It’s the time of year when all the well-known home improvement retailers are advertising their sales for kitchens and other home improvements.  Whilst the headline prices they quote look attractive they are designed purely to draw you in before giving the unwary the whole story and final quote for the cost of that kitchen you thought would be a bargain.

To help you really make your mind up as to whether their kitchen offers are what they seem, here are our tips for the points you need to keep in mind:

• The 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
•  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 e.g. the design and fitting costs, the other trades required such as electricians, plumbers and plasterers etc that are required on virtually every job
• One of the major retailers even invites you to take your measurements to them for an instant quote.  Trust us, even being out a few millimetres at measurement stage can be critical – and expensive – farther down the line.  It’s definitely something you need doing by experts.
• And, if you do go with some of these companies, would you believe that many of them 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 may or may not be an expert in fitting kitchens (we’ve heard of one recently whose core business is fitting hot tubs!)
• 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 them that decide whether any snagging or other issues are covered within the price or more will need to be paid 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
• It’s also often the case that it’ll be you or the lead installer will have to find the other tradespeople required and be the project manager, ensuring they all arrive at the appointed time to ensure the job is completed in a properly managed, timely fashion.
• The quality of the furniture is often not what you might have hoped for given the investment you’re making in your home.  We’re happy to publish our furniture spec for you to compare what you’re getting for your money

Please don’t misunderstand us, we’re happy to compete with any retailer but we fundamentally 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.

For more information about Nicholas Hythe Kitchen Design Studio please go to www.nicholashythe.co.uk or telephone 01480 468598 or email us at info@nicholashythe.co.uk

For hundreds of pictures of kitchens we’ve installed for delighted clients please go to www.facebook.com/NicholasHytheKitchenDesignStudio