Thread: Impala Kitchens

Originally Posted by vGolfer

Impala currently have a 30% off offer for new kitchens. Anyone have any experience with them - good or bad.

Thanks in advance

do they mean off retail or real prices ,its only a t and an i between paying $20,000 to $30,000 overprice for what you recieve ,up here the BIG retailers give discounts but you have to read between the lines to find out the grab ,most give a discount on the carcasses ,big deal ,the money is in the external finishes not the bases ,the company you mention was operating in queensland up until recently but were shut down by our licensing section of the government for trading outside their licencses,i beleive that the different companies using the name are franchises and you should check their credentials of the company you intend (or are thinking about to use )
with your relevant government authoties

go to plyboard in dandenong, save a fortune and do it yourself. They can recomend you installers do do for you.

Being in the building industry have got to know a little bit about kitchens, what i would do is find a local guy with lots of experince and a proper factory, you will save your self heaps of $$$ and get an equal good kitchen.

Some of the flat packs are good value for money but if not installed right will not last the distance.

Use impala to do a design for you then take it to the small guy to build.

Bench tops, doors, handles, flooring are the things you should spend money on for a posh look, if you are fancy those Blum silding draws are nice but a bit xy.

My mum wanted a new kitchen got qoutes from big mobs for over 40k for cabnets, benchtop, doors,splashback but no appliaances or buiding work, since getting the quote we have repriced the job using our local guys for less than half inclulding german appliacnces.

I spent some time once working for one of the "bigger" kitchen suppliers as a "designer" (salesman).

They used to feature a 25% off all kitchens regularly; every four or five months.

25% was also our standing margin which we were allowed to negotiate into anytime to get a contract.
Sale time or not.

Anyone with a big showroom, sales staff, FREE DESIGNING, et cetera has greater overheads to cover and that comes out of the kitchen price.
Shop your plan around, see what changes other suppliers want to make before costing it and question them. "Why did X do this and price it like this?"

Most important for me is the how much interest the supplier shows in my job. I am much happier if I can get to talk to the one person about the work being done and that I feel like I am being dealt with on an individual level. If I can ring a supplier and he knows who I am I am a lot happier than if they need five minutes to even find my order.

Respect,all.

Originally Posted by vGolfer

Impala currently have a 30% off offer for new kitchens.

Can you imagine any company affording a 30% discount? They would soon be broke.

Obviously the price is inflated. And dont forget, they will still be making a profit even after they have taken off the discount.

Smaller cabinetmakers are always the best alternative. They do not have umpteen showrooms, sales people to pay and the costly infrastructure to operate in that way.

Loading the price and then offering incentives is one of the oldest tricks in the book.

Reminds me of another large kitchen company who has a different sale angle every month (I'm sure you'll make the connection ). Usually 20% off (* conditions apply) or free appliance package or free installation (by the way, how many kitchen installers out there install kitchens for free?) ZERO!

I have seen many kitchen designs by sales people/designers and many are a complete joke. The training given to them is scant to say the least. They are trained in how to get the sale. Just read the job classifieds for kitchen sales people. Goes like this... Want to make $100,000 per year? No kitchen design experience required. Training will be provided for successful sales people who can close the deal. Blah, blah .....

The best way to buy a kitchen is to hire the services of a professional kitchen designer. Why? They will design a kitchen that works, fits your budget and matches your lifestyle. They offer impartial advice and are not under pressure to meet monthly sales targets. The average price of a kitchen these days would be about $15 - 20,000. If a professional design was to cost you $750 that's only 5%. It will be the best money you have ever spent. Now you can take your plans to as many kitchen companies as you wish. Everyone will be quoting on exactly the same design and specifications. You will have a much easier time deciding on who eventually will do the job.

I guess we were going to see what they had in the way of ideas. I know these places just like to try and 'get you in' any way they can. Kind of like the FAI Security people I had come around to give us a quote on installing an alarm. The guy turned up almost dressed like a cop...started his little presentation and one of the first things he said to me...in from of SWMBO was "Now, how would you feel if your wife was raped in your own home. Or your kids were murdered in their beds?". I promptely told him to off!

I have heard that Impala try and sign you up on the spot...would never have a bar of anything like that.

Thanks for the input so far...

Originally Posted by vGolfer

I have heard that Impala try and sign you up on the spot...would never have a bar of anything like that.

Just like

Originally Posted by renomart

Reminds me of another large kitchen company who has a different sale angle every month (I'm sure you'll make the connection )

They will only come out to quote if both of the decisionmakers will be there. Then proceed to offer you a 'discount' if you sign up that night.

I went through this at another property.

Thought I would get the large companies in for a "design and quote"

Problem was - none of them would even leave a copy of the "design" with me for consideration until I signed on the dotted line for the whole install.

I asked how much for just the design (on a 10 grand kitchen in a one bedroom flat) and was told by two of them: $2500!

Got a interior designer (not decorator) to draw plans (architecturals and lighting) and a finishes schedule for the whole flat for $2100 which included a project management fee and could be paid in three installments - Kitchen, Bathroom and remainder, as I got around to doing each.

He sure earned every cent of it and made sure that I got what I wanted

Originally Posted by BrisBen

none of them would even leave a copy of the "design" with me for consideration until I signed on the dotted line for the whole install.

what we did is look at the design then he left we draw it our selfs,

I had a similar experience with the best known kitchen supplier. They came around, used the computer to design the kitchen, looked OK and price was acceptable so I signed.

When I got the real contract, I found that the new appliances were extra, not inclusive as the sales slime insinuated. Cancelled next day, took the plans to a small local business and got same kitchen, inc appliances for less than the 'discounted' National operator.

Originally Posted by BrisBen

Got a interior designer (not decorator) to draw plans (architecturals and lighting) and a finishes schedule for the whole flat for $2100 which included a project management fee and could be paid in three installments - Kitchen, Bathroom and remainder, as I got around to doing each.

He sure earned every cent of it and made sure that I got what I wanted

Not that I have any love of high pressure sales tactics or unethical advertising , but a word in the defence of kitchen designer/installer companies such as the above: Do you think that it is fair that people set up a sales appointment with the company, discuss all of their ideas, get the company to produce a plan, and then want to keep a copy of the plan so they can get other (cheaper) to quote on? This is why they won't let you keep the plan.

IMHO if you want a no-strings-attached design (done by someone with professional experience) then pay a professional to do it.

Justine

It becomes a vicious cycle in my opinion - I charge for design and project management separately, for the simple reason that I like to eat. As stated above, so many folks get a design then go elsewhere (me too of course) - so one way the Kitchen Companies combat it is to advertise large discounts, which are not real. Not sure who started it all, but Melbourne is extremely price sensitive - I have my own conclusions about why Melburnites are this way but they're not pretty or relevant here - Anyway, I guess it would be fair to offer clients a range of options from design through to installation but a sales-type person, working with a stitch-em-up mentality is going to go for the jugular every time and spend NO time thinking about the best answer to the client's problems etc.

When it comes to the type of clients I work with, those salespeople last about 3 minutes before displaying their gross inability to provide workable solutions for period homes....... long-winded I know, but the short answer is the discount is rubbish.

Either way, have fun!

ps. I have just bought two sets of taps, one from the UK and one from the US...... I am very excited about them - sad huh? What can I tell ya - I just love beautiful taps. Both sets in period style, both 1/4 turn ceramic handles. One for a small copper prep island sink I am installing and the other for the 3 bowl main sink. You shoulda seen me when I got the pre-rinse spray units from the US!

The large companys tend to use kitchen design software, which is infact just putting standard units in to your floor plan. Not really much in the way of what i would call design.

Real kitchen design must take into consideration not just how it looks but how it works and it's real function, who it is to be used by and for what purpose. All of this should be based around the old working triangle (cooker, sink, fridge)

A couple with no children who mostly eat out will need a different kitchen to a couple with 6 children and large extended family who mostly eat at home. Two extreames i know but it give you an idea of how it's not just about putting cabinets in to space.

Cheers,
Kev

vGolfer
If you know what you want or just doing a facelift and live in north or west of Melb I suggest you try Bill Jennings at Coronation Laminates in East Keilor
He also trades as Kitchen Facelift Centre
We used him 4 years ago for a facelift (new doors and bench-tops) and he was half the price of one of the big firms
I can thoroughly recommend him as he turned up on time for all appointments and actually came a day early for the installation.
The job was well done and he is completely honest - we had no problem in leaving him in the house while we were out
Hope this might help