Looking to renovate my kitchen. Any recommendations for Kitchen specialists in Helsinki area?
For example Kvick, Kettiömaailma etc.
Buying a New Kitchen
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Re: Buying a New Kitchen
A guy I know, rented a van, took a ship to Rostock in Germany, drove to, was it, Hamburg, or perhaps Berlin, and bought back a kitchen set, all made to order for about 5K. He said the same thing here was close to 11K. So, 5K + about 500 travelling.
Just a thought. In fact, I have been think of that myself.
Just a thought. In fact, I have been think of that myself.
Re: Buying a New Kitchen
I have a very bad experience with Keittiömaa, which has shops in Tammisto and Varisto in Vantaa.
They were very polite and enthusiastic till we have signed the contract. Once the contract was signed, they won't answer our phone calls or return our call requests. They answered our email inquiries with delay. They didn't start the work on schedule. They didn't sent our orders correctly to the manufacturer in Germany. They lied that it was the fault of their email system. Thus we got the wrong type of cupboard doors and wardrobe doors (eventually we got them changed to the correct ones, but that was like 3 months later). They designed the wardrobes without the back plates, thus they were mounted directly to the wall. The whole project should be finished in 2 months, but at the end it took 6 months. There were still some unfinished tasks. So at the end they didn't send us the remaining bill (a very small portion), and we were also reluctant to contact them anymore.
Also we hired an electrician separately to do the electricity tasks. He totally overcharged us. The lesson is that you have to be vigilant about their reported working hours, the price and the amount of used materials and accessories, even parking fees. Once you have received the bill, if there are anything unclear, you need to complaint to them within 7 days.
We also ordered a kitchen for the summer cottage from another supplier Keittiömaailma without installation. The service was better, but you still need to get involved and monitor the progress better. For example, you need to call them to make sure when and where the stuff will be shipped to.
They were very polite and enthusiastic till we have signed the contract. Once the contract was signed, they won't answer our phone calls or return our call requests. They answered our email inquiries with delay. They didn't start the work on schedule. They didn't sent our orders correctly to the manufacturer in Germany. They lied that it was the fault of their email system. Thus we got the wrong type of cupboard doors and wardrobe doors (eventually we got them changed to the correct ones, but that was like 3 months later). They designed the wardrobes without the back plates, thus they were mounted directly to the wall. The whole project should be finished in 2 months, but at the end it took 6 months. There were still some unfinished tasks. So at the end they didn't send us the remaining bill (a very small portion), and we were also reluctant to contact them anymore.
Also we hired an electrician separately to do the electricity tasks. He totally overcharged us. The lesson is that you have to be vigilant about their reported working hours, the price and the amount of used materials and accessories, even parking fees. Once you have received the bill, if there are anything unclear, you need to complaint to them within 7 days.
We also ordered a kitchen for the summer cottage from another supplier Keittiömaailma without installation. The service was better, but you still need to get involved and monitor the progress better. For example, you need to call them to make sure when and where the stuff will be shipped to.
Re: Buying a New Kitchen
We had very similar problems with Puustelli but it was a long time ago. Pleased with the quality of the elements and the installation of the cupboards (they still look pretty good) but everything else was absolute rubbish: project management, electricity, painting, tiling. In fact the tiling on the floor was so bad we got the kitchen fitter to tile the walls for us! The salesman was an idiot, he came to take photos of the "finished" kitchen (it wasn't close to being finished) and then drove away with his camera on the roof of his car! The "two week" fit took about two months from start to finish. I never got the extractor fan I wanted and the skirting boards fell off the wall about a month after they left. I can't remember all the other things that went wrong.
Good advice though, whoever you end up choosing, keep a log book and write down every movement, everything they do, the time they arrive, the time they leave, who's there, etc etc etc
Good advice though, whoever you end up choosing, keep a log book and write down every movement, everything they do, the time they arrive, the time they leave, who's there, etc etc etc
Re: Buying a New Kitchen
I have, in the past, bought and installed 4 Ikea kitchens. I'm not sure what they are worth nowadays (last installation was about 10 yrs ago at our mökki) but if you're up to the challenge, or you know someone who is really good at DIY then I think they are a good option. They have some OK apps in the store to help you design your kitchen and they probably even have a list of fitters. But if you are a long way from a store then it can be a hassle of you have to take stuff back. When I lived in France and installed an Ikea kitchen in my flat, I opened all the cupboard doors in the Ikea car park and checked them before driving away (the upper elements had glass doors).
The trouble with the kitchen companies is they just use subcontractors to do all the fitting, in fact they have probably never even met the person who installs your kitchen.
Like Cory says, it's important to get the plans right in the beginning (maybe get yourself one of those laser measuring thingies (eg from Motonet, Biltema) to get precise measurements).
Ask for a DETAILED quote, so you can see the price of each item (especially if you are ordering electrical appliances at the same time). We had to get really pushy, just to get a detailed quote so we could compare prices of ovens, hobs etc
Exercise zero-tolerance right from the start or they will walk all over you. If things go wrong, withholding payment is not an option. These kitchen retailers use a factoring service for all their outstanding receivables - so you just get a bad credit rating if you refuse to pay the bill. They have you right where it hurts.
The trouble with the kitchen companies is they just use subcontractors to do all the fitting, in fact they have probably never even met the person who installs your kitchen.
Like Cory says, it's important to get the plans right in the beginning (maybe get yourself one of those laser measuring thingies (eg from Motonet, Biltema) to get precise measurements).
Ask for a DETAILED quote, so you can see the price of each item (especially if you are ordering electrical appliances at the same time). We had to get really pushy, just to get a detailed quote so we could compare prices of ovens, hobs etc
Exercise zero-tolerance right from the start or they will walk all over you. If things go wrong, withholding payment is not an option. These kitchen retailers use a factoring service for all their outstanding receivables - so you just get a bad credit rating if you refuse to pay the bill. They have you right where it hurts.
Re: Buying a New Kitchen
Of course withholding payment is an option. You just can't withhold 2000€ if couple of doors are scratched. And factoring service can't keep on collecting if the balance is challenged. To get bad credit rating you go to court first. Unless we are talking about fines, taxes, hospital bills and other city/state payments.Rosamunda wrote:If things go wrong, withholding payment is not an option. These kitchen retailers use a factoring service for all their outstanding receivables - so you just get a bad credit rating if you refuse to pay the bill. They have you right where it hurts.
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Re: Buying a New Kitchen
Thank you for the feedback everybody. Will take all of your points on board. We have a reliable builder (specializing in kitchen fittings) to do the dirty work so that should side-step any potential issues there at least!