Why should I buy from an Independent Kitchen studio

Why should I buy from an Independent Kitchen-Bedroom design studio over a National DIY chain or a National company with Kitchen – Bedroom showrooms?

As the Co-owner of Millcraft responsible for design and customer service it is fair to say I will be biased when it comes to answering the above question however I am going to answer it any way as it is a question I am asked on a regular basis what can we offer that they can not, and are we as good value for money.

It is without doubt evident that since the recession buying habits have changed and customers who would normally never consider an MFI type kitchen are doing the rounds with the likes of B&Q and Wicks.  The reason for this is because it is going to cost them less, isn’t it?

Here are a number of reasons I strongly believe that an independent is better value for money than buying from a national multiple.

Independent service

1.  After meeting the customer in the showroom for the first time and going through a number of ideas to ascertain an agreed style for the room an appointment is booked for me to visit the home and measure the space getting a feel for the room dynamics and the clients lifestyle.  This is my business and I do not earn a penny from this service.  A design survey can take upto 2 hours just formulating ideas which I take back to the showroom.

When I design a kitchen it takes me approximately a day to consider the possibilities for the space and create a number of proposals and a costing.  At this stage I price in a number of price groups to enable my customers to make an informed choice as to which range most suits their taste and budget.  Again the customer is not charged for this service however we do not give away our designs.

When I meet the customer in my showroom I am open to suggestions, as I have not produced one conclusive design. This is their space and whether they are spending £7,000 or £37,000 I believe it is important that you have considered all options. From this meeting changes are made and the final designs are produced with costing.

A national company can not afford the time to spend on this level of service and detail and therefore would produce the designs in front of you while you wait and does not apply as much imagination to the design or have the flexibility and knowledge to know how to get the most out of their fitting team and the ranges available to them.  Therefore you could spend £10,000 on a kitchen from a national and it would be very basic or you could spend the same in a studio and get a more bespoke look with additional features

2. When ordering your kitchen from a studio it is common to pay a deposit of between 35% and 50%  depending the nature of the kitchen hand built etc with two further staged payments one just before installation and 10% on completion.  This allows you to organise your finances and gives you peace of mind that you have not paid all upfront.

A national chain however requires full payment to order often offering finance facilities once the payment has been made if the documents have been signed on the retailers premises you loose the right to cancel.

3. Before your Kitchen- Bedroom  is ordered it is normal practise for a technical site survey to be carried out this will be done by the fitter who is going to install your kitchen or an owner of the business.  The measurements of the room are checked and the detail of the design discussed again at this point it is still possible to make changes.

The fitter if not a direct employee of the business will be a trusted member of a small team of contractors that the showroom works with on a regular basis and has done for many years.  An installation will take 2-3 weeks depending upon size

A national company may or may not send a surveyor in to check the measurements and design detail. The company will work with a pool of fitters spread all over the country who may not be local to you, an installation will take approximately 1 week and if there are remedial items to be altered or changed it could be a different team that goes in to sort these things out.

3. Remedial’s during the installation, as a kitchen however well designed or high the quality it is possible that items are sent wrong or damaged by suppliers this is due to the number of individual items that make up your kitchen often over 60 component parts an independent showroom will have identified any anomalies during the first stage of the installation and any items that are required are ordered and delivered within 48 hours this ensures that customers does not feel any inconvenience and therefore it is not an issue.

A national retailer will be tied into supply contracts which regularly state 21 days delivery times regardless of the nature of the order i.e replacements or additions.  This means that many of the kitchens that are started are still not finished weeks later.  The nationals cover this off as snagging.

The final outcome could to the untrained eye look similar however time is the great test and often a kitchen rushed in design and fitting can look dated and start to sag in just a few years.

An independent showroom will design and install a kitchen that is built to last the test of time in terms of design and quality therefore £ for £ you will get more value for money from a independent design studio.