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?
P
pagoni20207 Aug 2020 12:34Alessandro schrieb:
What else should it be about if not the lowest price?No, it’s about a fair price that even I as a customer can understand. I remember quite a heated price discussion from you regarding the price/performance of your electrical work...- Alessandro schrieb:
That’s why I don’t understand the “wisdom” you keep sharing....there can be several reasons for that. I’m not “selling” wisdom here, but just explaining my opinion on the topic and my very own way of dealing with it.
But if someone regards my words as “wisdom,” then I would take that as a compliment-
Alessandro schrieb:
It almost reads like opening Pandora’s box or that the salesperson wants to trick you as soon as you enter a kitchen showroom, so you absolutely must read a 300-page book to avoid falling into that trap.Have you ever heard of the “Four-Sides Model” in communication? Surely! Perhaps that explains why you perceive something differently from what I was trying to convey. Also, general caution (not general mistrust!) when making a purchase should not be portrayed as foolishness. I don’t think you carried out your home building contracts without critically questioning them or having unclear points explained. And if something didn’t suit you, you chose differently. So, what’s the problem?
Alessandro schrieb:
When I read what @Shiny86 listed as wishes and that the offers are all around 20,000,-, I don’t understand what else one could expect?Neither you nor I have to “expect” anything there. The original poster is just beginning their considerations and, like you and me, has wishes and ideas that will gradually lead to a suitable compromise. How was it again with the wisdom? Alessandro schrieb:
But you can surely explain that to meNo, apparently not- If you really re-read it carefully, you would see that people here simply share their own experiences and opinions regarding what they have been through; no one is spreading wisdom here except maybe the one who wants to label others who think or act differently as fools using silly restaurant comparisons.
face26 schrieb:
Interesting thread, especially to read about the experiences of others.That’s exactly the interesting part here; otherwise, I could just continue reading my memoirs-Alessandro schrieb:
What else should it be about if not the lowest price?
That’s why I don’t understand the advice you’re giving. It almost sounds as if entering a kitchen showroom is like opening Pandora’s box or that the salesperson is trying to trick you, so you absolutely have to read a 300-page manual to avoid falling into a trap.
When I read the list of requests that @Shiny86 provided and see that the offers are all around 20,000 (US dollars), I don’t understand what else you could expect?
But I’m sure you can explain that to me. Well, if you really believe that everyone who walks into a kitchen showroom with no knowledge is optimally advised and immediately offered the best value-for-money options—ones the salesperson actually earns the least on—then you really are out of touch, especially when it comes to this industry.
We even took the liberty to visit a showroom twice: once completely uninformed, and once with significantly more knowledge. The difference was simply incredible... Ultimately, as I have already mentioned, everyone has to decide for themselves whether they want to invest the effort to learn about the subject, as it naturally requires time and energy. Saying that everything is already perfect and that there’s no room for improvement regarding value for money, quality, or simply finding options that better suit your needs is simply not true.
A
Alessandro7 Aug 2020 12:46My comparisons, which you dismiss as silly, are simplified examples using different products.
That’s why I asked at the beginning what kind of unclear pricing structures we are talking about here.
The pricing of such kitchens and the profit margins of individual stores depend on so many factors that one shop may add more while another adds less, even if they come from the same manufacturer.
Long consultation hours with potential customers who eventually don’t buy also need to be taken into account.
Of course, I questioned many things during my house construction, but in the end, you have to pay the market price, even if it seems overpriced, because you eventually need things like a kitchen, bathroom, or toilet, and you don’t have unlimited time to shop around. It’s similar to financing.
This topic could be settled with the answer, “Get several offers and compare apples to apples,” but apparently, it’s about more than that here...
The comparison with the dispute between me and the electrician does not fit at all, because that was about something completely different.
That’s why I asked at the beginning what kind of unclear pricing structures we are talking about here.
The pricing of such kitchens and the profit margins of individual stores depend on so many factors that one shop may add more while another adds less, even if they come from the same manufacturer.
Long consultation hours with potential customers who eventually don’t buy also need to be taken into account.
Of course, I questioned many things during my house construction, but in the end, you have to pay the market price, even if it seems overpriced, because you eventually need things like a kitchen, bathroom, or toilet, and you don’t have unlimited time to shop around. It’s similar to financing.
This topic could be settled with the answer, “Get several offers and compare apples to apples,” but apparently, it’s about more than that here...
The comparison with the dispute between me and the electrician does not fit at all, because that was about something completely different.
A
Alessandro7 Aug 2020 12:51exto1791 schrieb:
If you truly believe that everyone who walks into a kitchen showroom without any knowledge is given the absolute best advice and immediately offered the best value-for-money models that earn the salesperson the least, then you are really out of touch, especially when it comes to this industry Since neither you nor I are out of touch, you surely also know that not every showroom can offer everything, as not all of them carry all brands. That’s why it’s always necessary to compare several offers from the same manufacturer.
Alessandro schrieb:
My comparisons, which you dismiss as silly, are simplified examples using different products.
That’s why I asked at the beginning what kind of unclear pricing structures we are talking about here.
The pricing of such kitchens and the profit margins of individual stores depend on so many factors that some add more and others less, even if they use the same manufacturer.
Hours of consultation with potential customers who ultimately don’t buy also have to be factored in.
Of course, I questioned many things during my house build, but in the end, you have to pay the market price, even if it seems overpriced, because you eventually need things like a kitchen, bathroom, toilet, etc., and you can’t spend forever researching. Similar to financing.
This topic could be settled with the answer “get several quotes and compare apples to apples,” but apparently it’s about more than that…
The comparison with the dispute between me and the electrician doesn’t fit here at all because that was about something completely different. No, the point is simply that the pricing is completely non-transparent unless you delve into it properly, request the right documents (which you rarely get at the start), and really compare apples to apples. A Nobilia kitchen is not just a Nobilia kitchen… Trust me, read the book and you’ll understand what I—and maybe some others here—are talking about.
When building a house, I can quite easily compare the building specifications and scopes of work and know exactly what I’m committing to, but with a kitchen, it actually gets much more complicated…