To not buy new kitchen over a tap

I'd say the special offer should be available to anyone who hasn't put an order on yet and OP hasn't.
In either case it makes sense to get other quotes as she might get the same quality or better somewhere else at a better price and with special offers

No advice, I just can’t wrap my head around a 30k kitchen. We just redid ours (one wall of units, and a huge island) with a new range cooker and new American style fridge for less than 9k (and an extra £2k for the installation, from our builder). It’s from Wren’s nicer range too, and we got proper Oak countertops and a fancy sink. I thought we were really splashing out, but looks like we went super cheap!

If I was spending 30k I’d really insist on a freebie (although, the stats on Quookers are that you need to use 26cups of water a day from it to justify the extra electricity compared to boiling the kettle).

So they're a smaller company, you like the quality of the product and they have a reputation for being good? And you're not that fussed about the tap?

I think it's a bit unfair to compare them to the big kitchen companies - you do know they inflate their prices so that they can then offer a discount to make you feel good?

Ime smaller companies don't operate that way. I'd imagine the Qooker thing is some kind of deal they've got running with the supplier for a time limited period.

Also if you started the conversation in December then very possibly your quote is based on 2025 prices? Do you really want it based on 2026 prices instead just to get a free tap that you don't even particularly want?

The cost of that tap will be priced in somewhere... unless you really want the tap I'd leave well alone tbh.

I mean, where do they draw the line? They introduced an incentive to start on a specific date. There’s potentially dozens of customers in the same position as you. It’s just one of those situations where it is what it is. It comes across a bit mean spirited and spiteful to try hold a company to ransom when tbh they’ve really done nothing wrong. A £100 tap presumably doesn’t make that much difference to your finances when you’re already spending £30k on a kitchen, but if the business applied the same to all other customers in your position, then it could affect their business. Businesses are struggling atm.

I wondered that too 😂

If they definitely are a good company and you were happy with the price originally, and happy they won't do a bodge job and leave you without kitchen for six months, then I personally wouldn't be bothered about a Quooker tap. My friend is having her's removed.

My two-pennth worth is you can design your own kitchen. You have seen what the kitchen company are suggesting, even if you haven't got actual plans.

I worked out what I wanted on graph paper. Lots of measuring, rubbing out, remeasuring. In the end I had a clear idea in my head what I wanted - and what features I absolutely did not want. I could picture myself in that kitchen, where I would be standing to cook etc., what I wanted to hand, how I wanted to store certain items together to make things easier than they currently were.

I gave my graph paper design to the kitchen company and between us we made some tweaks, but basically the kitchen I have now 95% my vision.

So if you do decide to go elsewhere, you don't have to be reliant on their ideas.

Sounds like they have given you a good price already.

Don’t be aggrieved about the tap, just put it down to tight margins.

Even for my small kitchen, about 2k, they threw in the dishwasher and all the handles, and still discounted the total price. And told me where to get the exact same worktop from for cheaper. And they didn't hold the design details back. They were amazing.

Shop about.

I would walk away spending that much money on a kitchen and they can’t give you a deal. You’re not a paying customer yet so you should be entitled to it. Just an fyi I have a quooker tap and it is the best thing I’ve ever bought. I don’t know what issues people have had with it but I’ve not had any issues with mine. Now my brother has had issues with his but his isn’t a quooker it’s a cheaper version of the quooker. Quooker is also the only one that does 100 degrees. Good luck with the kitchen. Definitely get some other quotes.

Tbh I don't get haggling. You don't do your big shop at Tesco's and badger the cashier to throw the bread in for free. You don't go clothes shopping at Next and say, "Well I can get a pair of jeans at Primark for a tenner, so are you going to match that? What if I buy two pairs, will you at least throw in that jumper?"

I used to work in a specialist frame shop, and people pulled that kind of thing all the time. It was my first job, minimum wage, just minding the till and shop floor, and I didn't have any kind of authority to change any prices. People got so mad that I wouldn't as well. I think it left a mark 😂

But you said you're getting a good price for the size and quality?

Incentives, sales, and freebies often push an inflated price down to a reasonable one so you feel like you're getting a good deal. It sounds like you're actually getting one without all that 🤷‍♀️

I would not push back, personally, because I hate quooker taps anyway.

I don't think YABU, fwiw. You've asked for something other customers are getting, and they've quibbled over the fine print to make sure you don't get it. Everything else aside, that seems kind of petty 🤔

OP, we are in central Scotland and have just recently completed our new kitchen fitting. We used a small independent ( not the same as the one you used, as they don’t have a female assistant). Our kitchen is smaller than yours at about 6m*5m and we spent c£55k for hand made in frame solid wood . I think £30k is a good price and if you are happy with the design and quality, although I absolutely understand why you are irritated, I would think seriously about pulling out.

Can you find a competitor to play them off against? Say ‘Magnet has offered to throw the tap in that we want’. Not sure a tap you didn’t care about is worth derailing a renovation for.

The new enquiries as opposed to new orders thing is pretty crap on their part.

We spent a lot on our kitchen, around 35 excluding appliances and painting, and I would have been very annoyed if I'd felt like they were quibbling over such a very small thing - it's obviously a Quooker promotion, so they're going to be getting it at a rock bottom price. I'd lay out your annoyance and see what happens - I do agree with others that it's worth trying to get another quote or two on a similar kitchen. Have you looked to see if there are any reviews about this place (not on their website)?

Oh, and we have a Quooker cube and love it. 5 years on in a hard water area (London) and no issues whatsoever.

@PloddingAlong21 I agree on the insinkerator. I love it so much. Never having to reach your hand into a sink full of gross water to pull up the strainer or having to try to stop the bits from going down the drain is amazing.

This

Absolutely walk away i did and they ended up calling me and matching the price of the new company I had a quote from. My 15k kitchen ended up costing 9k with fitting

Did our kitchen design ourselves through diykitchens.co.uk and had a professional fitter in. It’s brilliant and 18mm units so the thickest ones and of excellent quality at a fraction of the price as you use the design software yourself. If you are any good with software save yourself thousands and do it this way!

We have a large island and 2 x Neff hide and slide ovens, neff microwave fitted in the wall etc. we also have the quooker tap (it’s amazing) and insinkerator as open plan so j didn’t want a good waste bin in the summer, as south facing. The tap and insinkerstor are my favourite things. The hide and slides also great for an island.

I would 100% aim to get the tap and stick tk your principles for that cost.

It’d put me off and incentivise me to shop around

She could definitely start a new order transferring the information from the old one so that you can qualify.

Or ask to speak to the manager if all else fails.

Final blow would be to go to someone else that you feel happier.

Although it is weird that they don’t give you a rough sketch of the kitchen for you to mull over at home.

I would insist on the tap

The only thing I think you are being unreasonable about is only researching one company. I'm involved in a lot of different house fittings/kit outs/restorations through my business and am currently in the process of getting a new kitchen in our new house.
I will only deal with companies who come out to my house and walk and talk us through our options and design as it is completely different being in the space as opposed to imagining it on a computer.
As regards the Qooker, get one, have had one for years and wouldn't be without one now, love them!!

I used to be a kitchen designer for many years, and my guess is that the tap isn’t actually “free”. Often the margins are adjusted so it looks like the tap is included at no cost. As you already have a final agreed price, they probably can’t move things around now to absorb the tap cost elsewhere.

This is exactly why we never offered freebies unless there was a random dishwasher in the warehouse that needed shifting and it was a high-profit kitchen design.

I would get some alternative quotes and see what other companies can offer you.

If the lack of incentives is irritating you now, it will do so even more if there is the slightest issue after fitting. I'd make the effort to get alternative quotes and designs. £30k is a big investment.

Not RTFT but I’d walk away from them too. I just couldn’t.

No walk away. You will probably get it cheaper elsewhere