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How to better understand your Kitchen Quotation, and what to watch out for when including boiling taps and extraction hobs on a furniture quotation.
When planning a kitchen renovation, obtaining accurate quotations from suppliers is crucial. However, the reality often falls short of expectations, especially when high-end items like Quooker taps and Bora hobs are involved. These sophisticated appliances, while desirable for their functionality and style, can introduce hidden costs and complexities that can make initial quotations misleading. Here’s why you should tread carefully when interpreting kitchen quotations, particularly with these two premium items.
Quooker Taps: Known for delivering boiling water on demand, Quooker taps are a game-changer in modern kitchens. They offer convenience, energy efficiency, and a sleek design that can enhance any kitchen's aesthetic.
Bora Hobs: Bora hobs are innovative cooking systems that integrate powerful downdraft extractors, eliminating the need for traditional overhead range hoods. They offer seamless design integration and efficient ventilation, making them a popular choice for open-plan kitchens.
1. A variety of alternative brands
With luxury accessories such as boiling taps and extraction hobs becoming so popular, there's now such a variety available on the market that it can be hard to compare one brand with another. Quooker and Bora are both market leaders in their field and as such often cost more than their less-desirable alternatives. These alternatives do not always offer the same same quality or variety of options as the market leaders do, and this must be considered when making comparisons and drawing conclusions.
2. Hidden accessories and components:
Quooker Taps: The base price might not include essential accessories such as water filters or maintenance kits. Over time, these additional components can add significantly to the overall cost. You may also need a special system for the warm feed if you have low water pressure or your tap is a long way from your boiler, which may not have been considered.
Bora Hobs: For ducted models, the quoted price may not include the essential ducting kits or additional ventilation components necessary for installation. These extras are crucial for the hob extraction system to function correctly and efficiently.
3. Cabinetry requirements
Quooker Taps: Fitting the boiling water unit under the sink might require adjustments to existing cabinetry, especially if space is limited. Larger capacity boiling tanks require more space than smaller tanks do, so internal unit size must always be considered.
This is especially true if you're adding additional filtered cold and/or sparkling cold feed systems, and drawers below a sink (unless vasty reduced in depth) will almost always cause issues in this regard.
Bora Hobs: Integrating a Bora hob requires a special type of cabinetry to ensure adequate space for the the downdraft extractor & its ducting. This ensures that the hob will work effectively, without compromising the kitchen’s design or function.
With drawer units, the upper drawer will needs to have lower sides to prevent collisions with the extraction module of the hob, and it's likely that both drawers will need to be reduced in depth to allow space at the back for the exhaust ducting down into the plinth space or floor.
Thankfully both Schüller and Nobilia kitchens both have specialised units to suit all models of extraction hobs (contact us for more details!)
Now you have an insight into some of the intricacies that come with planning these premium appliances properly, let's take a look at how to make sure you're definitely getting what you need on your kitchen quotations:
While Quooker taps and Bora hobs can transform your kitchen into a state-of-the-art culinary space, the quotations for these items can sometimes gloss over potential additional costs. By understanding the possible pitfalls and asking the right questions however, you can avoid being misled and ensure your kitchen renovation project stays within budget. Proper planning and thorough communication with suppliers and installers are key to achieving a successful, stress-free kitchen upgrade.
To truly compare a kitchen quotation it's worth looking at alternatives to the big names and always ensure (when comparing quotations) that you're comparing like for like as far as possible. Its all too easy for one supplier to quote an off-brand boiling tap and another a Quooker where the cost difference can easily be in the high hundreds. Similarly with extraction hobs, the base Bora models retail from around £2200, with alternative brands available from as little as £915.
Given the extensive variety now available with appliances, worktops and kitchen accessories it's often a good idea to remove all of these ancillary goods from the equation and compare kitchen furniture with kitchen furniture to see which suppliers are offering the best value for money. Once you know your dealing with a company you know to be competitive adding in the ancillary items is pretty simple. Check the appliances and accessory costs online, we find www.ao.com to be a good benchmark for cost effectiveness.
Here at GKS we pride ourselves on providing detailed itemised quotations from the first communication with clients, keeping you fully aware of what is and is not included in a quotation. If you're ever unsure about an item we have quoted, please let a member of our Design Team know and we'd be more than happy to run through a quotation in detail with you.
For a FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTATION or just general advice on anything kitchen-related, please get in touch today!
