Kitchen quotes - haggling with Howdens

[Hitomi]

Hi, I'm planning to get my kitchen redecorated - mainly to replace the units and worktopsI'm keeping my existing freestanding appliances (but replacing cooker hood).

I got four quotes from different suppliers and so far narrowed it down to Howdens or Magnet. (Other options were Wren, who I said no to because I wasn't massively keen on their design and also found them far too aggressive in their sales approach! The other one was a local supplier who did a beautiful design but was miles out of my budget)

Howdens have so far quoted just over £5.5k for a mid-range kitchen (11 units, laminate worktop and backboard/upstands, sink, tap, canopy cooker hood). Magnet's quote is about a grand higher and I'm also slightly less keen on their design as they don't seem to have all the unit options/sizes and worktop style that I'm looking for. However I'm still keeping them in the running for now as I do really like door/unit style.

The estimate from Howdens is 'ok' but a little higher than what I had budgeted, and so am wondering the best ways to try and haggle down, as I would prefer to invest more in a decent fitter. I'm aware about flatpack being cheaper (and that this would add extra to my fitter's costs).

I sent the item breakdown to DIY Kitchens to request a like-for-like quote, and theirs has come out about £2,500 cheaper! So I'm thinking of trying to ask Howdens to do a price match, but not sure if trying to get them down by that much is an unrealistic ask...??

I've got a follow up appointment with Howdens and wondering whether to take the DIY quote to discuss with them in person, or just email it to them in advance of seeing them?

Am also wondering if others have had much success with getting Howdens to price match with DIY Kitchens, or have any other tips on other ways to try and get the price down please?!

Thanks in advance :-)

Beautiful kitchen, nice work! Alas I would not have the patience or time to try and do something like this myself

Yikes @Roselilly36 I've been meaning to get my kitchen redone for about the last 10 years, so I do wish I'd started this whole process much sooner 😅

Eh? My description of the Salesman had nothing to do with him not offering a huge discount and everything to do with his rude, dismissive behaviour. He tried to steer me towards a particular range I didn’t want but otherwise seemed uninterested and unable to answer basic questions.

We then received a quote from
him that was £12k more than a like for like from DIY Kitchens. We tried to discuss this with him and he said “Do you understand DIY Kitchens do not have the same overheads as us? Well that explains the price difference” and hung up the phone. We never heard from him again. That was just our experience of one sales person in one Howdens branch but as said, we have friends who’ve had a great experience with them so I think we were unlucky.

Howden's door edges and unit backs made us question... Also advised to open a business account before we can get a quote. We've got a builder and he's saying Howden's quotes for the same kitchens and amounts of units differ... 🙄

Hi - thank you all again for your comments to date. Just thought I'd share an update for anyone interested.

I contacted Benchmarx direct with my existing Howdens design/item breakdown, and they provided me with a like-for-like quote. There were a couple of items that they didn't have, but signposted to alternatives on their website for these. They were very quick to put the quote together and was fully itemised with individual items costs, which surprised me, since I thought they only dealt with the trade. Their quote was competitive with Howdens and I think if I'd known about this supplier when I first started this whole process, I definitely would have explored further.

I also contacted DIY Kitchens with the same, who also very quickly provided me with a like-for-like quote, which worked out about 55% cheaper (There were a handful of items that they didn't have though, mainly kitchen installation type bits and bobs)

I took this back to Howdens who agreed to match on a like-for-like basis - there were a few products that they changed as a result of this (eg sink and tap), to make it more in line with the products on the DIY Kitchens quote.

I do have mixed feelings about this, as on the one hand I'm pleased/relieved that Howdens were able to match the DIY Kitchens quote, because those costs are a bit more manageable for me. On the flip side, it does make me question their morals/ethics :-/

My gut is still telling me to go with Howdens though, and think I just need to bite the bullet now!

You will get a better quality kitchen with DIY than Howdens. The doors and backboards are thicker. If they are the same price I would go with the better quality.

I also hate the opaque pricing with Howdens. They should just give their best price, you shouldn't have to haggle.