As is traditional at this time of year, a number of retailers are advertising their kitchen sales.  ’Free this…’, ‘lower price on that’, ‘free fitting…But, are those kitchen sales prices what they seem?

Whilst the headline prices they quote may look attractive. But they are designed purely to draw you in before giving the whole story and final quote.  Suddenly, the budget you had in mind based on the advertised kitchen sales prices bears no relation to the true cost

Please don’t misunderstand us, we’re happy to compete like-for-like with any retailer, local or national.  However, we believe you should have the whole picture – and price – up front.  And not until after you’ve been enticed by figures that will, ultimately, bear no relation to the final price you’ll pay.

Here are our 9 tips for the points you need to keep in mind:

The pricing:

1. The ‘mega discounts’ being offered are usually only on the furniture and not all the other elements of having a new kitchen designed and installed.  By the time you’ve added the costs for the appliances, worktops, fitting, the other trades required such as electricians, plumbers and plasterers etc that are required on virtually every job.  The true cost is much higher than that quoted
2. The kitchen sale prices being offered are usually on only a few of their ranges, and likely to be ones that are taking up room in their warehouses or soon to be discontinued by the manufacturer
3. Often, before they’ll even contact the installer, it’s likely you’ll have had to pay 100% of the cost upfront or contract with the fitting company separately. As a result, it will be they who decide whether any snagging or other issues are covered within the price.  Or, more likely, whether you will need to pay more to have the job completed to your satisfaction. From what we’ve learned from clients, minor issues often need referring back by the installer with the inevitable delays that that can bring.  We don’t even take the final payment until you’re entirely satisfied with the job we’ve done

The quality:

1. The quality of their furniture is often not what you might have hoped for given the investment you’re making in your home. So confident are we in the quality of our furniture that we publish the specifications we insist upon so clients can compare like-for-like with any of our competitors.
2. Their kitchens aren’t bespoke manufactured to the specifics of your room. They’re supplied off the shelf and require significant fettling – or compromises made – to make them fit properly

The service:

1. Some of the major retailers will invite you to take your measurements to them for an instant quote. Over lockdown we considered this as an option before discarding it.  Why?  Trust us, even being out a few millimetres at measurement stage can be critical – and expensive – farther down the line. Plastering alone can make a crucial difference to dimensions.  And, if they’re not rechecked by an expert, the fitting of a worktop can become an expensive nightmare.  It’s definitely something you need doing by experts.
2. And, if you do go with some of these companies, many don’t want the hassle involved with installing your kitchen. Once you’ve paid for it they hand the job over to a third-party company who are unlikely to be experts in fitting kitchens.  This will, inevitably, result in a poorer standard of finish.  We have a small pool of contractors that we use on every job.  They know us and how our kitchens fit.  They will also have been fully briefed by the designer and project manager prior to starting and throughout the installation
3. It’s likely you or the lead installer will have to find the other tradespeople required.  It’s often the case that you’ll be expected to be the project manager. Ensuring they all arrive on the correct days at the appointed times to ensure the job is completed in a properly managed, timely fashion. With social distancing now critical, having different contractors turn up at the same time just can’t happen. We never do this; full end to end kitchen project management for installing a new kitchen is complex, which is why it’s rarely found among kitchen design companies large or small.

The safety:

1. Safety, always overlooked in the excitement of having a new kitchen installed.  Unless you’re an expert can you be sure the work’s being undertaken safely?  The measures we implement are detailed here

Inspired?

At Nicholas Hythe, our aim is to make the property renovation process as simple, efficient, safe and stress free for clients wanting to improve their family’s home. So, if you’re inspired and ready to start the process of buying a new kitchen, start thinking about what it might look like and how you want to use it. Ask yourself, what do you need and want for it to function for you and your family?  If you need help on deciding what style to go for, check out kitchen designs that never go out of style. Advice and design ideas are also found all over the Web, including Nicholas Hythe kitchen pictures gallery, our entire picture library and customer reviews on Google, and many other sites such as Pinterest, Houzz. Or check out our social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

Then when you’re ready, why not book an appointment with us, free and with no-obligation?