New Kitchen

Weve just had a small kitchen done by kosta kitchens ,we got other quotes and steve at kosta kitchens designed it to fit our budget .it even includes granite worktops which we thought would be a luxury out of our reach ,but Steve explained how they would be comparable to laminate and I'm so glad we went for them .Also going to their showroom was a great help in being able to envision what we would be getting 

Hi Juliestar

Thank you very much indeed for your comments.

We have heard of Kosta Kitchens so this is good to hear from a different source, we will defo get in touch with them to see what they can offer.

Many thanks for taking the time to contact us.

Regards

Derek and Jackie Smith

Kitchen plus in Torrevieja has a good reputation and  a showroom.  

I have just had a small kitchen installed and was surprised to find that some kitchen companies require 100% payment upfront in advance of installation and don’t always make this clear at the outset so worth checking before committing.  

Hi

Thanks for info, no one is having anything off me till its done!!!

Will look at Kitchen plus...

Regards

Derek and Jackie

If the company or person, installing the Kitchen are also providing the units then I think it would be very unusual for a deposit not to be required

LeckyLes

Staged payments are normal.  This is standard policy even in the UK so not sure why you would object to the same policy in Spain.  It is perfectly acceptable for any company undertaking building or improvement works on your property to ask you for a deposit (often 25%) when booking their services and then for the cost of materials (say another 50%) when they are ready to be delivered before the work starts.  The final payment is sometimes at the end of the job or may be sooner, depending on the company's policy.  They have to protect their own business against people who will refuse to pay for work done - and there are people out there who do, even if they are totally happy with the result.  What you need to ensure is that the company you are using has a good reputation and is fully legal in Spain, with appropriate insurance cover for the work they are undertaking.  You will be issued with receipts for all payments which show the company's CIF if they are operating legally.  

Hmmmmmm..

I just had a new kitchen fitted, paid for it and had it fitted but paid for fitting after the job was finished , not before..  A deposit I think is acceptable, up to 50% but under no circumstances would I pay anymore until job is completed, I have been " burned" before by giving staged payments and jobs not being completed.. This is also normal in the UK, and I am sure will be acceptable in Spain..

To clarify I was happy to pay a deposit before the new kitchen cupboards were ordered  but did not expect , nor had I been forewarned, that payment of 100% of the remaining  amount had to be paid   before work could start  on installing the kitchen.  It was a simple cupboard and worktop replacement, no building work involved .  Reluctantly I paid the full amount before work started but it left me no leverage to ensure that work was then completed to my satisfaction.   I would not have paid 100% upfront in the UK nor should I have done in Spain .  It is not standard practice in Spain. I only got two estimates for the work and the other kitchen company confirmed they would not have requested the final payment until after I had confirmed I was happy with the completed work.

If you are happy to pay fully in advance then fine. If not then check carefully what the payment terms are before committing 

Derek

I have installed many kitchens, as well as other flat-pack furniture etc in both the UK, Spain and the UAE.

The way I approach this matter is as follows:

I will provide a measure up and design service and happily align myself to the major kitchen providers, in this case IKEA (25 yr guarantee) and Leroy Merlin (I had a sink install recently that had a 75yr guarantee on it!!!) This means you get free view of the cost of all component parts PLUS the warranty is in your name AND you hold the original receipt. I will happily arrange collection and delivery to your home.

You can accompany me to make your choices or simply direct me to your preferences. Ideally you will make the purchase of the materials. I am not interested in making money out of the materials you purchase... why should I mark up these items and insult you?! IF you need to me make all the necessary purchases then I would expect you to pay me in advance of me making the purchase, which would be immediately supported with evidence of the purchase, both by producing the receipt and delivery of the items to your home.

My investment to this point has been some time and the benefit of my experience in helping you make design choices and other guidance as necessary. If at any point from here on in you are unhappy with anything, the kit is yours and you simply find another installer!

Trust is a massive part of my way of working.

Once the kitchen is installed and you are satisfied with the finish quality etc then you pay me my labour costs, any specific installation fixings, materials and tooling as required (over and above the expected tools for installation of course)

I am very upfront about my costs and I do not like to operate with surprises so I will keep you advised every step of the way.

What I would not consider doing is purchasing the kitchen and sundry materials myself, at any cost for you to either change your mind or have a disagreement about anything leaving me in a problem area with my money installed in your kitchen!

I believe this to be a fair and reasonable approach and something which I depend on for the trust to be built upon.

It is very common for an installer to ask for 50% upfront as some form of deposit. It is also very common for the installation cost of a kitchen to be the same as the purchase price of the kitchen items. For example, a £6K kitchen purchase would inherit a £6K installation fee, such is the way of working of many of the larger household names in the UK, a model specifically used by B&Q which is why I refused to work for them!

I hope you can see over and above a pitch for my services! It is hopefully a guide for you to assist you in choosing wisely.

My mantra though is 'buy cheap and buy twice' this can be the case when buying sub standard kitchen items, specifically carcasses (the main boxes) check like for like measurements and finish quality if someone offers you a 'too good to be true' quotation.

Hope it helps