are not black there.
So I haven’t found the right manufacturer for me yet. I already told the salesperson today that the kitchen has already been planned and shared the plan with him, so he can prepare faster and spend less time on it.
You can save your rude comments.
I haven’t even been planning the kitchen lately, definitely not for about a month.
I’m not planning just to compare prices, but because I haven’t been 100% satisfied with any of the plans so far. The Kuhlmann kitchen plan is simply not an option because I want to purchase appliances along with the kitchen.
I want to consider a new manufacturer because having black edges is important to me. So far, all of them have planned Nobilia kitchens with me, and no one pointed out that the edges are not black there.
So I haven’t found the right manufacturer for me yet. I already told the salesperson today that the kitchen has already been planned and shared the plan with him, so he can prepare faster and spend less time on it.
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Alessandro4 Sep 2020 14:41This wasn’t about the planning, dear @Shiny86!
My comment referred to the kitchen appliances, where you’re going back and forth about whether to install them yourself, have the carpenter do it, or the kitchen fitter, and so on.
That’s nitpicking and actually harmful to business.
It’s like getting advice in an electronics store for a new TV and then buying it cheaper online.
And all over a few hundred euros...
My comment referred to the kitchen appliances, where you’re going back and forth about whether to install them yourself, have the carpenter do it, or the kitchen fitter, and so on.
That’s nitpicking and actually harmful to business.
It’s like getting advice in an electronics store for a new TV and then buying it cheaper online.
And all over a few hundred euros...
Shiny86 schrieb:
What do you think about buying a kitchen completely without appliances and getting everything yourself?
Shiny86 schrieb:
Can you get all the appliances you want? I have the impression that some cooktops with downdraft extractors can’t be ordered cheaply online yourself?
Which appliances are you choosing and where are you sourcing them from?
Shiny86 schrieb:
Actually, I don’t want to buy the appliances separately. That annoys me again.
Shiny86 schrieb:
I would do it if it’s worth it. But I have no idea if the price of wood is good right now.
I need to google that. Are there maybe former kitchen salespeople who started their own business and help with price negotiations? I would like to book such a service.
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Alessandro4 Sep 2020 15:00Shiny86 schrieb:
I’m still searching.
I just received the transparent quote from the local kitchen retailer.
Kitchen cabinets 12,600
Ceramic countertop 5,400
Sink, faucet, and accessories like the waste system will be additional.
He says it will be cheaper if I buy the appliances myself. For a flat fee of 200 euros, he will install them.
Originally, I wanted a design line for the two ovens—the Black Carbon Accent Line by Bosch. Apparently, this is only available through kitchen studios or online only at the recommended retail price.
Now I can’t assess the cabinet price. I don’t know if it’s reasonable or if he added a markup on the wood since I’m buying the appliances myself.
I find it a bit stressful to buy the appliances on my own, and that means I’m giving up the design line.
I wonder if I would do just as well if someone charged less for the wood but made a higher profit on the appliances, so in the end, I’d pay the same final price but get better appliances while paying less for the cabinets.
Does anyone have advice or can estimate the cabinet price?
Is 12,600 euros purely for the cabinets expensive?
It’s not a premium brand, more mid-range I think.
We’re talking about six tall cabinets, each 60cm (24 inches) wide. Two of them for ovens, a fridge-freezer combo, and three pantry cabinets with pull-out drawers—all handleless.
Plus cabinets for a 3.10 x 1.20 m (10 ft 2 in x 3 ft 11 in) island.
If this price for the cabinets is normal, then the offer is interesting. Here’s another impressive list of questions and pricing research.
Honestly: do you think 12,600 euros for some particleboard, hinges, runners, etc., is fair? I find it quite expensive considering you could buy a car for that! But what good is that if this is simply the price being asked for whatever reason?
What are you hoping to find out? How much margin the studio makes on the cabinets, how much on appliances or drawer inserts?
You want the best appliances, the best features (ceramic countertop), the best advice, all at the best price.
Doesn’t it really not matter if you pay 1,000 euros more or less here as long as you’re happy and feel well looked after?
I’d go crazy…
Alessandro schrieb:
This wasn’t about the planning, dear @Shiny86!Yes, it was. You accused me of wasting the sellers’ time. And so far, I haven’t done that because there simply isn’t a kitchen I like yet. I didn’t know beforehand that Nobilia wasn’t for me, and I also didn’t realize that one dealer only wants to sell me the wood. I’m just looking for a well-designed kitchen with all the appliances at a fair price. I won’t compare apples to apples because I’ve realized that it’s not possible. Each dealer works with different brands. Not all of them offer, for example, Bora, Lechner, or Schüller. I know in my head how the kitchen should look. Now I just need a studio that can build the kitchen with the desired brands at a fair price. I have developed a sense of pricing by now. And since I’m knowledgeable about the topic, I also notice better when someone tries to cut corners on my kitchen.
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pffreestyler8 Sep 2020 09:15Sorry @Alessandro, but your posts come across as a bit arrogant. "What’s a few hundred or thousand euros?" I understand your intention, but not everyone is as financially comfortable as you.
Besides, the furniture industry, including kitchen retailers, doesn’t really deserve any better in my opinion. They are so non-transparent that I always feel taken advantage of. Our kitchen from Schüller was priced at €22,000 (about $23,500) before block discounting, then €14,000 (about $14,900). After three rounds of negotiation, with the manager joining the last meeting, we finally settled on €8,950 (about $9,500). And I’m usually not good at negotiating; I always feel awkward doing it. I bet they still made a decent profit from me, which is basically fine.
When I see those sales at furniture stores advertising discounts between 25% and 75%, it’s a joke. It suggests amazing deals but those prices are often the regular prices. For example, we were looking at a kitchen bench that was priced at €250 (about $265) three months ago with a 40% discount, and now it’s listed at €444 (about $470) with a 60% discount. These are not isolated cases. Sorry, but I feel ripped off and therefore compare prices carefully and order online if necessary. In my opinion, the industry should stop misleading customers and simply state the regular prices upfront. That would also reduce online purchasing somewhat, I’m sure of it. But that won’t happen because there will always be people like you who, without questioning, are willing to pay. "What’s a few hundred or thousand euros?" That’s great for those who can afford it, and they probably do get a lot in return, but there is also the other side of the coin.
Besides, the furniture industry, including kitchen retailers, doesn’t really deserve any better in my opinion. They are so non-transparent that I always feel taken advantage of. Our kitchen from Schüller was priced at €22,000 (about $23,500) before block discounting, then €14,000 (about $14,900). After three rounds of negotiation, with the manager joining the last meeting, we finally settled on €8,950 (about $9,500). And I’m usually not good at negotiating; I always feel awkward doing it. I bet they still made a decent profit from me, which is basically fine.
When I see those sales at furniture stores advertising discounts between 25% and 75%, it’s a joke. It suggests amazing deals but those prices are often the regular prices. For example, we were looking at a kitchen bench that was priced at €250 (about $265) three months ago with a 40% discount, and now it’s listed at €444 (about $470) with a 60% discount. These are not isolated cases. Sorry, but I feel ripped off and therefore compare prices carefully and order online if necessary. In my opinion, the industry should stop misleading customers and simply state the regular prices upfront. That would also reduce online purchasing somewhat, I’m sure of it. But that won’t happen because there will always be people like you who, without questioning, are willing to pay. "What’s a few hundred or thousand euros?" That’s great for those who can afford it, and they probably do get a lot in return, but there is also the other side of the coin.